October 2009

The NPT Review Conference 2010: looking good but there's still time to fail

Daniel Nord, SIPRI Deputy Director

New SIPRI paper highlights links between air transport and African security

Air transport development programmes in Africa have the potential to significantly improve security and governance in regions affected by conflict and transnational organized crime. This month SIPRI launched a new Policy Brief by SIPRI Researcher Hugh Griffiths pointing out how improvements in air traffic and control and air safety could stem illicit flows of arms and natural resources that fuel ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other African countries. The paper's findings were presented at a European Union (EU)-organized workshop on arms trafficking, held in Brussels on 5-6 October, and an African Union-EU conference on disarmament taking place at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome on 7-9 October. For more on the Policy Brief, see below.

SIPRI awarded Europe and Global Challenges planning grant

Following a highly competitive evaluation process, SIPRI has been selected to receive a planning grant from the Europe and Global Challenges programme sponsored by the Compagnia di San Paolo in Turin, Italy; Riksbankens Jubileumsfond in Stockholm, Sweden; and Volkswagen Stiftung in Hanover, Germany. This generous grant will help SIPRI to plan for and submit a full application to the Europe and Global Challenges program in 2010.

SIPRI events and activities

19 Nov. 10:00 USIP Washington		SIPRI briefing on China's expanding role in UN peace operations SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang of the University of Southern California will present their new SIPRI Policy Paper, China's Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implications (see below, 3 November) for the media and interested members of the public. The panel event will take place at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP). Read the full programme here and contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner for further information.
16 Nov. Stockholm		SIPRI Director to speak on SIPRI's goals and role in international relations On the occasion of the 62nd Session of the Institute des Hautes Études de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN), SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill will speak on SIPRI's goals and relevance in international relations. The address will form part of a one-year training for high-ranking decision makers on different aspects of defence and sovereignty. The invited audience will comprise French members of parliament, senators, business executives, journalists and military representatives. Contact Stephanie Blenckner for further information.
6-8 Nov. Stockholm		International NGO conference on disarmament The Swedish Network for Nuclear Disarmament will host an international NGO conference on the topic Reaching Nuclear Disarmament: The Role of Civil Society in Strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The goal of the conference is to gather the International Movement against Nuclear Weapons and to facilitate coordination of strategies that will lead to a successful NPT Review Conference in 2010. SIPRI Governing Board Chairman Amb. Rolf Ekéus and SIPRI Deputy Director Daniel Nord will participate. For further information read here or contact SIPRI Project Coordinator Theresa Höghammar.
3 Nov. 14:00 Polish Embassy Beijing		Launch of SIPRI report on China's expanding role in UN peace operations SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang of the University of Southern California will launch their comprehensive report on China's growing involvement in international peace operations, its purpose and implications, at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Beijing. Guest speaker will be He Yin, Associate Professor at the China Peacekeeping Police Training Centre, Langfang. Read more here and contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner for further information.
21 Oct. 14:00-15:30 SIPRI, Stockholm		SIPRI Lecture: Achieving a Non-nuclear Korean Peninsula: Options for Diplomacy in Northeast Asia Amb. James Goodby, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, is a specialist on nuclear arms control, non-proliferation and security issues, both at a global level and with regard to Northeast Asia. Amb. Goodby will address diplomatic options for renewed negotiations with North Korea on nuclear issues. To register for the event, contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner.							Ambassador Goodby
RECENT
6 Oct. Washington		Talk on China and Climate Security at the Kissinger Institute As SIPRI Senior Researcher Linda Jakobson gave a talk on China and Climate Security at the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States in Washington, DC. The event assembled an audience of more than 100 specialists in the field of international security, environment and China studies. Watch the live stream of the event here. Contact Linda Jakobson for further information.
28 Sep. Brussels		SIPRI Yearbook 2009 presentation in Brussels The International Security Information Service, Europe (ISIS Europe) hosted a seminar for European parliamentarians, the public and media to present key findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2009 at the European Parliament. Speakers were Carl Hartzell, Deputy Representative of Sweden to the Political and Security Committee (PSC), Mika-Markus Leinonen, Director of the Council of the European Union Directorate-General on External and Military Affairs, Civilian Crisis Management Directorate (DG E IX), Heather Grabbe, Director of the Open Society Institute, and SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill. The event was officially hosted by MEPs Ana Gomes and Hannes Swoboda of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights and Subcommittee on Security and Defence. Notes from the discussion are available on pages 10-13 here.

