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Essays
In this SIPRI Essay, former nuclear inspector Robert Kelley describes how the case for invading Iraq in 2003 was built on false claims about weapons of mass destruction that had already been disproved by top US and international scientists.
Towards a more secure future through effective multilateralism based on facts, science and knowledge
As world leaders gather in New York for the opening of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, far too many security key indicators are heading in a dangerous direction. We can, and must, turn them around.
The latest review cycle of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) reached an unsatisfactory conclusion on 26 August, when the Russian delegation blocked agreement on a final outcome document. Yet the challenges facing the NPT lie much deeper than the current tensions over Ukraine. Myriad obstacles to progress on disarmament will ultimately need to be addressed outside of NPT meetings.
There is an urgent need for the world to come together to address the intertwined environment and security crises, and to deal with the risks they create. This essay draws on research under SIPRI's Environment of Peace initiative and on the authors' own experience of international diplomacy to explore where international cooperation is most needed, and how it could be strengthened.
Last week saw the launch of SIPRI’s major policy report Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk, looking at how to manage the growing risks emerging at the nexus of environmental degradation, peace and security.
WritePeace blog
Yemen: Local grievances call for internationally supported local solutions
The Iran–Saudi détente could ease Yemen’s troubles, but lasting peace will require local solutions. Emelie Poignant Khafagi and Dr Ahmed Morsy explore more in this SIPRI WritePeace blog.
Lessons on climate resilience and peacebuilding from Ethiopia and the Dry Corridor
Poor and conflict-affected rural settings are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. To achieve the best outcomes for communities, peacebuilding and resilience-building should go hand in hand.
Going private (equity): A new challenge to transparency in the arms industry
In the latest ranking of the world’s largest arms-producing and military services companies (the SIPRI Top 100), published in December 2022, two firms based in the United States—Peraton and Amentum—had recently been acquired by private equity firms. Both their arms sales were considered to have a high degree of uncertainty.
War in the breadbasket: One year in
It is one year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has had a devastating impact on the people of Ukraine and shaken the foundations of post-cold war European security. But its repercussions have been much wider.
Climate change and post-conflict reconstruction in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq
A holistic approach is needed to post-conflict reconstruction in northern Iraq, which builds resilience to climate-related risks while addressing the devastating legacy of the Islamic State occupation.
Backgrounders
A snapshot of the situation and remaining challenges for Iraq, two decades after the invasion.
To commemorate the upcoming 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq on 20 March, SIPRI has prepared this Topical Backgrounder along with an Interactive chronology of security developments in Iraq spanning from 2002 to 2021. These materials are components of a larger collection of new materials that SIPRI is creating to commemorate the anniversary.
On 23 December 2022, the Japanese cabinet unveiled its 2023 budget for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), totalling 6.8 trillion yen ($52 billion). The new budget is 26 per cent higher than the JSDF budget for 2022, the largest year-on-year nominal increase in planned military spending since at least 1952.
This Topical Backgrounder looks at the steps being taken in and beyond Ukraine to measure war-linked environmental damage, hold Russia to account and support green reconstruction, and puts them in an international context.
This topical backgrounder presents several indications that a more regionally grounded, cohesive perspective and approach for Afghanistan is emerging—small seeds from which a sustainable response to Afghanistan’s peace, security and development challenges might grow.