The independent resource on global security
Dan Smith
Director
Dan Smith
Dan Smith is the Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). He has researched and written on security, conflict and peace for four decades. He served four years in the UN Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group, two as Chair (2010–2011).
He was part-time Professor of Peace and Conflict at the University of Manchester from 2014 to 2017. Before taking up his post at SIPRI, he was Secretary General of the London-based peacebuilding NGO, International Alert (2003–2015) and Director of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (1993–2001). His most recent book is the 10th edition of The State of the World Atlas (2020).
Subject expertise
Wide range of conflict and peace issues such as nationalism, identity politics, armed conflicts, ethics of intervention, gender aspects of conflict and peace building, relationship between climate change and insecurity
Regional expertise
Middle East, Africa
CONTACT Dan Smith
Languages
English, French
Education
Christ's College, Cambridge; BA June 1973 (MA January 1977) English Literature
Citizenship
United Kingdom
Affiliations
- Chair, Advisory Group, UN Peacebuilding Fund, 2010–11
- Member, Advisory Group, UN Peacebuilding Fund, 2007–9
- Chair, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, London, 1992–2006
SIPRI COMMENTARY
- NATO: A new need for some old ideas (Essay, )
- Russia’s potential withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty underlines the urgent arms control problem (Expert comment, )
- In a time of competing crises, environmental action matters more than ever (Essay, )
- The logic of avoiding nuclear war (Essay, )
- Joe Biden’s arms control ambitions are welcome—but delivering on them will not be easy (Essay, )
SIPRI AND PARTNER PUBLICATIONS
- Five Urgent Questions on Ecological Security (SIPRI, Stockholm: April 2023)
- Food Insecurity in Africa: Drivers and Solutions (SIPRI, Stockholm: January 2023)
- Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk (SIPRI, Stockholm: May 2022)
- Elements of a Planetary Emergency: Environment of Peace (Part 1) (SIPRI, Stockholm: December 2022)
- Water Security and Governance in the Horn of Africa (SIPRI, Stockholm: March 2020)
- Climate Security: Making it #Doable (Clingendael and SIPRI, The Hague, Stockholm: February 2019)
- The World Food Programme’s Contribution to Improving the Prospects for Peace (SIPRI, Stockholm: June 2019)
- Translating Climate Security Policy into Practice (March 2017)
- Towards a Global Resilience Agenda: Action on Climate Fragility Risks (December 2016)
External publications
- Delgado, C. and Smith, D., Hunger and food systems in conflict settings, 2021 Global Hunger Index, Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide (2021)
- Smith, D. and Krampe, F., Climate-Related Security Risks in the Middle East, in Anders Jägerskog, Michael Schulz, and Ashok Swain (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security, London: Routledge (2019)
- Smith, D., The State of the Middle East, 3rd, New Internationalist (2016); (2nd edn 2008: London, Earthscan; Berkeley/LA, UC California Press) (1st edition 2006)
- Vivekananda J., Schilling J. and Smith D., ‘Understanding Resilience in Climate Change and Conflict Affected Regions of Nepal’, Geopolitics (2014)
- Vivekananda J., Schilling J. and Smith D., 'Climate resilience in fragile and conflict-affected societies: concepts and approaches', Development in Practice, 24:4, 487-501(2014)
- Smith, D., The State of the World Atlas (9th edition 2013: Oxford, New Internationalist; New York, Penguin) (8th edn 2008; 7th edn 2003)