MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2020) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has approved a new security directive that Names disinformation, climate change, and pandemics as national security threats, according to a government document on Thursday.
"Security challenges come from both state actors currently engaged in an intense strategic rivalry, and non-state actors (terrorism and organized crime), which have a great interrelation between one another, especially in disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks," the document, which replaces a directive signed in 2012, read.
While not naming any specific countries, the directive stated that disinformation campaigns are focused on creating public discontent. Access to social networks should remain secure and personal data must be protected, government officials stated.
The coronavirus disease pandemic has changed how security concerns will be understood and managed in the European Union and the armed forces will require specific training to prepare for any future large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, the directive stated.
The armed forces also have a crucial role to play in the fight against climate change, the directive stated.
"Military resources must be involved in the fight against climate change, in particular, military units that respond to emergencies ... There are now threats that no country can confront alone. The consequences of climate change, including natural disasters, will affect food supplies in a number of regions, provoking conflict and leading to mass migration," the directive read.
As a result of these concerns, Madrid intends to strengthen cooperation with the EU, NATO, and the United Nations, according to the directive.
In 2019, the Spanish government set up a special unit to fight disinformation before four elections, including a snap general election, were held in the space of two months.
