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Essays

Twenty years ago in Iraq, ignoring the expert weapons inspectors proved to be a fatal mistake

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.

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.

Looking beyond the NPT: Next steps in arms control and disarmament

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.

We must strengthen multilateralism in a new era of risk

This essay draws on research under SIPRI's Environment of Peace initiative and on the authors' own experience.

In a time of competing crises, environmental action matters more than ever

Last week saw the launch of SIPRI’s major policy report Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk.

The logic of avoiding nuclear war

On 3 January, the leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA, the P5) jointly stated that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. It had never been affirmed simultaneously by all five.

Russia’s anti-satellite test should lead to a multilateral ban

On 15 November, Russia conducted a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) test, destroying one of its own space objects, a defunct satellite, in low-earth orbit.

Security, insecurity and the Anthropocene

In this essay, the volume editors present the key themes of their new book Anthropocene (In)securities: Reflections on Collective Survival 50 Years After the Stockholm Conference, published this week by SIPRI and Oxford University Press.

Why is Iran producing 60 per cent-enriched uranium?

On 13 April, Iran announced its intention to enrich uranium to 60 per cent U-235.

How much of a proliferation threat is Iran’s uranium enrichment?

Iran’s atomic energy agency announced last week that it had produced 55 kilograms of 20 per cent-enriched uranium in barely four months.