April 2011

In this issue:

• Falling European military spending—a threat to our security? (essay)
• SIPRI news
• SIPRI events and activities
• SIPRI in the media
• SIPRI staff news
• Recent publications

Falling European military spending—a threat to our security?

Sam Perlo-Freeman

New SIPRI project on emerging military technologies

SIPRI is pleased to announce the launch of the two-year project Emerging Military Technologies and the Implications for Strategic Stability in the Twenty-first Century, which will consider the impact on national nuclear force postures and deterrence strategies of three categories of non-nuclear military technologies: ballistic missile defence systems; long-range, precision-guided conventional weapons; and space weapon systems. The project will be funded by the MacArthur Foundation Program on Global Security and Sustainability. It will be led by SIPRI Senior Researcher Shannon Kile, head of the Nuclear Weapons Project. Read more here and contact Shannon Kile for further information.

Save this date!

•   7 June: Launch of the SIPRI Yearbook—cutting-edge information and analysis on developments in armaments, disarmament and international security, featuring a lead essay on corruption in the international arms trade by Andrew Feinstein.
  Contact SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner for more information.

Upcoming SIPRI events and activities

10 May Stockholm		Seminar on China’s new five-year plan and its implications for Europe SIPRI, as a member of the Stockholm China Alliance (SCA), is the lead organizer of the Fourth Stockholm China Seminar, China Looks Ahead: The Five-year Plan and What it Means for European Foreign Policy. The seminar will be co-hosted by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA). It will be introduced by Klas Molin, head of the MFA Asia Unit, and Dr Bates Gill, SIPRI Director. Keynote presentations will be made by Professor Men Jing, InBev–Baillet Latour Chair of European Union–China Relations at the College of Europe, and Dr Bernt Berger, Senior Researcher in SIPRI’s China and Global Security Programme. The seminar will take place at the Rosenbad Conference Centre. To register contact Professor Thommy Svensson, the SCA co-ordinator.
2-4 May Stockholm		Workshop: The Nuclear Renaissance and Risks of Nuclear Proliferation in Asia SIPRI, together with Stockholm University (SU) and the Swedish Pugwash Group, will organize a workshop looking at the current ‘nuclear renaissance’ in Asia and the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region. The workshop will be hosted by Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien (the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences), Stockholm. For further information and to register contact Professor Thomas Jonter of the SU Department of Economic History or Professor Masako Ikegami of the SU Department of Political Science.
Recent SIPRI events and activities
18-19 Apr. Rio de Janeiro		Workshop: Expanding Civilian Contributions to Peace Operations SIPRI, in partnership with Igarapé Social Cooperation Agency and the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, gathered government officials, practitioners and academics from South America for an expert workshop on the region’s civilian peacekeeping capacities. The workshop was part of a multi-region research project to support policy development and initiatives that will strengthen national, regional and international capacities to enhance civilian contributions to peace operations. For more information contact SIPRI Senior Researcher Sharon Wiharta, head of the Project on Multilateral Peace Operations.
15 Apr. Stockholm		SIPRI facilitates visit of senior US Defense figure During her recent visit to Sweden, SIPRI arranged for Michèle Flournoy, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to be a keynote speaker at an event on Nordic–Baltic Security organized by Utrikespolitiska Institutet (the Swedish Institute of International Affairs). Göran Lennmarker, Chairman of the SIPRI Governing Board, moderated the session. For more information contact Göran Lennmarker.				Göran Lennmarker and Michèle Flournoy
14-16 Apr. New York		World Convention of the Association for the Study of Nationalities SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Neil Melvin, Director of the Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Programme, delivered a paper entitled ‘Was the June 2010 violence in southern Kyrgyzstan an “ethnic conflict”?’ at the 16th Annual Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) World Convention. The paper drew on the findings of recent research being undertaken at SIPRI into sources of conflict and violence in contemporary Eurasia. See the convention programme here and contact Neil Melvin for more information.
12 Apr. Brussels		Media presentation on new SIPRI military expenditure data at the European Parliament SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, head of the Military Expenditure project, took part in a press conference at the European Parliament on SIPRI's newly launched data on global military spending in 2010. The event was hosted by Greek Member of the European Parliament Michael Tremopoulos. Dr Perlo-Freeman particularly focused on military spending in the EU and in Greece. For further information contact Sam Perlo-Freeman.
