Dan Smith

Director

Dan Smith

Dan Smith is the Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). He has researched and written on security, conflict and peace for four decades. He served four years in the UN Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group, two as Chair (2010–2011).

He was part-time Professor of Peace and Conflict at the University of Manchester from 2014 to 2017. Before taking up his post at SIPRI, he was Secretary General of the London-based peacebuilding NGO, International Alert (2003–2015) and Director of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (1993–2001). His most recent book is the 10th edition of The State of the World Atlas (2020).

Subject expertise

Wide range of conflict and peace issues such as nationalism, identity politics, armed conflicts, ethics of intervention, gender aspects of conflict and peace building, relationship between climate change and insecurity

Regional expertise

Middle East, Africa

CONTACT Dan Smith

Languages

English, French

Education

Christ's College, Cambridge; BA June 1973 (MA January 1977) English Literature

Affiliations

Chair, Advisory Group, UN Peacebuilding Fund, 2010–11
Member, Advisory Group, UN Peacebuilding Fund, 2007–9
Chair, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, London, 1992–2006

SIPRI COMMENTARY

NATO: A new need for some old ideas (Essay, March 2024 )
Russia’s potential withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty underlines the urgent arms control problem (Expert comment, October 2023 )
In a time of competing crises, environmental action matters more than ever (Essay, May 2022 )
The logic of avoiding nuclear war (Essay, January 2022 )
Joe Biden’s arms control ambitions are welcome—but delivering on them will not be easy (Essay, January 2021 )

SIPRI AND PARTNER PUBLICATIONS

Schoonover, R. and Smith, D., Five Urgent Questions on Ecological Security (SIPRI, Stockholm: April 2023)
Delgado, C., Tschunker, K. and Smith, D., Food Insecurity in Africa: Drivers and Solutions (SIPRI, Stockholm: January 2023)
Black, R. et al., Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk (SIPRI, Stockholm: May 2022)
Smith, D., Elements of a Planetary Emergency: Environment of Peace (Part 1) (SIPRI, Stockholm: December 2022)
Krampe, F., van de Goor, L., Barnhoorn, A., Smith E. and Smith, D., Water Security and Governance in the Horn of Africa (SIPRI, Stockholm: March 2020)
Smith, D., Mobjörk, M., Krampe, F. et al, Climate Security: Making it #Doable (Clingendael and SIPRI, The Hague, Stockholm: February 2019)
Delgado, C., Jang, S., Milante, G. and Smith, D., The World Food Programme’s Contribution to Improving the Prospects for Peace (SIPRI, Stockholm: June 2019)
Mobjörk, M. and Smith, D., Translating Climate Security Policy into Practice (March 2017)
Mobjörk, M., Smith, D. and Rüttinger, L., Towards a Global Resilience Agenda: Action on Climate Fragility Risks (December 2016)

1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2023 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2024)
1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2022 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2023)
1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2021 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2022)
1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2020 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2021)
1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2019 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2020)
1. Introduction. International stability and human security in 2018 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2019)
1. Introduction. International stability and human security in 2017 (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2018)
1. Introduction. International security, armaments and disarmament (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2016)
3. Armed conflict and instability in the Middle East and North Africa (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2017)
1. Introduction. International security, armament and disarmament (Chapter, SIPRI Yearbook 2017)

External publications

Delgado, C. and Smith, D., Hunger and food systems in conflict settings, 2021 Global Hunger Index, Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide (2021)
Smith, D. and Krampe, F., Climate-Related Security Risks in the Middle East, in Anders Jägerskog, Michael Schulz, and Ashok Swain (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security, London: Routledge (2019)
Smith, D., The State of the Middle East, 3rd, New Internationalist (2016); (2nd edn 2008: London, Earthscan; Berkeley/LA, UC California Press) (1st edition 2006)
Vivekananda J., Schilling J. and Smith D., ‘Understanding Resilience in Climate Change and Conflict Affected Regions of Nepal’, Geopolitics (2014)
Vivekananda J., Schilling J. and Smith D., 'Climate resilience in fragile and conflict-affected societies: concepts and approaches', Development in Practice, 24:4, 487-501(2014)
Smith, D., The State of the World Atlas (9th edition 2013: Oxford, New Internationalist; New York, Penguin) (8th edn 2008; 7th edn 2003)