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 |  | | |  | | SIPRI Update: Global Security & Arms Control |  | Issues, events and publications in conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament |  | | |
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| ESSAY |  | |
Global security norms and institutions: struggling with new and old uncertainties Bates Gill
Recent editions of the SIPRI Yearbook have pointed to persistent contemporary trends that define and shape developments in global and regional security, armaments and disarmament. These trends underpin a more dynamic and complex global security order where established powers will continue to face constraints, new power centres will emerge, and traditional norms and institutions will struggle to cope with current and future security challenges. SIPRI Yearbook 2012, which will be launched on 4 June, is no exception in this regard. As always, it has been a pleasure to read the various chapters of the Yearbook as they have been developed and edited. The wealth of knowledge and analysis contained in this year’s edition provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on the events of 2011, and the implications for global security.
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China defines itself as a ‘near-Arctic state’, says SIPRI The new challenges and opportunities posed by increased access to the Arctic were discussed at a workshop in Beijing on 10 May entitled ‘Chinese and Nordic Cooperation on Arctic Developments’. The workshop was organized by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the China Center for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS). Read the press release. Videos of interviews with Dr Yang Jian of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies; Senior Arctic Official, Ambassador Andreas von Uexküll, Sweden; and Finland's Arctic Ambassador, Hannu Halinen who participated in the workshop, are now available on SIPRI's YouTube channel. | 
Source: NASA
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| EXPERT COMMENT | | |
SIPRI expert Robert Kelley comments on IAEA and Parchin The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has an extremely difficult time in evaluating alleged nuclear weapons studies in Iran. While it has done a truly excellent job in verifying the nuclear material production activities in Iran’s uranium enrichment plants, the IAEA also appears to be willing to risk its technical credibility by insisting on visiting a military site called Parchin, near Tehran. Read more. |
Source: IAEA Imagery | |
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Save the date! - 4 June: Launch of the SIPRI Yearbook 2012 – cutting-edge information and analysis on developments in armaments, disarmament and international security.
Contact SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner for more information. | |
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| EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES | | |
Upcoming SIPRI events and activities | 25 June
Washington, DC | | SIPRI North America discusses new report on the ‘nuclear watchdog’
SIPRI North America will co-host, together with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), the launch of Trevor Findlay’s report ‘Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the International Atomic Energy Agency’. Findlay will present his findings, after which SIPRI North America Executive Director Chantal de Jonge Oudraat will join him for a discussion. The event will be held at SIPRI North America’s headquarters. Contact Masha Keller for further information about the event.
| | | 14 June
Stockholm
| | SIPRI to hold seminar focusing on trade control
On the occasion of the launch of the SIPRI Yearbook 2012, SIPRI is pleased to invite interested individuals and organizations to a seminar on SIPRI's work, with a special focus on countering the illegal trade in arms and dual-use items. Controlling the trade in 'dual-use items' (that is, goods and technologies that could have both civilian and military applications) is the most important practical tool a country has to prevent the illegal transfers in goods and technologies that could be used for developing nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; or their means of delivery. However, there are significant challenges associated with these controls: customs authorities endeavour to identify suspicious shipments of dual-use items; legal authorities encounter major obstacles when investigating and prosecuting offences; companies seek to avoid being unknowingly involved in illegal procurement attempts; while procurement networks continually evolve to circumvent controls. Read the seminar programme or contact Stephanie Blenckner for further information.
| | | 12 June Florence
| | SIPRI researcher defends thesis on nuclear export controls
Andrea Viski, Researcher in the SIPRI Dual-use and Arms Trade Control programme and the SIPRI Arms Control and Non-proliferation programme, will defend her PhD thesis on June 12 at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Viski’s thesis, entitled ‘Nuclear export controls and the fight against nuclear weapons proliferation’, argues that successfully combating the global problem of nuclear weapons proliferation depends upon the effective implementation of domestic control measures. Visit Viski’s Nuclear Export Controls website or contact her for more information about the event.
