December 2011

In this issue:

• Riot control agents: improve knowledge to improve safety (essay)
• SIPRI news
• SIPRI events and activities
• SIPRI in the media
• SIPRI staff news
• Recent publications

Riot control agents: improve knowledge to improve safety

Dr Sadik Toprak

Upcoming SIPRI events and activities

Recent SIPRI events and activities
12-13 Dec. Harare		Successful launch of report on women's participation in post-conflict transformation in Zimbabwe SIPRI is pleased to report back from the last of a series of seminars to disseminate reports by African civil society organizations (CSOs) conducted within the framework of the SIPRI-Open Society Institute (OSI) project Africa Security and Governance (ASG). Organized by the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) in partnership with SIPRI, this seminar presented a report by the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) on the experiences and lessons learned by the WCoZ in promoting women’s participation in post-conflict transformation in Zimbabwe. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion on the topic 'How to engender security issues in Zimbabwe’. The seminar had some 55 participants, including members of parliament and representatives of civil society, relevant ministries, the police, political parties and the media. The seminar was preceded by a one-day training session for 50 participants from CSOs on topics relevant for the women's movement, such as a gender approach to conflict analysis and how to conduct policy research on gender issues. For more information contact Fadzai Chatiza-Traquino or Rebecca Magorokosho at the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association and Dr Olawale Ismail or Dr Elisabeth Sköns at SIPRI. Read more about the Africa Security and Governance project here. Download the summary of the report here.
5 Dec. Berlin		SIPRI expert briefs German officials on maritime arms trafficking SIPRI Senior Researcher Hugh Griffiths, Head of SIPRI's Countering Illicit Trafficking-Mechanism Assessment Projects (CIT-MAP), briefed officials of the German Parliament and German Federal Foreign Office on issues related to maritime trafficking. Read more about CIT-MAP here and contact Hugh Griffiths for more information.
1 Dec. Washington, DC		SIPRI Director briefs United States Congressmen on China's North Korea policy SIPRI Director Bates Gill briefed Rick Larsen and Charles Boustany, co-chairs of the US House of Representatives China Working Group, on his recent study 'China's North Korea policy: assessing interests and influences' for the US Institute of Peace. Read the study here.
1 Dec. Stockholm		SIPRI experts speaks at Afghanistan After 2014 seminar SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Neil Melvin, Director of the SIPRI Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Programme, was one of the panelists for the session 'Geopolitics and the regional dynamics' of a seminar entitled Afghanistan After 2014, co-organized by SIPRI, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). Around 150 policymakers, experts and journalists attended the seminar. See the seminar programme here and contact Neil Melvin for more information.
28 Nov. Sarajevo		SIPRI expert chairs industry outreach seminar for companies dealing in military and dual-use goods SIPRI Researcher Ivana Mićić of the SIPRI Export Control Project co-chaired the opening session of a national industry outreach seminar for companies dealing in military and dual-use goods. The seminar was jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Germany Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), and the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), within the framework of the EU programme EU Cooperation in Export Control of Dual-use Goods. The aim of the seminar was to increase communication and cooperation in the implementation of export controls between the government and industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was attended by representatives of 75 companies licensed to trade in controlled goods, long with representatives of the national institutions responsible for export oversight and control. Read more about the event here and about the EU cooperation programme here and contact Ivana Mićić for more information.
24 Nov. Luleå, Sweden		SIPRI researcher presents at Climate Change and Natural Resources: the Causes of Conflict? conference SIPRI Researcher Kristofer Bergh of the SIPRI Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Programme participated in a conference on security policy entitled Climate Change and Natural Resources: the Causes of Conflict?, which was organized by the Swedish NGO Folk och Försvar (Society and Defence) at Luleå University of Technology. His presentation examined the potential for conflicts over resources in the Arctic. The conference was attended by around 70 students, PhD candidates and faculty members. Contact Kristofer Bergh for more information
22 Nov. Escazù, Costa Rica		SIPRI expert talks on transparency in military expenditure and arms acquisitions at Americas meeting SIPRI Researcher Carina Solmirano of the SIPRI Military Expenditure Programme gave a presentation on transparency in military expenditure and arms acquisitions in Latin America and the Caribbean at the Hemispheric Meeting on Arms Transfer Controls and Illicit Trafficking in Firearms. The meeting was jointly organized by the Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano and the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was attended by government and NGO representatives, who were welcomed by a speech by the Nobel Peace laureate and former president of Costa Rica, Dr Oscar Arias. Contact Carina Solmirano for more information.								SIPRI Researcher Carina Solmirano meets former president of Costa Rica Dr Oscar Arias.
18-20 Nov. Istanbul		Expert Conference on Security and Stability in Afghanistan: The Regional Dimension SIPRI and the Center for International and European Studies, in cooperation with the International Relations Department of Kadir Has University, co-organized the Expert Conference on Security and Stability in Afghanistan: The Regional Dimension. The conference brought together leading experts from the region and beyond for discussions of how regional cooperation and confidence building could be advanced to promote Afghan security and stability. Particular attention was given to examining the role that Iran could play in a regional approach. The conference, which took place at Kadir Has University, was part of the SIPRI project Afghanistan Regional Dialogue. Read more about the project here and contact Neil Melvin for more information.
18-19 Nov. Milan, Italy		SIPRI researcher takes part in arms trade treaty panel at Science for Peace 2011 SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley of the Arms Transfers Programme attended the third annual Science of Peace world conference, which was organized by the Fondazione Umberto Veronesi. The participants in the conference included four Nobel laureates and 37 speakers from 15 countries. Mark spoke on a panel focusing on the negotiating progress for a future legally binding international arms trade treaty (ATT) in the run-up to the UN Conference on the ATT in July 2012. Read more about the conference here and contact Mark Bromley for more information.
15-16 Nov. Ispra, Italy		SIPRI expert presents at workshop on implementation of the European Union dual-use export control regime SIPRI Researcher Ivana Mićić gave a presentation on the role of technical expertise in export controls at a European Commission Joint Research Centre workshop on the technical issues associated with the implementation of the EU export control regime for dual-use goods. She also jointly moderated a discussion on export control barriers and improvements and technical support issues and needs. Contact Ivana Mićić for more information.
11 Nov. Berlin		SIPRI researcher takes part in Europe’s Human Security Concerns in Central Asia seminar SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Neil Melvin took part in the seminar Europe’s Human Security Concerns in Central Asia, held at the German Parliament. The aim of the seminar was to discuss the EU’s engagement in Central Asia, in particular: lessons from the Arab Spring in terms of supporting authoritarian regimes for the sake of stability; human security as a potential basis for EU engagement in the region; the EU’s rule of law initiative; and Europe’s engagement in security-sector reform and governance. Dr Melvin was a panelist for a session entitled 'Pursuing normative policies in unfavourable conditions'. Read the programme of the seminar here and contact Neil Melvin for more information.

