The independent resource on global security

SIPRI Update August 2020: Virtual Stockholm Forum session videos now available, Chinese translation of SIPRI Yearbook, and more

 

The SIPRI Update on peace and security
View the online version
SIPRI Update: August 2020
The independent resource on global peace and security
NEWS    COMMENTARY    EVENTS    PUBLICATIONS

NEWS
SIPRI
Virtual Forum: Partner-led session videos now available
On 11–22 May 2020, the Virtual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development worked with more than 42 partner organizations to convene over 44 high-level interactive dialogues, public panels and closed partner-led sessions. These sessions are now all freely available on SIPRI’s YouTube channel.  

Read more | Watch the Virtual Stockholm Forum playlist | View more multimedia content

 

SIPRI
Chinese translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2019 now available
SIPRI is pleased to announce that the Chinese translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2019 is now available. The Chinese-language version of the SIPRI Yearbook has been made possible with the generous support of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport.  

Read more | Download the Chinese translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2019 (PDF)

 

SIPRI and the International Committee of the Red Cross form knowledge cooperation
SIPRI and the International Committee of the Red Cross form knowledge cooperation
SIPRI and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have agreed on a multi-year knowledge cooperation. This formal collaboration builds on existing work between the organizations including joint research on autonomous weapon systems. As part of their cooperation, both organizations will bring their experience and knowledge together to explore ways to prevent suffering and enhance the protection of and assistance to persons in all situations of violence. The two organizations aim to maintain and further develop their collaboration with a view to advancing humanitarian law and policy.  

Read more

 

COMMENTARY
The Belarus election
The Belarus election: A challenge to stability and security in Northern Europe
Last week, an emergency summit meeting of the European Union’s (EU) heads of state and government was held on the violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Belarus. The summit indicates how seriously the internal crisis in Belarus could impact European security. In this SIPRI Expert Comment, Dr Ian Anthony argues that EU leaders should balance sanctions targeted on leading figures in the Belarus regime with constructive options that would provide tangible benefits to the people of Belarus and reduce the risks to security in Northern Europe.

Read the SIPRI Expert Comment

 

Insert alt text here
Climate change, disease and the legitimacy of armed non-state actors
To many, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic came as a surprise. It has placed enormous strain on governments to contain the spread of the disease and address the fallout from the measures that have been implemented. In some cases, governments have chosen to overlook the seriousness of events and, in others, the state has simply been unable to cope with the consequences. Dr Farah Hegazi discusses the potential for armed non-state groups to fill this void.

Read the SIPRI Essay

 

New trends and developments in border tensions between China and India
New trends and developments in border tensions between China and India
While 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. Even though the servicemen did not use firearms, the violence caused dozens of casualties on both sides. In this WritePeace Blog, Dr Petr Topychkanov maintains that the recent tensions should not be regarded as routine and that there are indications that they represent a new stage in the strategic competition between these two nuclear-armed states.

Read the WritePeace Blog

 


UPCOMING EVENTS
 
17–20 November 2020
2020 Stockholm Security Conference

On 17–20 November 2020, SIPRI will host the fifth annual Stockholm Security Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘International Cooperation: Navigating the Way Ahead’. As a result of the success of the first Virtual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, the Stockholm Security Conference will be convened online.

Read more

 


STAFF NEWS
 
Current staff news

 

  • SIPRI mourns the passing of Frank Barnaby (United Kingdom), former SIPRI Director, who died on 1 August 2020 at the age of 92.

Read more

 


PUBLICATIONS
publication cover
Military Spending and Official Development Assistance in Recipient States: Is there a Relationship?
Official development assistance (ODA) plays an important and complementary role in promoting development in low- and middle-income states. Previous research in the literature has shown that ODA can have unintended con­sequences by enabling recipient states to shift ‘freed-up’ resources away from activities now funded by ODA to other spending categories. This literature has argued that the ‘freed-up’ resources could be funding military spending. This SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security queries these con­clusions and contributes to the debate by placing the relation­ship between ODA and military spending in context.

Read the SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security

 

Publication cover
Reporting on Conventional Arms Transfers and Transfer Controls: Improving Coordination and Increasing Engagement
Since the early 1990s a range of international and regional reporting instruments on arms transfers and arms transfer controls have been created. This report presents a comprehensive analysis of reporting levels broken down by region and income category. It shows that, while reporting rates have fallen for most instruments, they have increased for some and the overall willingness of states to share information remains steady. The authors complement this analysis with an overview of the challenges that states face when compiling reports and efforts made to boost national capacities. They then propose ways to reverse declines in reporting rates, including by increasing coordination between the secretariats responsible for managing these instruments.  

Read the report

 

Insert alt text here
Preventing Violent Extremism in Germany: Coherence and Cooperation in a Decentralized System
This paper examines how the German government addresses crimes motivated by violent extremism. The revival of extremism and violent extremism in the developed world requires a re-examination of the safeguards intended to guarantee peace through democratic law and order. While social and political changes in Germany might increase the likelihood of violent extremism, this paper asks to what extent have preventive strategies been developed and put in place to reduce risk?

Read the Working Paper

 

Insert alt text here
European Non-proliferation Diplomacy in the Shadow of Secondary Sanctions
This SIPRI Policy Brief describes European responses to secondary sanctions that the United States imposed on Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In particular, it looks at the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, which was established by France, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2019 to facilitate European–Iranian trade, initially focusing on the humanitarian sector.

Read the SIPRI Policy Brief

 

SIPRI Yearbook 2020
SIPRI Yearbook 2020
SIPRI Yearbook 2020 presents a combination of original data in areas such as world military expenditure, international arms transfers, arms production, nuclear forces, armed conflicts and multilateral peace operations with state-of-the-art analysis of important aspects of arms control, peace and international security. It covers developments during 2019, including:
  • the state of nuclear arms control;
  • transparency in military spending;
  • regional overviews of armed conflicts; and
  • the investigation of allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria.

Browse the contents page | Read the summary (PDF) | Order SIPRI Yearbook 2020