| | | Recent SIPRI events and activities | 27 April and 11 May
Kiev and Beijing | | Launch of SIPRI Yearbook 2011 translations in Ukrainian and Chinese
The Ukrainian translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2011, published by the Razumkov Centre (UCEPS, Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies), was launched during a UCEPS roundtable discussion on partnerships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukraine’s ‘non-bloc’ policy. The Chinese translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2011 was launched in cooperation with the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA). At the Beijing launch, SIPRI Senior Researcher Neil Melvin, Director of the Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Programme, gave a presentation on the growing uncertainty and fragility of international security and emerging powers. Both translations were funded by a grant from the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. Find out more about the SIPRI Yearbook translations or contact Stephanie Blenckner for more information.
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 | | 10–11 May
Quito | | SIPRI researcher participates in Union of South American Nations meeting
SIPRI Senior Researcher Carina Solmirano of the Military Expenditure project was one of the selected guests at an event entitled ‘Days of Strategic Thinking in South America’. During the meeting, which was sponsored by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and hosted by Ecuador’s Ministry of Defence, the Registry on Defence Expenditure, an instrument designed to officially measure the military spending of the 12 UNASUR member states, was presented. Read more about the event (in Spanish) or contact Carina Solmirano for further information.
| | | 7 May
Washington, DC
| | Conversation about the decline of armed conflict
SIPRI North America held a well-attended roundtable discussion on the causes and future implications of the recent decline in armed conflict. SIPRI North America board member Professor Sissela Bok moderated the discussion between Joshua Goldstein, Professor Emeritus at American University and author of the recent book, Winning the War on War: the Decline of Armed Conflict Worldwide, and SIPRI Yearbook contributor Dr Peter Wallensteen, Dag Hammarskjöld Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. Watch a video of the event or contact Masha Keller for more information.
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 Panelists at the
Washington D.C event
| | 2–5 May
Moscow | | SIPRI programme director addresses conference on missile defence
Ian Anthony, director of the SIPRI Arms Control and Non-proliferation programme, presented at a conference entitled ‘The missile defence factor in establishing a new security environment’ organized by the Russian Ministry of Defence. Anthony’s presentation focused on missile threats and ways to mitigate them. The audience included government officials, NATO representatives and non-governmental experts. Contact Ian Anthony for more information.
| | | 27 April
Vienna | | SIPRI expert briefs United Nations officials on techniques to combat arms trafficking
SIPRI co-organized an event at the headquarters of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) during which SIPRI Senior Researcher Hugh Griffiths briefed United Nations member states’ representatives and UN officials on the UN firearms protocol as well as investigative and profiling techniques for combating arms trafficking. Contact Hugh Griffiths for more information.
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Briefing in Vienna
| | 24–25 April
Stockholm | | SIPRI hosts discussions with Chinese delegation on efforts to combat arms trafficking
The SIPRI Arms Transfers programme and the SIPRI China and Global Security programme, in cooperation with CACDA, held a seminar entitled ‘Understanding Chinese and European efforts to prevent illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) transfers’. Participants included representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Ministry of Defence / People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The seminar addressed risk assessments to prevent diversion; internal compliance programmes; SALW marking and tracing; and preparations for the UN conference on an arms trade treaty (ATT). Find out more about SIPRI’s China and SALW project or contact Paul Holtom, Director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, for more information.
| | | | 16–17 and 19 April Kathmandu and New Delhi | | SIPRI and FES organize workshops on the new geopolitics of peace operations
The SIPRI Armed Conflict and Conflict Management programme co-organized two workshops in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation. The first, a regional dialogue, took place in Kathmandu, Nepal, while the second, a national dialogue, was held in New Delhi. Both dialogues were part of a series of events organized under the banner of SIPRI’s New Geopolitics of Peacekeeping project, which aims to better understand the perspectives, principles and motivations of emerging global actors and how these will affect the future of peace operations. Participants in the regional dialogue in Kathmandu included high commanding and mid-level military personnel, UN representatives, and academics from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India. The meeting in New Delhi brought together key Indian policy makers, academics, military personal and civil society representatives. Contact Sharon Wiharta, Head of the SIPRI Peace Operations project, for more information about the workshop and the New Geopolitics of Peacekeeping project.
