The independent resource on global security
Backgrounders
Environmental accountability, justice and reconstruction in the Russian war on Ukraine
Dr Jiayi Zhou and Dr Ian AnthonyThis Topical Backgrounder looks at the steps being taken in and beyond Ukraine to measure war-linked environmental damage, hold Russia to account and support green reconstruction, and puts them in an international context.
Afghanistan and its neighbourhood: A stocktaking of regional cooperation since the Taliban takeover
Dr Jiayi ZhouThis topical backgrounder presents several indications that a more regionally grounded, cohesive perspective and approach for Afghanistan is emerging—small seeds from which a sustainable response to Afghanistan’s peace, security and development challenges might grow.
Arms transfer and SALW control-related assistance in the Middle East and North Africa: Identifying needs and bridging gaps
Giovanna Maletta and Lauriane HéauUsing information from SIPRI’s database of ATT-relevant cooperation and assistance activities, this Topical Backgrounder provides an updated picture of assistance activities involving countries in the MENA.
Climate-related security risks in the SADC region
Katongo Seyuba and Tània Ferré GarciaThis SIPRI Topical Backgrounder provides an overview of the climate-related security risks in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, the current discourses on these risks within SADC, and SADC’s institutional architecture and policy responses to climate change.
Arms transfer and SALW controls in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and state of play
Lauriane Héau and Giovanna MalettaThis topical backgrounder provides an overview of the state of conventional arms transfer controls and small arms and light weapons (SALW) controls in MENA countries.
Transnational organized crime: A threat to global public goods
Dr Marina CapariniTransnational organized crime poses an array of profound challenges to sustainable development, as well as global public goods such as peace and security. It deserves a prominent place in efforts to reinvigorate multilateral cooperation.
Improving transparency in military spending through disaggregated information
Alexandra Marksteiner, Dr Nan Tian and Alexander KaplanThis backgrounder—in a first step towards addressing this gap—explores the practice of disaggregation in military budget reporting as one aspect of transparency in military expenditure.
Multilateral peace operations in 2021: Developments and trends
Dr Claudia PfeiferAhead of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, SIPRI is releasing new data on multilateral peace operations in 2021. This topical backgrounder summarizes the key findings from the latest data and some of the most important developments in the year.
Organized environmental crime: Why it matters for peace operations
Dr Marina CapariniOrganized environmental crime has become one of the fastest-growing types of organized crime. In many conflict-affected contexts, it is the primary source of financing for non-state armed groups. In the light of this, how can peace operations and other multilateral actors respond to conflicts which are driven or sustained by activities that involve illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources?
Child development and resilience in war, conflict and displacement
Dr Jonathan Hall and Abeer AhmadApproximately 452 million children were living in a conflict zone in 2020, and almost half of the roughly 80 million forcibly displaced people worldwide are children. Many of the countries most affected by conflict are developing countries with a young and growing population.