A Year of Reflection on Peace and Security, North Korea and more

SIPRI at 50—A Year of Reflection on Peace and Security

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, SIPRI is producing the short-film series 2016—A Year of Reflection, which focuses on SIPRI's 50 years' experience of fact-building for peace and its role in building a more peaceful future. The first film, 'Rising to the Challenge of Peace', features SIPRI Director Dan Smith assessing the four major security challenges of the future.

Watch the first video in the series on SIPRI's YouTube channel.

This film series is produced in cooperation with Different Films Limited.

International Responses to ISIS (and Why They are failing)

ISIS has dramatically undermined stability in Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East and poses a global risk to international peace and security. International responses have been mixed and lack a cohesive strategy. Why aren't the current responses working and what could be done in future?

Read the essay by Manjana Pecht.

Another nuclear test announced by North Korea: Searching for a Plan of action?

On 6 January 2016, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced that it had successfully detonated a ‘hydrogen’ or thermonuclear device. While experts have cast doubts on the validity of the claims, it is a mistake to underestimate the DPRK’s nuclear capabilities.

Read the expert comment by Tariq Rauf.

Scenarios for South Sudan in 2020

Together with the Dutch peace organization PAX, SIPRI published the report ‘Scenarios for South Sudan in 2020: Peace: the only thing worth fighting for’ by Jaïr van der Lijn. Despite the recent peace agreement, the future of South Sudan is highly uncertain. This report explores five possible scenarios for the future, which are intended to facilitate thinking on possible long-term developments, stimulate open debate and assist South Sudan and its international partners in preparing for the future.

Read the press release, download the full report or contact Jaïr van der Lijn for more information.

The peace talks for Syria—what’s new on SIPRI’s blog WritePeace?

-Syria: another round of peace talks

Read this and all earlier contributions at the WritePeace blog.

New SIPRI publication on the Role of Parliamentarians in Europe

SIPRI issued a new policy paper: The Role of Parliamentarians in building security in and for Europe by Ian Anthony.

Europe does not have a common security system that is capable of preventing confl icts and violence. Despite the trend towards tighter controls from individual states, the cooperative approach to security in Europe remains the most convincing model in light of the increased integration and internationalization of the world. This policy paper focuses on the role of parliamentarians in reassessing and building security in Europe.

The paper presents parliamentary expectations and capacities, identifies available instruments, and recommends approaches and actions to increase effectiveness. Brief case studies illustrate the powerful influence that parliamentarians can exert. Finally, the paper proposes three specific projects that address discrete security problems and could help to develop high-impact parliamentary contributions to building cooperative security in and for Europe.

Download the policy paper.
 

New SIPRI publication on the Geopolitics of Peace Operations

SIPRI issued a new workshop report: The New Geopolitics of Peace Operations II: A Dialogue with West Africa by Xenia Avezov.

The regional dialogue meeting, held in Abuja, Nigeria, in September 2015, brought together a range of leading experts, military and government officials, and representatives of civil society and international organizations to discuss the future of peace operations and conflict management in West Africa. This workshop report outlines four key themes that emerged during the regional dialogue: (a) the primacy of governance challenges to peace operation efforts in the region; (b) the need to reinforce long-term approaches and civil society in multidimensional operations; (c) the challenges of managing external peace and security partnerships in the region; and (d) the need to reassess the militarization of peace operations.

Download the workshop report.

SIPRI Yearbook 2015

The 46th edition of the SIPRI Yearbook is a compendium of data and analysis in the areas of security and conflicts; military spending and armaments; and non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament. It covers developments during 2014, including:

• aspects of the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine;
• regional military-security trends in East Asia;
• military spending in the USA;
• the continued negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear programme; and
• the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty.

Download a summary of the SIPRI Yearbook 2015.
Browse the contents page.