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India’s no-first-use dilemma: Strategic consistency or ambiguity towards China and Pakistan
Dr Lora SaalmanOn 14 October 2020, in a statement to the Conference on Disarmament, Indian ambassador, Pankaj Sharma, reiterated India’s commitment to a policy of no first use (NFU) of nuclear weapons.
Russia’s nuclear doctrine moves the focus from non-Western threats
Dr Petr TopychkanovIn June 2020 Russia made its nuclear doctrine more transparent in terms of why, when and how it would use nuclear weapons. Without naming potential adversaries, Russia is now more explicit about the regional scenarios that could lead to nuclear warfare.
China’s detachment from the South Asian nuclear triangle
Dr Lora SaalmanIn contrast with coverage of the recent China–India border conflict, Chinese analysis of nuclear issues in South Asia has been decreasing.
Mali’s transition: High expectations and little time
Dr Virginie Baudais and Dr Grégory ChauzalOn 17–18 August 2020, a military coup—the fourth since the independence of the country—led to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK), two years after his re-election.
The Anthropocene and global politics: Rewriting the Earth as political space
Rickard Söder, Dr Malin Mobjörk and Dr Eva LövbrandLast year, the Anthropocene Working Group—a group of researchers responsible for investigating a potential formalization of the Anthropocene—agreed to recognize a new geologic epoch to mark humans’ profound impact on th
New trends and developments in border tensions between China and India
Dr Petr TopychkanovWhile de-escalating the over one month-long stand-off in disputed areas in the Himalayan region, Chinese and Indian troops clashed again on 15 June.
A cautionary tale of military expenditure transparency during the great lockdown
Dr Nan TianThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically changed the world we inhabit. Not only has there been unimaginable human suffering worldwide, but the necessary protective measures implemented by governments around the world have caused an economic fallout far worse than the 2008–2009 financial crisis and unprecedented since the Great Depression of 1929.
Using official development assistance to strengthen small arms and light weapons controls: Opportunities and risks
Mark Bromley and Giovanna MalettaOne of the many events that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is the seventh Biennial Meeting of States (BMS) on the United Nations Programme of Action (UNPOA) on small arms and light weapons (SALW), which was due to take place this week in New York but has been postponed to 2021.
Coronavirus shocks to human development and sustaining peace
Dr Marina CapariniThe pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a massive systemic shock entailing both a public health catastrophe and a profound economic crisis. This blog briefly examines the dual crisis especially as it affects countries of the Global South.
The high cost of insecurity: The case of Hodh el Gharbi in Mauritania
Dr Virginie BaudaisFrom January until November 2019, SIPRI’s Sahel and West Africa Programme and its research partners in the Sahel region have documented the spill-over effects of the 2012 Malian crisis. This blog builds on the findings of research carried out by SIPRI and its partners in Mauritania during September 2019 and uses semi-structured interviews that were conducted in the administrative region of Hodh el Gharbi which is located in the south east of Mauritania bordering Mali.