The speeches and statements of the participants in the 48th Munich Conference on Security Policy held from 3 to 5 February 2012. Themed ‘A World In Disarray -- Shifting Powers -- Lack Of Strategies’, this year’s conference addressed topics ranging from the repositioning of US military power to the ‘Arab Spring’ and to the mounting difficulties in sustaining security under increasing financial pressure.
DI - 6/2/2012
This draft resolution of the UN Security Council –based on a text supporting Arab League’s Proposed Peace Plan- was vetoed by China and Russia as two of the Council’s five permanent members. It is the second draft resolution on Syria vetoed by the same countries since 2011.
DI - 10/1/2012
Announced by the US President Barack Obama on 5 January, the new defence strategy ‘will allow the military to defend the United States and its national interests while cutting military spending in a responsible, balanced manner’.
DI - 16/11/2011
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released this safeguards report on Iran’s nuclear programme and allegations of weaponization efforts on 8 November.
DI - 24/10/2011
In this statement, the US President Barack Obama announces that troops from Iraq will return by the end of the year.
DI - 21/10/2011
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) issued this report on treatment of conflict related detainees by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) or Afghan National Police (ANP) forces. The research found compelling evidence that torture is practiced systematically in a number of NDS detention facilities throughout Afghanistan.
DI - 14/7/2011
The Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine presented the seventh annual Failed States Index (FSI). This year’s index draws on some 130,000 publicly available sources to analyze 177 states and rate them using 12 social, economic, political and military indicators of pressure on the state during the year 2010.
DI - 27/06/2011
On 24 June 2011 the Cabinet approved the Spanish Security Strategy: A Responsibility for All. This strategic document provides a vision for Spain in the context of world security, indicating threats and risks, the factors that heighten them, the possible responses and a model for their management.
DI 15/6/2011
Remarks by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on the transatlantic relations and the future of NATO.
DI - 3/6/2011
The fifth edition of the Global Peace Index has expanded to rank 153 independent countries by their peacefulness and updated with the latest-available figures and information.
DI - 30/5/2011
The US Secretary of the Department of State Hillary Clinton outlines the international strategy for Cyberspace and identifies seven key policy priorities.
DI - 13/4/2011
Published by the World Bank, the WDR 2011: Conflict, Security and Development aims to provide insights on the political, security and economic dimensions of conflict resolution. It draws on the analysis of researchers and the experience of policy-makers in the development community, the UN system and the regional institutions.
DI - 11/4/2011
The Council of the European Union Decision 2011/210/CFSP on EU military operation in support of humanitarian assistance operations in response to the crisis situation in Libya (EUFOR Libya), issued on 1 April 2011.
DI - 28/3/2011
The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug trade in 2010. This annual report is prepared by the Department of State to Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistant Act.
DI - 22/3/2011
Published in March 2011, the second edition of the Strategic Trends series contains a global overview of the main strategic trends identified by the CSS, such as emerging markets and fractures geopolitics, the changing regional dynamics in the Middle East, terrorism and counterterrorism ten years after 9/11 and narcotics as a growing security concern.
DI - 21/3/2011
This CRS report published on 8 March highlights the potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure as a tactical tool in the future used by international insurgents, jihadists and terrorist organizations. It also recounts the methods for countering terrorist and insurgent information operations on the Internet.
DI - 18/3/2011
The resolution adopted by the Security Council -at its 6498th meeting on 17 March- imposes a ban on all flights in Libya’s airspace - a no-fly zone - and tightened sanctions on the Qadhafi regime and its supporters.
DI - 1/2/2011
According to the Afghanistan Opium Survey 2010, ‘rising opium prices may encourage farmers in Afghanistan to plant more opium poppy’. After a steady decline from 2005 to 2009, prices are raising again based on speculation that there will be shortages because opium reduced production in 2010 and because of ongoing military operations, which are creating uncertainty among opium poppy farmers regarding future cultivation.
DI - 16/12/2010
This year’s edition of the Human Security Report –subtitled The Causes of Peace and The Shrinking Costs of War- examines three main issues: the causes of peace, the shrinking costs of war and the trends in human insecurity.
DI - 23/11/2010
The new Strategic Concept was issued at the Lisbon Summit meeting of Heads of State and Government held from 20 to 21 November. The Alliance agreed on missile defence, an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, and a new start in NATO-Russia relations.
DI - 26/10/2010
The 2010 edition of the State of the World Population –published by the UN Population Fund (UNPFA) and entitled From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change- links Peace, Security and Development to Women’s Rights and Empowerment. According to this report, ‘discrimination against women not only exposes them to the worst effects of disaster and war, including rape, but also deprives their countries of a prime engine for recovery’.
