Small arms and light weapons control in Eastern Europe

A report by Dr Paul Holtom, Director of the SIPRI International Arms Transfers Programme, seeks to guide efforts to strengthen controls on small arms and light weapons transfers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). In 2009 the Macedonian Government requested assistance from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) to strengthen its national legislation on arms brokering controls and bring them in line with European Union (EU) guidelines. The FYROM has been a candidate for EU membership since 2005. Dr Holtom's report, Implementation of the EU Common Position on the Control of Arms Brokering, published by SEESAC, analyses some of the approaches taken by EU member states and states in the Western Balkans to implement the mandatory and optional provisions on the control of arms brokering as set forth in the EU Common Position 2033/468/CFSP of 23 June 2003. It also sets out options for arms brokering controls for the FYROM. Download Implementation of the EU Common Position on the Control of Arms Brokering here or contact Dr Paul Holtom for further information.

SIPRI joins web portal on European Union missions

SIPRI is pleased to have become a partner in a web portal on the EU's peace-support and crisis prevention activities. The portal, Common Security and Defence Policy-Mission Analysis Partnership or CSDP MAP, is hosted by the International Security Information Service, Europe (ISIS Europe) and brings together the expertise on CSDP issues of think tanks, governmental and non-governmental organizations, EU institutions and others. For more information visit the CSDP MAP homepage.

Upcoming SIPRI events and activities

SIPRI lecture
Turning enemies into friends: how peace breaks out
Is the world destined to suffer endless cycles of conflict and war? Can rival nations become partners and establish a lasting and stable peace? Professor Charles A. Kupchan will explore how nations can escape geopolitical competition and replace hostility with friendship by examining historical examples that span the globe and range from the 13th century to the present day. Professor Kupchan is a Senior Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations and Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University. He previously served on the US National Security Council. Contact SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner to register for the event.

Recent SIPRI events and activities

SIPRI addresses nuclear terrorism at NATO workshop
SIPRI Researcher Vitaly Fedchenko spoke on 'Nuclear forensic analysis as a response tool to nuclear terrorism' at the NATO advanced research workshop Response to Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism. The workshop took place at NATO's Centre of Excellence on Defence Against Terrorism in Ankara, Turkey. The lecture presented definitions of nuclear terrorism and nuclear forensics, described the process of nuclear forensic analysis, and discussed its application in real terrorism cases. For more information click here or contact Vitaly Fedchenko.

14-18 Dec.
Wilton Park, UK

SIPRI Fact Sheet
Chronology of armaments, disarmament and international security 2009
Nenne Bodell
This chronology lists the significant events in 2009 related to armaments, disarmament and international security. In addition to the headline-grabbing events, such as the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka and North Korea's nuclear test, it also records the less publicized, but no less important, advances and setbacks in arms controls and international security. To download the Fact Sheet click here.

SIPRI Yearbook 2009 in Arabic
The Arabic translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2009: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security has now been published and is available from the Centre for Arab Unity Studies (CAUS), Beirut. The translation was funded by a generous grant from the Swedish Institute, Alexandria. For more information and to order the book, contact CAUS. SIPRI Yearbook 2009 will also be translated into Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian.

SIPRI Fact Sheet
North Korea's nuclear test explosion, 2009
Vitaly Fedchenko
This new SIPRI Fact Sheet gathers the evidence collected since North Korea conducted a nuclear test on 25 May and explains how international agencies and the scientific community were able to determine details of the explosion's location, nature and size.To download the Fact Sheet click here.

SIPRI Background Paper
Arms transfers to East and Southern Africa
Pieter D. Wezeman
Arms flows to East and Southern Africa, which originate from a wide diversity of countries, are relatively small. However even small volumes of arms can play a major role in armed violence and can be an economic burden. Small arms and light weapons are commonly used in violent conflicts in the region. To download the Background Paper click here.

SIPRI Policy Paper no. 25
China's Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implications
Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang
China has dramatically increased its participation in UN peace operations in recent years. This timely Policy Paper offers new insights into the development of China's engagement in multilateral peacekeeping and the factors and debates that underlie it. The report also examines what these new trends mean for multilateral peacekeeping and for China's major security partners. Finally, it makes policy-oriented recommendations on how China and the international community can build on this unique opportunity to strengthen multilateral peacekeeping and to firmly establish a new, more positive international role for China. To download the Policy Paper click here.

Map of Multilateral Peace Operation Deployments, September 2009
This SIPRI map presents a snapshot of multilateral peace operation deployments worldwide in September 2009. Using data drawn from the SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database, it shows where missions are taking place, how large they are and which organizations and coalitions are conducting them. The map is in A3 format. To download the map click here.