This year’s Munich Security Conference brought plenty of talk about geopolitics, spheres of influence, the future of NATO and defense budgets. But as much as these debates matter, they no longer define the full spectrum of power.

In today’s fractured world, security is not just about tanks and treaties. It also depends on strong and trusted partnerships, resilient systems and functioning institutions. These are what equip societies to withstand shocks.

Understood in these terms, international development is not just a form of “soft power” (exerting influence through persuasion and attraction). It is hard power — and our most effective preemptive strike against future threats.

© The Japan Times