STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL
PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources.
July/Aug. 13: Protection of civilians: time to rethink the concept
Dr Jaïr van der LijnIn November 2013 the United Nations Secretary-General is expected to release his next report on the protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflict. With the ongoing debates in anticipation of the report, and as the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide approaches, now is the time to reflect on what the concept of POC has achieved so far, and how its implementation needs to be adjusted.
June 13: Measuring peace, security and conflict: the challenges ahead for the SIPRI Yearbook
Tilman Brück and Paul HoltomAs an economist looking at issues of conflict and security, I am constantly surprised to recall that my discipline only started to study the role of violence in the repertoire of human behaviour and interaction after the end of the cold war.
Arms production goes cyber: a challenge for arms control
Dr Vincent BoulaninWith cybersecurity become increasingly importand for state security, can it be controlled by traditional security mechanisms?
Apr. 13: The global market in natural uranium—from proliferation risk to non-proliferation opportunity
Dr Ian Anthony and Dr Lina GripMaking nuclear weapons requires access to materials—highly enriched uranium or plutonium—that do not exist in nature in a weapons-usable form. To constitute a threat, natural uranium needs to go through a challenging and time-consuming process of transformation as it moves through the nuclear fuel cycle.
Will the arms trade treaty be stuck in the past?
Tilman Brück and Paul HoltomWith two days of talks to go, the draft of an arms trade treaty (ATT) being negotiated in the UN looks dangerously likely to be a relic before it ever comes into force.
Feb. 13: Sanctions beyond borders: how to make North Korea sanctions work
Hugh Griffiths and Lawrence DermodyNorth Korea’s recent nuclear test has led to demands for a new round of United Nations sanctions against the country, but the title of a recent Foreign Policy blog post, ‘Is there anything in North Korea left to sanction?’ neatly summarizes the problem facing UN diplomats—and in the process points out one of the key weaknesses in the current sanctions regime.
'Responsibility while protecting': are we asking the wrong questions?
Xenia AvezovThe Brazilian-proposed concept of ‘responsibility while protecting’ (RWP) has polarized opinion on how the international community should respond when civilian populations are targeted. RWP’s supporters claim it would make civilian protection interventions, especially military ones, more accountable and proportionate and rein in perceived misuse of the internationally accepted ‘responsibility to protect’ (R2P). Some of RWP’s opponents see it as a deliberate ploy by states aligned with China and Russia to impede intervention. In reality, this debate is a distraction from less comfortable truths about R2P.
For the bathroom or the missile factory? Why dual-use trade controls matter
Dr Sibylle BauerToothpaste is a harmless consumer product, but it contains fluoride compounds—industrial chemicals that are needed to manufacture the deadly nerve agent sarin—making it a so-called dual-use item.
Wrong paths to peace: the re-emergence of armed violence in northern Mali
Helen WilandhThe internatioal community's plan for a military intervention in Mali is arguably only needed because too much priority has been given to security, at the expense of development efforts to the political, economical and social complexity of the situation in northern Mali.
Harmony or discord? Foreign policy implications of China's upcoming Party Congress
Mathieu Duchâtel and Oliver BräunerAs the Communist Party of China prepares for a once-in-a-decade change of leadership at the 18th Party Congress in November, the country’s foreign relations are in worse shape than they were 10 years ago, especially in East Asia but also in terms of heightened strategic rivalry with the United States. How the incoming leadership chooses to manage further the expansion of Chinese economic and security interests has huge implications for the rest of the world. If the incoming Party leadership fails to prevent widening political rifts in China’s political system (including the People’s Liberation Army, PLA), foreign policy could take on an even more assertive tone, complicating international cooperation with China on issues of international security.