DI - 22/10/2010
The memorandum between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was signed on 13 October 2010. It aims to ‘align and enhance America’s capabilities to protect against threats to our critical civilian and military computer systems and networks’.
DI - 21/10/2010
‘A Strong Britain in an Age of Uncertainty’ is the latest National Security Strategy released by the UK Government. The document outlines the reappraisal of Britain’s role in the world, the risks to its security and their implication for the UK.
DI - 4/10/2010
The summary findings of the Afghanistan Opium Survey shows that opium poppy cultivation remained at 2009 levels but the opium production has reduced to a half in 2010. However, ‘the market may again become lucrative for poppy-crop growers so we have to monitor the situation closely’ according to the UNODC.
DI 8/9/2010
Following the Sudanese national elections in April 2010, the improved relations between this country and Chad after the signing of an agreement to normalise their bilateral relations and the concern over the negative affect of the ongoing violence in Darfur, the UN Security Council –at its 6366th meeting on 30 July 2010- decided to extend the mandate of UNAMID for a further year to 31 July 2011.
DI - 1/9/2010
President Barack Obama announced the end of the United States’s combat mission in Iraq on 31 August 2010.
2/8/2010
Published on 22 June 2010, the research paper 10/45 of the Library of the House of Commons focuses on the Pashtuns. It first begins with a survey of the geographic, historical and cultural factors which have shaped Pashtun identities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and describes the political and security arrangements under which they currently live. The second part of the paper looks at the US AfPakpolicy, setting out its origins and evolution before assessing the prospects for success over the coming year and beyond.
DI - 15/7/2010
A joint publication by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the report highlights best practices and emerging elements for a more effective response by peacekeepers to women’s security concerns.
DI - 12/7/2010
The fifth edition of the Yearbook on Peace Processes analyses the negotiation processes that have taken place worldwide throughout 2009. It is published by the Escola de Cultura per la Pau (School for a Culture of Peace) from the Barcelona Autonomous University.
DI - 6/7/2010
The Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine presented the sixth annual Failed States Index (FSI). This year’s index draws on 90,000 publicly available sources that are processed to analyse 177 states and rate them using 12 social, economic, political and military indicators in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict and societal dysfunction.
DI - 5/7/2010
The fourth edition of the Global Peace Index has expanded to rank 149 countries by their peacefulness. Its results suggest that the world has become slightly less peaceful in the past year.
DI - 21/6/2010
The first Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment -published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime- aims to fill a knowledge gap and pave the way for future world crime reports. The report analyses a range of key transnational crime threats like human trafficking, migrant smuggling, the illicit heroin and cocaine trades, cybercrime, maritime piracy and trafficking in environmental resources, firearms and counterfeit goods.
DI - 24/5/2010
The Wise Pen Team final report to EDA Steering board – published on 24 April 2010- highlights the need to improve European security by integrating maritime policy making, sharing information more effectively and transparently and coordinating a collective response to security challenges. The team is composed of Vice Admirals Fernando del Pozo, Anthony Dymock, Lutz Feldt, Patrick Hebrard, Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte.
DI - 19/5/2010
The Group of Experts -led by its chair Madeleine K. Albright (U.S) and vice-chair Jeroen van der Veer (The Netherlands)- presents its final report. The analyses and recommendations aims to assist the Secretary General in drafting a new Strategic concept for submission to NATO heads of government at Lisbon Summit in November 2010.
DI - 13/5/2010
Published by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), the eighth edition of the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance aims to enhance the understanding of the actors, structures and government processes related to aid and reconstruction efforts in the country.
DI - 13/4/2010
The summit - held from 12 to 13 April in Washington (U.S)- brought together leaders of 47 countries. It aimed to highlight the global threat posed by nuclear terrorism and to advance a common approach and commitment to nuclear security (issued in the Summit Communiqué). The Summit Work Plan represents guidance for national and international actions to carry out the pledges of the Communiqué.
DI - 28/1/2010
U.S President Barack Obama delivered his 2010 State of the Union Address on 28 January 2010. The President lays out his priorities for jobs and bolstering the middle class.
DI - 13/1/2010
This paper critically examines the relevance of the US intelligence community to the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan in the last eight years. It was written by Major General Michael T. Flynn (Senior Intelligence Officer in Afghanistan), Captain Matt Pottinger (company-grade Officer) and Paul D. Batchelor (Senior Executive Service of the Defense Intelligence Agency).