|  Participants at the event in Kathmandu | | 16–18 April
Pretoria
| | SIPRI researchers participate in conference on multilateralism
SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Elisabeth Sköns, Director of the Military Expenditure and Arms Production programme, and SIPRI research assistant Theresa Höghammar of the Euro-Atlantic Security programme participated in the final Multilateralism and the EU in the Contemporary Global Order (MERCURY) conference held at the University of Pretoria. MERCURY is a consortium of academic partners formed to examine critically the European Union’s contribution to multilateralism. SIPRI has been a part of the consortium for the past two years. The conference summarised MERCURY’s work and debated multilateralism in the 21st century, focussing on perspectives from Africa, Europe and Asia. Dr Sköns presented the SIPRI military expenditure data with an emphasis on the African context. Learn more about the MERCURY consortium or contact Theresa Höghammar for more information on SIPRI’s engagement in the consortium.
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| MEDIA | | |
SIPRI in the media SIPRI Senior Researcher Robert Kelley spoke to the New York Times about Iran's nuclear programme.
SIPRI Senior Researcher Hugh Griffiths was quoted in a 17 May Financial Times article documenting how Iranian-owned oil tankers shipping crude oil from Syrian were evading international sanctions through the use of flags of convenience.
SIPRI Senior Researcher Dr Paul Holtom commented on the USA's plan to purchase Russian MI-17 helicopters for Afghanistan in a Bloomberg News article.
SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill was cited by Bloomberg News in an article on activist Chen Guangcheng.
India's Defense Minister A. K. Antony relies on SIPRI data while commenting on India's defense spending in parliament in the Indian Express.
SIPRI Senior Research Shannon Kile has been cited in an AFP article commenting on India's Agni V missile test and its consequences for India's role as a global player. He also commented on Israel's view of Iran's nuclear programme for Reuters.
SIPRI Senior Researcher Pieter Wezeman commented on India's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in an interview with BBC World Update.
SIPRI Senior Researcher Siemon Wezeman was quoted in a CNN article on India's Agni V missile test in relation to India's defense spending.
SIPRI Senior Researcher Oliver Bräuner commented on Wen Jiabao's visit to Sweden and Sweden's role as a social welfare state in an article by China Daily.
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| SIPRI STAFF NEWS | | |
New SIPRI Research Programme Director
SIPRI is pleased to announce Dr Sibylle Bauer as the Director of its newly established research programme on Dual-use and Arms Trade Control. Dr Bauer joined SIPRI in 2003 and previously headed the institute's work on export controls as part of the SIPRI Arms Control and Non-Proliferation programme. She has a long record of research and publications on armaments and export control issues, especially in the European Union context. Since 2005 much of her work has focused on export control capacity building, in particular in legal and enforcement areas. Read more about the new programme or contact Sibylle Bauer. | |
| PUBLICATIONS | | |
Recent publications  | | SIPRI Fact Sheet
Trends in international arms transfers, 2011
Paul Holtom, 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 2011. 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 new data. It lists the main suppliers and recipients for the period 2007–11 and describes the changes in regional trends. Download the Fact Sheet.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI Background Paper
Military capabilities in the Arctic
Siemon T. Wezeman
Climate change is making the Arctic region—and its expected natural resources—more accessible. Overlapping claims by the five Arctic littoral states—Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States—have led to fears of future conflict in the region. In recent years all five countries have included increased protection of Arctic territories and claims in their defence policies. All five have also started to increase their military presences and capabilities in the Arctic region by acquiring Arctic-specific equipment, improving military infrastructure or increasing military forces. Download the Background Paper.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI Policy Paper
Maritime Transport and Destabilizing Commodity Flows
Hugh Griffiths and Michael Jenks
