Stockholm Forum on Security and Development, Geopolitics of Peace Operations, NPT conference and more

29 May 2015, Singapore

SIPRI China Expert launches book at Shangri La dialogue


Co-authored with Jonas Parello-Plesner, SIPRI’s Head of the China and Global Security Project Dr Mathieu Duchâtel launches China’s Strong Arm: Protecting Citizens and Assets Abroad (Routledge/IISS) on the Shangri-La dialogue, the 14 Asia Security Summit in Singapore later this month. The book describes how despite its principle of ‘non-interference’ in other states’ affairs, Beijing is finding itself progressively involved in other countries – through the need to protect their citizens’ interests and affairs. It shows that the shift in Chinese foreign policy towards a more interventionist approach abroad has not been the result of grand strategy, but an adjustment to unfolding events. The risk appetite of state-owned Chinese business is inexorably drawing the Chinese state into security hotspots, while citizens of the rising power demand that their government protects compatriots caught in crises overseas, including via military means.
 

Read more about the book and contact Dr Mathieu Duchâtel for further information.

1-2 October 2015 Park Hotel, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Call for Papers: Annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ Conference

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the International Security and Development Center (ISDC) and the University of Central Asia (UCA) are pleased to announce the first annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ Conference to take place in Bishkek on 1-2 October 2015.
The two-day conference will bring together national and international experts from government and the public sector, development agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia and research institutions, and media to exchange knowledge and experiences on recent socio-economic developments in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia, and to promote evidence-based policy making.

Deadline for submission for sessions or papers is 30 June. Read more and contact Dr Damir Esenaliev for further information. .

SIPRI Session, Stockholm Forum on Development and Security, 12-13 May

Arms Trade Treaty: Improving arms transfers’ controls and fostering security and development

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) entered into force on 24 December 2014. It is the first international legally binding agreement to establish standards for regulating the trade in conventional arms and preventing the illicit trade in weapons. It highlights the ‘security, social, economic and humanitarian consequences of the illicit and unregulated trade in conventional arms'. Moderated by SIPRI, representatives from the National Commission on Small Arms in Ghana, the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Development in Africa, the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society among others, explored how future Arms Trade Treaty-related outreach and assistance efforts can be structured and implemented to meet partner state needs, and strengthen security and development. In particular, participants explored the important role of states, regional organisations and NGOs in this integrative process, as well as the need to build links with existing capacity building efforts.

Read more; check out #SthlmForum; and contact Mark Bromley for further information. A more comprehensive report from the session will be published soon.

SIPRI Session, Stockholm Forum on Development and Security, 12-13 May

Post-settlement peace processes and the challenges of building sustainable peace

A remarkable number of conflicts suffer from recurring violence. In addition to rendering conflict intractable, this implies a great loss of resources as gains achieved from peacemaking efforts and humanitarian assistance are depleted by the recurrence of violence. Drawing on the case of Mali, a workshop discussion on how local and global actors can overcome the challenges of transforming peace settlements into durable peace was animated by participants from civil society, the development community and academia. The discussion highlighted the importance of sustaining dialogue and other peacebuilding efforts as agreements only help to delineate the tools for the resolution of specific conflicts. Participants included representatives of civil society in Mali and Iraq, ECOWAS Mali, Sida in Mali, the Poverty Observatory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Geneva-based UN Research Institute for Social Development, St John’s University in New York and SIPRI. SIPRI’s deputy director, Jakob Hallgren, moderated the discussion.

Read more; check out #SthlmForum; and contact Dr Gaudence Nyirabikali for further information. A more comprehensive report from the session will be published soon.

SIPRI Session, Stockholm Forum on Development and Security, 12-13 May

Information and communication technologies for democracy: challenges and opportunities


Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have great potential for development policy and democratic governance. They enable information access and sharing among individual states and help them to mobilize around common ideas. However, ICTs also offer unprecedented opportunities for states to perform surveillance and censorship activities. Moderated by Dr Vincent Boulanin, this roundtable explored the extent to which ICTs generate opportunities and challenges for democratic development. Representatives from among others the Digital Rights Foundation and Bytes For All (Pakistan), Ericsson and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) discussed the various issues, including: the specific case of Pakistan; how Sweden supports Internet freedom and digital rights via its foreign policy; as well as the key role played by export control regimes in preventing authoritarian governments from accessing and using cyber-surveillance technologies.  

Read more; check out #SthlmForum; and contact Dr Vincent Boulanin for further information. A more comprehensive report from the session will be published soon. 

SIPRI Session, Stockholm Forum on Development and Security, 12-13 May

The European Union comprehensive approach to conflict and crisis


The European Union has been elaborating better working methods to enhance the coherence, effectiveness and impact of its policy and action in relation to conflict prevention and crisis resolution. In the context of this overall initiative to promote a comprehensive approach, this Forum Session considered the relationship between the short and specific interventions that have been undertaken in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), and the long-term engagement of the EU in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Moderated by SIPRI, representatives of the European Commission, on-going EU peace operations, national officials, parliamentarians and experts explored how long and short-term efforts can be properly sequenced as part of a wider effort to integrate all the instruments of EU external action. In particular, the session explored how to establish a common policy framework for actions, the main priorities for a comprehensive approach, which capacities are needed to promote success and how they can be mobilized.
 

Read more, check out #SthlmForum and contact Dr Ian Anthony. A more comprehensive report from the session will be published soon.

>> Siemon Wezeman comments on Viet Nam’s arms purchases to Bloomberg, published by Washington Post.

>> Shannon Kile on nuclear weapons in Swedish Radio’s science programme Vetandets Värld and Vetenskap och miljö.

>> Mathieu Dûchatel published an opinion article on Japan's China policy with Asialyst. He also contributed to an article on China in Die Welt.

>> Bob Kelley gave Deutsche Welle an interview on the Iranian nuclear deal. He also talked to CTV News Channel on the same issue.

>> Tariq Rauf talked about nuclear safeguards in Sri Lanka to the Sunday Times.

>> More SIPRI in the media ...