DI - 11/1/2010
The special report of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies is focused on India-Bangladesh relationship security issues as follows: maritime demarcation, environment/water security, border issues and Indian Border Security Force’s (BSF) killing of civilians, human insecurity in unsettled enclaves, gross imbalance in trade, disparity in sharing information, transnational security threats and the issue of militancy and terrorism.
DI - 7/1/2010
Published on 5 January, this Congressional Research Service report highlights the threats posed by a crime-terrorism nexus, as the scale and nature of their cooperation are believed to vary widely. US efforts to combat the relationship between crime and terrorism are a subset of broader policy responses to transnational crime and international terrorism individually.
DI - 15/12/2009
The latest survey of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows an increase in opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar for the third year in a row – an 11% rise from 28,500 ha in 2008 to 31,700 ha in 2009
DI - 3/12/2009
This is the text of Barack Obama’s speech on the Afghanistan-Pakistan situation, delivered at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) on 1 December. President Obama has outlined the new strategy in the region which include additional American and international troops.
DI - 22/10/2009
This publication of the Center for Systemic Peace shows the numbers of people killed in high casualty terrorist bombings (HCTB--bomb attacks on non-combatant targets resulting in 15 deaths or more) from 11 September 1993 to10 September 2009.
DI - 6/11/2009
This report of the International Crisis Group examines current Chinese policy towards North Korea in the wake of the latest events, which include missile launches, the withdrawal from the Six-Party Talks and the 25 May nuclear test.
DI - 26/10/2009
This report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime how the opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is spreading addiction, enriching criminal groups, deepening corruption and empowering insurgents in the country and beyond.
DI - 28/9/2009
The resolution adopted by the Security Council –at its 6191st meeting on 24 September- urges all UN members states to take all appropriate national measures in accordance with their national authorities and legislation, and consistent with international law, to prevent nuclear proliferation.
DI - 22/9/2009
This report of Stanley A. McChrystal -General of the U.S Army and Commander NATO International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan)- to the U.S Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is an assessment of the overall situation, plans and ongoing efforts. It sought to answer three main questions: Can ISAF achieve the mission? If so, how should ISAF go about achieving the mission? What is required to achieve the mission?
DI - 21/9/2009
According to the White House, this approach ‘is based on an assessment of the Iranian missile threat, and a commitment to deploy technology that is proven, cost-effective, and adaptable to an evolving security environment’.
DI - 18/9/2009
This publication of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) examines the central role of UNAMA in Afghanistan and discusses the obstacles the organization faces in coordinating international efforts.
DI - 8/7/2009
This is the text of Barack Obama’s speech on the US-Russia relationship, delivered at the New Economic School Graduation in Gostinny Dvor, Moscow (Russia) on 7 July.
DI - 6/7/2009
The Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine presented the fifth annual Failed States Index (FSI). Using 12 social, economic, political and military indicators, it ranks 177 states in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict and societal dysfunction.
DI - 25/6/2009
Besides a complete assessment of the international drug problem with comprehensive information on the illicit drug situation, the 2009 edition includes special sections on the quality of drug data available to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), trends in drug use among young people and drug-related offences recorded by police.
DI - 15/6/2009
The database created by the United Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) aims to provide comprehensive and accurate legal information on the steps taken by the international community and individual countries in the fight against international terrorism.
DI - 8/6/2009
Highlights of the 40th SIPRI Yearbook include special studies on the human security approach to mass displacement caused by conflicts and one-sided violence, one-sided violence against civilians, the legitimacy of peace operations, security and politics in Afghanistan, US and Iraqi military spending, arms transfers to Sri Lanka, the adoption of the Cluster Munitions Convention and defence trade cooperation agreements, along with coverage of developments during 2008.
DI - 2/6/2009
The results of the third edition of the Global Peace Index show that as the global economy headed into recession in 2008, many of the indicators used by the GPI to measure peace increased while others decreased. Iceland is one of several examples of the links between the global economic crisis and a decline in peacefulness.
DI - 25/5/2009
This is the text of Barack Obama’s speech on National Security, delivered at the National Archive on 21 May.
DI - 14/5/2009
The Manama Declaration on Human Trafficking at the Crossroads was adopted at the international conference held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, from 1 to 3 March 2009.
DI - 14/5/2009
Using the latest available data, this paper describes the ongoing growth in international transfers of major conventional weapons, military spending and arms production. It also describes the increasing complexity of international arms export control policies.
DI - 7/4/2009
The report -issued by the UN Secretary-General on 27 March- covers major developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the last report issued on 21 November 2008 (S/2008/728) to 24 March 2009.