Maritime transport flows are the lifeblood of global trade. They are also the dominant means of transporting a range of potentially destabilizing commodities that threaten states and societies throughout the developing and developed worlds. This SIPRI Policy Paper aims to fill an important knowledge gap by—for the first time in a public document—providing a comprehensive mapping and analysis of the ships involved in the clandestine transport of narcotics, arms and dual-use goods essential to the development of weapons of mass destruction. It also offers practical solutions to one of the most important global security challenges for policymakers, civil society and industry in the 21st century. Download the Policy Paper.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI Policy Paper
Transparency in Military Spending and Arms Acquisitions in Latin America and the Caribbean
Mark Bromley and Carina Solmirano
Military spending has risen considerably in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years and several states in the region are engaged in major arms acquisition programmes. Despite generally positive interstate relations, fears have been expressed about the impact of these developments on regional stability and poverty-reduction efforts. Allaying such fears requires high levels of transparency in military spending and arms acquisitions in order to build confidence among states and permit informed public debates on the appropriate allocation of national resources. Download the Policy Paper.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security
Budgetary priorities in Latin America: military, health and education spending
Sam Perlo-Freeman
Military expenditure in Latin America has been increasing rapidly in recent years. In a region still plagued by poverty and inequality, with almost no threat of interstate conflict, some have questioned whether Latin American governments' budgetary priorities reflect their countries' real needs⎯and whether a trade-off is being made between military spending and social spending that could promote development and poverty reduction. Download the Insights Paper. | | | | |  | | SIPRI Fact Sheet
Chronology of armaments, disarmament and international security 2011
Nenne Bodell
This chronology lists the significant events in 2011 related to armaments, disarmament and international security. In addition to the headline-grabbing events, it also records the less publicized, but no less important, advances and setbacks. Download the Fact Sheet.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI map of multilateral peace operation deployments, September 2011
This SIPRI map presents a snapshot of multilateral peace operation deployments worldwide using the latest data available. The map shows where missions are taking place, when they started, how large they are and which organizations and coalitions are conducting them. Comprehensive data on multilateral peace operations is available in the SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database, including fatalities, costs, mission mandates, national personnel contributions and lead nations. Download the map.
| | | | |  | | SIPRI Policy Paper
Arms Flows to Sub-Saharan Africa
Pieter D. Wezeman, Siemon T. Wezeman and Lucie Béraud-Sudreau
Concerns regarding arms transfers to sub-Saharan Africa are widespread and have motivated worldwide efforts to control arms flows. Although the volumes of arms transferred to the region are low by global standards, even supplies of relatively small quantities of older weapons can have a notable impact on conflicts. This detailed report provides a tour d'horizon of recent developments in arms transfers to both governments and rebel groups in sub-Saharan Africa. Download the Policy Paper. | | | | |  | | 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. | | | | |  | | 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. | | | | |  | | 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 or order a copy. | | | | | | | | Other publications
Clevestig, P., Irwin, R. and Säfstrom, C., ‘Säkra vems hälsa för vem? Problematisering av nexuset hälsa och säkerhet’ [Securing whose health for whom? Problematising the health and security nexus], Internasjonal Politikk, vol. 70, no. 2 (2012).
Viski, A., 'The revised Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines: a European Union perspective’, EU Non-proliferation Consortium, Non-proliferation Paper no. 15 (May 2012).
Mathieu Duchâtel et Alexandre Sheldon-Duplaix, 'La modernisation de la marine chinoise : priorités régionales, ambitions globales?', Asie 2012-2013: Une Asie toujours plus centrale
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© SIPRI 2012. ISSN 1654-8264. Contact SIPRI by email: sipri@sipri.org; telephone: +46 8/655 97 00; fax: +46 8/655 97 33;
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