The independent resource on global security

Essays

Joe Biden’s arms control ambitions are welcome—but delivering on them will not be easy

A deadly pandemic to control. An urgent nationwide vaccination programme to roll out. An economic crisis to navigate. Political divisions and distrust deep enough to spark mob violence and terrorism. The 46th President of the United States faces a barrage of critical domestic challenges from day one.

No lasting peace without climate security

This SIPRI Essay was originally published in the print edition of the East African on 28 November and in the onli

Diluted disarmament in space: Towards a culture for responsible behaviour

Humankind depends on outer space for numerous services, ranging from telecommunications and navigation to disaster management and national security. While the use of space was once associated only with governments, the private sector has become increasingly involved in providing some of these services.

Cultural reconstruction is critical after Islamic State occupation

The scars left by the Islamic State group’s three-and-a-half-year occupation in northern Iraq are deep.

Maritime disputes in the eastern Mediterranean: Why and why now?

In August 2020, Greek and Turkish frigates collided in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish ship had been escorting a Turkish seismic survey vessel, RV MTA Oruç Reis.

A breakdown in cooperation puts us all at risk

Earlier this year, I took on the task of writing the introductions to two surveys of the contemporary global landscape. One was SIPRI Yearbook 2020, our annual review of armaments, disarmament and international security.

COVID-19: A new wave of European arms industry consolidation?

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused the most severe economic crisis since the 1930s, could we witness a new phase of consolidation within the Western and Central European arms industry? This SIPRI Essay gives an early glimpse at where these three factors stand after the ‘great lockdown’. It proposes that the European arms industry may be at the outset of a larger consolidation movement.

Trust and coercion in times of emergency: COVID-19 and structures of authority in North Africa

The coronavirus disease 2019 crisis can function as a prism through which more fundamental political and societal structures can be better understood.

Climate change, disease and the legitimacy of armed non-state actors

To many, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic came as a surprise. It has placed enormous strain on governments to contain the spread of the disease and address the fallout from the measures that have been implemented.