SIPRI in the media

SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill commented on the award of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama for the BBC, Swedish Radio International, AOL News Service and others. On the same topic, SIPRI Deputy Director Daniel Nord spoke to Swedish television channel SVT and SIPRI Governing Board Chairman Amb. Rolf Ekéus spoke to the Swedish news agency TT; his remarks were reprinted in, among others, the Swedish daily newspapers Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet.

SIPRI Governing Board Chairman Amb. Rolf Ekéus also commented on Iran and its nuclear possibilities to Deutsche Welle.

SIPRI Senior Research Fellow Siemon Wezeman spoke to the journal Foreign Policy on Iran's interest into surface-to-air missiles.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published an extensive interview with SIPRI Senior Researcher and Head of the SIPRI Nuclear Project Shannon Kile on the occasion of the recent meeting in Geneva between Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

SIPRI Researcher Carina Solmirano provided input to a CBC News article on increasing military expenditure and arms acquisitions in South America.

SIPRI job openings

Programme Leader for the SIPRI Programme on Global Health and Security
SIPRI has secured the support of a major donor to establish a Programme on Global Health and Security. SIPRI will take a leading position in this field, defining and advancing research, analysis and policy guidance to address the many complex challenges at the nexus of health and security. SIPRI seeks a highly regarded, dynamic and experienced individual to build and lead the programme. Read more here.

Recent publications

		SIPRI Policy Brief Building Air Traffic Capacity in Africa: Options for Improving Security and Governance Hugh Griffiths Air transport development programmes in Africa have the potential to significantly improve security and governance in regions affected by conflict and transnational organized crime. This paper brings together SIPRI's pioneering work on air transport-safety links and its ongoing study on weapon and raw-material flows in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is funded by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. To download the Policy Brief click here.
		SIPRI Yearbook 2009: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security The 40th edition of the SIPRI Yearbook include coverage of developments during 2008 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, reducing 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.
		Handbook of Applied Biosecurity for Life Science Laboratories Peter Clevestig Biosecurity covers a broad spectrum of potential risks and threats, from criminal activities to bioterrorism and espionage. This handbook focuses on the laboratory-related activities and basic components of applied biosecurity that are relevant to all laboratory employees. The role played by laboratory managers and principal investigators in safeguarding laboratory assets and the employees under their supervision is also highlighted. The handbook provides guidance for personnel who work with infectious pathogens and toxins that may affect the health of humans, animals and plants. It aims to engage scientists, laboratory employees and students in laboratory biosecurity, and to provide practical advice that will ensure the secure handling and storage of biological materials. To order or download the handbook, click here.
		SIPRI Yearbook 2008, summary in Arabic A summary in Arabic of SIPRI Yearbook 2008 in now available here. The yearbook is also fully translated into Arabic by the Centre for Arab Unity Studies (CAUS), Beirut, funded by the Swedish Institute in Alexandria (SwedAlex).
		SIPRI Fact Sheets Multilateral Peacekeeping Operations, 2008: Africa, Asia, Europe and Personnel Kirsten Soder This new series of fact sheets gives a snapshot of the current status of UN and non-UN peacekeeping. Three fact sheets cover the three world regions where most operations and peacekeepers are deployed: Africa, Asia and Europe. A fourth looks at recent trends in the types and numbers of personnel deployed worldwide. Read more and download the fact sheets here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Arms Transfers to the Middle East Sam Perlo-Freeman The levels of military expenditure and arms imports in the Middle East have increased in recent years. The region receives substantial major conventional arms transfers relative to its economic size. Many states in the region are modernizing their military equipment holdings. United Nation member states are currently discussing the feasibility of an arms trade treaty (ATT) which would seek to create better controls on international arms transfers. This Background Paper is one of a series produced by SIPRI to inform these discussions.Read more and download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Arms Flows to the Conflict in Chad Pieter D. Wezeman It is estimated that arms imports by Chad were five times higher in 2004-2008 than in 1999-2003. The rebel forces in Chad have obtained weapons from the Sudanese Government and from the large pool of weapons available throughout the region, although accurate information is scarce, especially about transfers of small arms and light weapons. Read more and download the Background Paper here.
		SIPRI Background Paper Arms Transfers to the Americas Mark Bromley Arms transfers to the Americas, particularly to South America, have risen sharply in recent years. Illicit transfers of small arms and light weapons can have a particularly destabilizing effect on all states in the region. A number of transparency and confidence-building measures have been developed. One of the series of SIPRI Background Papers prepared to inform discussions on the arms trade treaty. Read more and download the Background Paper here.