Global military expenditure has reached a staggering $2.9 trillion, yet some of the gravest threats facing Asia and the Pacific today cannot be addressed through military deterrence alone. From transnational cyber-scam economies and climate and health-driven shocks to endemic economic insecurity and the erosion of trust in public institutions, the region is grappling with a new era of compounding, multidimensional risks.

The Report suggests that security strategies at global, regional and national levels are largely misaligned with the risks facing the region and need to be revised to address current conditions. It argues that the most significant security threats in the region are development challenges and that investment in human development is one of the most urgent security responses of our time.