DI - 6/4/2009
Final statement issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Strasbourg / Kehl on 4 April 2009, on occasion of the 60th anniversary of NATO. See also the Declaration on Alliance Security and the Summit Declaration on Afghanistan.
DI - 27/3/2009
Summary of the Octopus Interface Conference -held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 10 to 11 March 2009- that brought together more than 280 cybercrime experts from the public and private sectors as well as international and non-governmental organisations from all over the world. See also the web site.
DI - 12/3/2009
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has published its annual report on 11 March 2009. The document provides an overview of the UNODC activities to address the threat posed by drugs and crime. Also, fighting human trafficking was an important priority for the organisation in 2008.
DI - 3/3/2009
Published on 30 January 2009, the document refers to the RAND Corporation and the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Venusberg Group sponsored series discussions on the future security challenges confronting the U.S. and Europe in the context of the election of a new American president.
DI - 20/2/2009
According to this year edition, the most common form of human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation. The victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls. The second most common form of human trafficking is forced labour which amounts to 18% and worldwide, almost 20% of all trafficking victims are children.
DI - 18/2/2009
An address by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, at the 45th Munich Security Conference held from 6 to 8 February 2009.
DI - 12/2/2009
The Chinese government has presented the new White Paper for the national defence in January 2009. The document stresses the Scientific Outlook on Development as an important guiding principle for national defence and armed forces building.
DI - 14/1/2009
The Resolution adopted by the UN Security Council –at its 6050th meeting on 19 December 2008- called for enhanced monitoring of the arms embargo in Somalia, declaring that strict enforcement would improve security in a country that has been torn by factional fighting and has no functioning central government since 1991.
DI - 18/12/2008
The Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK) annually publishes the Conflict Barometer, which presents the latest data and analyses concerning events and developments in the world of conflict. The world’s most affected regions are Africa, the Middle East and Maghreb, as well as Asia and Oceania.
DI - 5/12/2008
This year’s edition of the Afghanistan Opium Survey shows that opium has become less important to the country’s economy due to a decrease in cultivation, production and prices. Opium cultivation in 2008 declined 19% to 157,000 hectares. Production was down by 6% to 7,700 tons and prices are also down by around 20%. (See also the cultivation map)
DI - 3/12/2008
The recent report of the IAEA Director General was derestricted at the Board of Governors meeting in Vienna. The Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008) and 1835 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran covers relevant developments since September 2008.
DI - 3/12/2008
The Resolution adopted by the Security Council –at its 6026th meeting on 2 December- calls on all countries and regional organizations with the necessary capacity to deploy naval ships and military aircraft off the Somali coast to fight piracy.
DI - 10/10/2008
The publication provides an at-a-glance illustrated guide to global and regional trends in human insecurity –focusing on wars, genocide, battle deaths, refugee flows and human rights abuses. Co-published with the World Bank, it maps political violence, the links between poverty and conflict, assaults on human rights and the causes of war and peace.
DI - 2/10/2008
The sixth annual report provides information about police-related activities of the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit in 2007, as well as other cross-dimensional police-related activities of the thematic units in the Secretariat and OSCE Institutions.
DI - 3/9/2008
The U.S Department of Defense released its 2008 National Defense Strategy in July 2008, the national approach to the defense of the nationand its interests. The NDS is issued periodically and the last one was published in March 2005. The strategy builds on lessons learned and insights from previous operations and strategic reviews such as the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.
DI - 30/7/2008
The CIDOB International Yearbook carries out a systematic monitoring of the international panorama and Spain’s foreign policy. The Country Profile of the 19th edition is dedicated to Nigeria and its regional setting. (Complete Yearbook in Spanish).
DI - 30/6/2008
This CRS report reviews current legislative mandates for security strategic documents of the U.S, assesses the recent history of execution, describes strategic documents in related fields for comparison, presents considerations that may be useful in assessing current requirements and execution, and notes several current proposals for changes to legislative requirements.
DI - 26/6/2008
The recent stabilisation in the world drugs market is under threat because the increase in both opium poppy and coca cultivation in 2007, some growth in consumption in developing countries and some development of new trafficking patterns. The launch of the report coincided with the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed on 26 June around the world.
DI - 25/6/2008
The new White Paper outlines France’s strategy for the next fifteen years. The main highlights of this document are: the decision to link national security and defence, the emphasis on the new “knowledge and anticipation” functions, the new formats of the armed forces and strengthening France’s position in NATO. (White Paper only available in French: Le Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale).
DI - 24/6/2008
The first Compact Annual Review Conference was held on 29 May 2008 in Stockholm (Sweden). The report of the Government of Iraq and United Nations -"A New Beginning"- outlined progress made by Iraq in establishing the rule of law and promoting economic development, supported by a significant increase in oil revenues and strong economic growth.
