While the threat of nuclear war during the cold war era was all too real, in one sense the world is worse off now: even the notion of rebuilding trust on the basis of international commitments is seen as idealistic and unrealistic.
Momentum is building for a new, common approach to energy within the European Union (EU) that balances the need for competitive pricing against security of supply and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
Achieving sustained peace in Mali depends on 'track III' interventions: initiatives carried out by civil society organizations and other non-state actors to support the emergence of a conducive environment for the settling of conflicts.
Arms production was the backbone of the Soviet-type command economy systems in East Central Europe (ECE), but with the collapse of the Eastern bloc, arms makers faced a drastic disruption in their economic, political and social environment.
Western governments and defence companies are adapting to the effects of the 2008 economic crisis by devising new strategies to increase international arms sales.
On 4 March the Chinese Government presented its 2014 budget to the National People's Congress (NPC), but it does not accurately represent the total amount spent by China on its military.
Safeguards measures play a vital role in international efforts to monitor technologies related to reprocessing and enrichment of nuclear materials.
When governments are less than transparent about their military budgets, this has serious ramifications for democracy and security.
China plays a central role in international efforts to curb the North Korean nuclear programme, but chooses a strategy of closer economic and political ties rather than of applying sanctions.
It is easy to measure how much food or fuel a dollar can buy, but how much security can a dollar buy?