12 Apr. Geneva		Global Day of Action on Military Spending SIPRI Senior Fellow Dr Elisabeth Sköns, Director of the Programme on Military Expenditure and Arms Production, participated in a seminar entitled Military Spending or the Millennium Development Goals? organized by the International Peace Bureau and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. The seminar was part of a series of events worldwide organized within the framework of the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS). Dr Sköns presented the new SIPRI military expenditure data and commented on the role of civil society in efforts to reduce military spending. For more information about GDAMS click here and for further information about the seminar contact Elisabeth Sköns.
11-12 Apr. Prague		Conference: The Prague Agenda—the Way Forward SIPRI Research Coordinator Dr Ian Anthony participated in a conference reviewing progress to date in pursuing the agenda set out by US President Barack Obama in his speech in Prague in 2009. The event was organized by the Institute of International Relations Prague in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It explored both political and expert views related to disarmament, arms control, non-proliferation and nuclear security. Dr Anthony delivered a presentation on the role of deterrence in the current European security environment. For more information contact Ian Anthony.
11-12 Apr. Stockholm		Workshop: Arms Trade Treaty: Contentious Issues SIPRI co-organized a two-day workshop with the Swedish MFA to discuss some of the contentious and complex issues related to an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Topics included international perspectives on the current state of play and the challenges ahead, the scope of the treaty, the criteria to be used in licensing decisions, national implementation, reporting, review and monitoring, and international cooperation and assistance. SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Paul Holtom, Director of the Arms Transfers Programme, chaired several of the sessions and SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley gave a presentation on national implementation. International experts came from Australia, France, the UK and the USA and other participants came from a number of Swedish government agencies. For more information contact Paul Holtom.
10-15 Apr. Dakar		Dakar Conference on Terrorism Prevention in Africa SIPRI Researcher Dr Olawale Ismail acted as a resource person at the seminar Preventing Terrorism: Developing Comprehensive Solutions to the Challenges of Radicalization, organized by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. He delivered a presentation on ‘Recruitment and self-recruitment into radical and violent extremist groups in West Africa’. For more information contact Olawale Ismail.
6-7 Apr. Stockholm		Seminar on maritime surveillance SIPRI Senior Researcher Hugh Griffiths, head of the Countering Illicit Trafficking–Mechanism Assessment Projects, participated in an expert seminar on maritime surveillance organized within the framework of the European Commission-funded Maritime Surveillance North (MARSUNO) project. Discussions focused on common information-sharing platforms for the EU maritime domain. For more about the MARSUNO project click here or contact Hugh Griffiths for further information.
31 Mar. - 1 Apr. Geneva		Partnership for Peace workshop SIPRI Senior Researcher Sibylle Bauer, head of the Export Control Project, gave a presentation and participated in discussions on sanctions and export controls at a NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) workshop on the role of parliaments in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The workshop was co-hosted by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the NATO WMD Non-proliferation Centre, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Contact Sibylle Bauer for more information.
31 Mar.  Stockholm		Conference: Disarm Domestic Violence SIPRI Researcher Dr Susan Jackson participated in the conference Disarm Domestic Violence, organized by Internationella Kvinnoförbundet för Fred och Frihet (the Swedish section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) and the Swedish Action Network on Small Arms. She focused on the role of gender in the multiple points of access to small arms, incentives for being involved in the transport of small arms and the impact on women in particular. Contact Susan Jackson for more information.
29-31 Mar. Chisinau		EU–Moldova Forum SIPRI Deputy Director Daniel Nord took part in the EU-Moldova Forum, which was organized by the Institute for Eastern Studies under the honorary patronage of Vlad Filat, Prime Minister of Moldova and Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland. The purpose of the forum was to examine the European Union’s Eastern Policy towards Moldova and especially efforts under the Eastern Partnership Initiative to support democratic and economic transformations in the country. Mr Nord participated in a panel discussion on ‘How to overcome a standstill: Transnistria and the perspectives for the region’. Contact Daniel Nord for more information.

SIPRI in the media

The new SIPRI Military Expenditure data for 2010 has been featured in more than 1300 media outlets worldwide since its launch on 11 April. Contact Stephanie Blenckner for more details and a full report.

Last month's SIPRI Update essay on arms transfers to Libya by SIPRI Senior Researcher Pieter Wezeman was published as an opinion piece in Dagens Nyheter and Le Monde, with new contributions by SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill. The January Update essay by SIPRI Senior Researcher Sharon Wiharta looking at peacekeeping developments in Côte d'Ivoire and Africa was republished by the Swedish website SVT Debatt.

SIPRI Researcher Carina Solmirano discussed military spending in Latin America in an interview with Venezuelan TV programme Telesur.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman addressed global military spending for RT Television.