DI - 17/6/2008
The 2007 edition reveals a decline in the incidence of terrorist violence around the world. The Brief states that fatalities from terrorism have declined by some 40 percent, and analyses the positive change in sub-Saharan Africa’s security landscape. It also updates the findings of the 2005 edition, and demonstrates that the decline in the total number of armed conflicts and combat deaths around the world has continued.
DI - 9/6/2008
Highlights of the 39th edition of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook include special studies on the human security approach to direct and structural violence, integrating gender in post-conflict security sector reform, US ballistic missile defence programmes, nuclear forensic analysis, international public health diplomacy and the global surveillance of avian influenza; along with coverage of developments during 2007.
DI - 6/6/2008
The new Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted by delegations from 111 countries in Dublin (Ireland) on 30 May 2008 and will be signed December in Oslo, Norway. This international treaty will enter into force six months after its ratification by at least 30 countries. The Convention will prohibit participating countries from using, producing, developing or transferring cluster munitions.
DI - 20/5/2008
The latest rankings of the Global Peace Index (GPI) highlights that most countries in the world are performing better against key measures of peacefulness compared with last year. The GPI is composed by 24 indicators ranging from a nations level of military expenditure to its relations with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights. This year the Index has been expanded to rank 140 countries according to their relative peacefulness.
DI - 19/5/2008
According to the UN Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council –published on 9 May- the security situation throughout Darfur remains extremely volatile. The report covers significant developments during the month of April 2008, including the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur. It also provides an update on the Darfur political process.
DI - 7/3/2008
According to the UN Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council –published on 6 March- Afghanistan’s political transition faces serious challenges, including terrorism and a booming drug industry. The document also urges an integrated approach among all international partners to stabilize the fledgling democracy.
DI - 19/2/2008
This Secretary-General report recommended a number of immediate priorities for the development of a coherent UN approach to security sector reform, in support of national actors.
DI - 4/2/2008
With the U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Army Combined Arms Center (USACAC) published this manual in December 2006. The document establishes the fundamental principles and guidelines (doctrine) for military operations in a counterinsurgency (COIN) environment.
DI - 21/12/2007
This is the final Afghan Opium Survey published by the UNODC on November 2007. The document shows that opium is now equivalent to more than half (53%) of the country's licit GDP.
DI - 12/10/2007
The cost of conflict on
African development was approximately US$300 billion between 1990 and 2005,
according to this study which calculate for the first time the overall effects
of conflict on GDP. The new research by Oxfam
International, IANSA and Saferworld also stresses that this cost
is equal to the amount of money received in international aid during the same
period.
DI - 5/10/2007
This report reviews the Bush
Administration proposal of deploying a a ground based mid-course defence (GMD) element of the larger Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS)
in Europe to defend against an Iranian missile threat. The GMD plan has
encountered resistance in some European countries and also affected the U.S –
Russia relations.
DI - 27/9/2007
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued its 2006
Annual Report. It includes a summary of major issues, activities, and
achievements, and status tables and graphs related to safeguards, safety, and
science and technology.
DI - 4/9/2007
The 38th
edition of the Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook analyses developments in security
and conflicts, military spending and armaments and non-proliferation, arms
control and disarmament. It also contains extensive annexes on arms control and
disarmament agreements, and a chronology of security and arms control related
events.
DI- 24/8/2007
The UN Disarmament Yearbook is designed to be a concise reference tool and seeks to serve as an authoritative chronicle of international efforts to control or eliminate the world’s most deadly weapons, over the course of the previous calendar year. The online coverage includes volumes from 2002 to 2005.
DI - 3/8/2007
The Security Council –at its 5727th meeting held on 31 July 2007- approved the establishment of UN-African Union Force in Sudan (UNAMID), a hybrid peacekeeping force to quell the violence and instability plaguing the Darfur region of Sudan. The operation will have an initial mandate of 12 months and will incorporate the existing African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which has been deployed across Darfur since 2004.
DI - 16/7/2007
The U.S Department of Defense’s annual report is focused on the current
and future military strategy of China. It stresses that Beijing’s military
transformation has increased in recent years, fuelled by continued high rates
of investment in its domestic defence, science and technologies industries,
acquisition of advanced foreign weapons, and far reaching reforms of the armed
forces.
DI - 3/7/2007
The Fund for Peace, an independent research organisation, and Foreign Policy magazine have presented the third annual Failed States Index. Using 12 social, economic, political and military indicators, it ranks 148 states in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict and societal dysfunction.