SIPRI in the media

November's SIPRI Update essay by John Hart on the implications of scientific and technological advances for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention was republished in Swedish on the SVT Debatt website.

On World Aids Day (30 November), Bertrand Audoin, Executive Director of the International AIDS Society, cited SIPRI's world military expenditure data in an OpEd in the Financial Times (requires free registration).

SIPRI Researcher Rachel Irwin of the Global Health and Security Programme was quoted in an article on reform of the World Health Organization in the Canadian Medical Association journal CMAJ.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Shannon Kile addressed the nuclear situation in the Middle East and concerns over Saudi Arabia’s stance in an article by the Inter Press Service.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Hugh Griffiths was quoted substantially in an article on the involvement of Danish shipping companies in destabilizing arms transfers that appeared in the Danish newspaper Information.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Pieter D. Wezeman commented on prospects of military intervention in Syria and on Syria's armaments in Information.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Siemon T. Wezeman commented to Bloomberg on potential arms acquisitions by Japan and South Korea. He also commented on the German arms industry for defenceWeb.

A special issue of the journal Baltic Rim Economies on the future of the Arctic included an article on China's activities and policies in the Arctic by SIPRI Researcher Jingchao Peng. Former SIPRI Director Alyson J. K. Bailes also contributed an article, looking at what the Arctic means for the Baltic states.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Mark Bromley commented on requests from European arms makers for government support in an article on Swedish arms exports in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Bernt Berger addressed the recent Chinese-US defense consultations held in Beijing for Deutsche Welle (in Chinese).

The Chinese summary of the recent SIPRI Policy Paper China's Energy and Security Relations with Russia, by Linda Jakobson, Paul Holtom, Dean Knox and Jingchao Peng, was republished in the Chinese journal Economics & Nation Weekly.

India's military build-up was the top under-reported story of 2011 that is likely to make headlines in 2012, according to the journal Foreign Policy. The article cited SIPRI Yearbook 2011 data showing that India was by far the world's largest arms importer in 2010.