SIPRI Researcher Vitaly Fedchenko was quoted on the future of nuclear power by Radio Free Europe.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley commented on arms transfers to Libya for Deutsche Welle.

No current staff news or vacancies

Recent publications

		SIPRI Fact Sheet National reports on arms exports Henning Weber and Mark Bromley Since the early 1990s an increasing number of governments have chosen to publish national reports on their arms exports. These reports vary enormously in both the amount of information they contain and the level of detail they provide. This Fact Sheet compares the level of detail provided in national reports on arms exports produced worldwide. Download the Fact Sheet here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Arms transfers to Zimbabwe: implications for an arms trade treaty Lukas Jeuck Zimbabwe has suffered high levels of political violence since 2000. While some states, along with the European Union, have responded by imposing arms embargoes, others have expressed no concern about the situation. The most prominent supplier of arms to Zimbabwe has been China, which supplied more than one-third of the volume of Zimbabwe’s major weapons between 1980 and 2009. Russia has identified Zimbabwe as a potential market for its arms, but has yet to make many deliveries. While the United Kingdom was a major supplier in the 1980s and 1990s, it has since stopped selling arms to Zimbabwe. Download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Fact Sheet Trends in international arms transfers, 2010 Paul Holtom, Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, Mark Bromley, Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman The SIPRI Arms Transfers Database now contains information on all international transfers of major conventional weapons from 1950 to the end of 2010. It is the only publicly available resource providing consistent data on international arms transfers for this length of time. This Fact Sheet describes the trends in international arms transfers that are revealed by the latest data. It lists the main suppliers and recipients for the period 2006–10 and describes the changes in regional trends. Download the Fact Sheet here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Ukrainian arms supplies to sub-Saharan Africa Paul Holtom Ukraine has consistently been among the 10 largest arms exporters in the world during the past two decades, and an estimated 18 per cent of Ukrainian arms exports during 2005–2009 were for recipients in sub-Saharan Africa. The arms supplied ranged from aircraft and tanks to small arms and ammunition. This Background Paper examines the supply of Ukrainian arms and related services to sub-Saharan African countries along with some of the controversy that has surrounded these activities. In particular, Ukraine has reportedly supplied arms to the governments of several countries engaged in armed conflicts and there is also evidence that Ukrainian arms delivered to Kenya have been re-exported to Southern Sudan. The framework for Ukraine’s arms exports is also described. Download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Monograph Governing the Bomb: Civilian Control and Democratic Accountability of Nuclear Weapons edited by Hans Born, Bates Gill and Heiner Hänggi ISBN 978-0-19-958990-6 With a special emphasis on civilian control and democratic accountability, Governing the Bomb seeks to illuminate the structures and processes of nuclear weapon governance of eight nuclear-armed states: the USA, Russia, the UK, France and China as well as Israel, India and Pakistan. It examines the theoretical as well as practical functions and structures of those who possess the power to make nuclear decisions and those who have the practical means and physical opportunity to execute those decisions. Read more and order the book here.
		SIPRI Policy Paper no. 26 New Foreign Policy Actors in China Linda Jakobson and Dean Knox The dynamic transformation of Chinese society that has paralleled changes in the international environment has had a direct impact on both the making and the shaping of Chinese foreign policy. The international community needs to understand the complex nature of these changes in seeking China’s engagement and cooperation. Uniquely informed by the authors’ access to individuals across the full range of Chinese foreign policy actors, this SIPRI Policy Paper reveals a number of emergent trends, chief among them the changing face of China’s official decision-making apparatus and the direction that actors on the margins would like to see Chinese foreign policy take. Download the Policy Paper here.
		SIPRI Yearbook 2010: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security The 41st edinditure, arms production, international arms transfers, world nuclear forces and fissile material stocks, nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, reduction of security threats from chemical and biological materials, conventional arms control, controls on security-related international transfers andtion of the SIPRI Yearbook includes coverage of developments during 2009 in major armed conflicts, multilateral peace operations, military expe multilateral arms embargoes. Read more here. To order a copy, click here.
		Other publications Oliver Bräuner, 'Harmonische Ozeane? Konfrontation und Kooperation in der maritimen Strategie der Volksrepublik China' (Harmonious oceans? Confrontation and cooperation in the maritime strategy of the People’s Republic of China), Die Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik, Apr. 2011. Read more here. The SIPRI website has been included in Specialty Scans in the May 2011 edition of the CyberSkeptic’s Guide to Internet Research. Social Media Follow us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/sipri.org> and on Twitter (@SIPRIorg) and read our publications on Scribd <http://www.scribd.com/sipri_stockholm>.