Recent publications

		SIPRI New edition Towards a Regional Security Regime for the Middle East: Issues and Options Report of the SIPRI Middle East Expert Group with a new afterword by Peter Jones Of all the world’s major regions only the Middle East lacks an inclusive system for dialogue and cooperation over security issues. Originally published in 1998, the report of the SIPRI Expert Group remains a landmark study by a distinguished group of regional experts on how such a system could be created in the Middle East. Download the report here.
		SIPRI Policy Paper China's Energy and Security Relations with Russia: Hopes, Frustrations and Uncertainties Linda Jakobson, Paul Holtom, Dean Knox and Jingchao Peng The leaders of China and Russia like to speak in public of the strategic partnership between the two countries, based on mutual interests and trust. In reality, the two cornerstones of the relationship—arms sales and energy cooperation—are crumbling. China has not placed a significant order for Russian arms since 2005 and buys only a fraction of its energy imports from Russia. Download the Policy Paper here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Israeli arms transfers to sub-Saharan Africa Siemon T. Wezeman Israel accounted for less than 1 per cent of transfers of major weapons to sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2006–10. Deliveries consisted mainly of small numbers of artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, armoured vehicles and patrol craft. However, in addition to major weapons, Israel also supplied small arms and light weapons, military electronics and training to several countries in the region. Israeli weapons, trainers and brokers have been observed in numerous African trouble spots and may play a bigger role than their numbers imply. Download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security New Social Media and Conflict in Kyrgyzstan Neil Melvin and Tolkun Umaraliev During 2010 Kyrgyzstan experienced a conflict that took the country to the brink of civil war. This paper examines the complex and shifting role of new media such as blogs, social networking sites and multimedia platforms during the events of 2010, focusing on the period from the bloody overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April to the ethnic violence in the south of the country in June. The authors highlight specific social, economic, political and technical factors as shaping the influence of new media in situations of conflict. Read more here.
		SIPRI Yearbook 2011: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security The 42nd edition of the SIPRI Yearbook includes coverage of developments during 2010 in major armed conflicts, multilateral peace operations, military expenditure, 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 and multilateral arms embargoes. Read more here. To order a copy, click here.
		SIPRI Policy Paper Implementing an Arms Trade Treaty: Lessons on Reporting and Monitoring from Existing Mechanisms Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley This Policy Paper provides the first comprehensive overview of existing UN instruments that require states to report on their arms transfers, transfer controls and enforcement measures. It outlines the types of information required to assess compliance with a future arms trade treaty (ATT), extracts lessons learned from the existing instruments and identifies areas of duplication. This report seeks to lay the foundation for a relevant and robust ATT reporting mechanism. This paper, along with the two Background Papers below, was launched at an event at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty. Download the Policy Paper here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Transit and trans-shipment controls in an arms trade treaty Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley A large proportion of arms transfers transit through third countries. Therefore transit controls provide opportunities to strengthen state control at a stage when arms shipments are particularly vulnerable to diversion to illicit markets. This Background Paper provides an overview of existing international and regional agreements and best practices for controls on transit and trans-shipment. It discusses national implementation and enforcement of transit controls, paying particular attention to licensing and authorization, record keeping and information sharing as areas where an arms trade treaty could contribute to enhancing transit controls and their enforcement. Download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Import controls and an arms trade treaty Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley Import controls represent a vital tool for helping to prevent cases of illicit diversion. They can also enable importer countries to play their part in preventing arms from being used to fuel conflicts or facilitate human rights abuses. This Background Paper provides an overview of existing international and regional agreements and best practices for controls on arms imports. It discusses national implementation and enforcement of import controls, paying particular attention to licensing procedures, customs controls and the production and issuing of end-user certificates and other similar documentation. Download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Policy Paper Conflict Minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Aligning Trade and Security Interventions Ruben de Koning Mineral resources have played a crucial role in fuelling protracted armed conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This new SIPRI Policy Paper examines the the prospects for and interactions between various trade- and security-related initiatives that are aimed at demilitarizing the supply chains of key minerals. It also describes the changing context in which such initiatives operate. Finally, it offers policy recommendations for how the Congolese Government and international actors can coordinate and strengthen their responses in order to break resource–conflict links in eastern DRC. Download the Policy 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.
		Other publications SIPRI as part of the EU Non-proliferation Consortium: Iris Hunger and Anna Zmorzynska, Verifying and demonstrating compliance with the BTWC, Non-proliferation Paper No. 5, December 2011, 14 pp. Caitriona McLeish, Implications of bioscience and technology advances for the BTWC, Non-proliferation Paper No. 4, December 2011, 14 pp. Elisande Nexon, Strengthening the BTWC through laboratory best practices and biosecurity, Non-proliferation Paper No. 3, December 2011, 22 pp. Hart, John, ‘The convergence of chemistry and the life sciences: some policy implications for the the Chemical Weapons Convention’, pp. 129–35 in Eds. Hassan Mashhadi, Krzysztof Paturej, Per Runn and Ralf Trapp, Seminar on the OPCW’s Contribution to Security and the Non Proliferation of Chemical Weapons, Seminar Proceedings, 11–12 Apr. 2011, OPCW Headquarters, The Hague (Hard Copy)