Month: September 2019

Afghan Peace Talks Are Damaged, But Not Yet Broken

Post author By Andrew Wilder
Post date 16/09/2019
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This article was originally published by the United States institute of Peace (USIP) on 10 September 2019.

USIP’s Andrew Wilder sees an urgent need to get the peace effort back on track.

President Trump’s weekend announcement of a halt to U.S. peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban—including a previously unannounced U.S. plan for a Camp David meeting to conclude that process—leaves the future of the Afghanistan peace process unclear. USIP’s Andrew Wilder, a longtime Afghanistan analyst, argues that, rather than declaring an end to the peace process, U.S. negotiators could use the setback as a moment to clarify the strategy, and then urgently get the peace process back on track before too much momentum is lost.

Tags Taliban, Peace Processes, Peace, Afghanistan, United States of America, Conflict

Achieving A Sustainable Peace in Yemen Lies with Locally Driven Initiatives

Post author By Maria-Louise Clausen
Post date 13/09/2019
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*Image courtesy of EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid/Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)*

This article was originally published by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) in August 2019.

The conflict in Yemen will not be solved by a peace agreement between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government due to the increased fragmentation of internal political and economic structures.

The United Nations (UN) describes the conflict in Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian disaster, as more than an estimated 24 million Yemenis currently need assistance. This underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive peace agreement. However, whereas the UN-led ongoing peace negotiations focuses on the elite level, sustainable peace in Yemen will depend on whether or not local actors are incorporated into the transitional political process and the future Yemeni state.

Tags European Union, Civil War, Yemen, Development, Conflict

Cyber CSS Blog

National Cybersecurity Organizations, Main Bodies and Responsibilities: France

Post author By the Center for Security Studies
Post date 11/09/2019
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This week’s featured graphics outline how cybersecurity responsibilities are shared among governmental organizations in France. For more information on national cybersecurity strategies and cybersecurity challenges in France, as well as in Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland, read Marie Baezner and Sean Cordey’s CSS cyber defense report here.

Tags Security, France, Cybersecurity, Cyberspace

The Path to Politics: Belarus Prepares for Double Elections

Post author By Artyom Shraibman
Post date 09/09/2019
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*Image courtesy of Cencillería del Ecuador/Flickr. (CC BY-SA 2.0)*

This article was originally published by the Carnegie Moscow Center on 20 August 2019.

Elections in Belarus are traditionally administrative rituals. However, amid growing tensions with Russia and increased discussion of a future presidential transition in Minsk, the upcoming Belarusian parliamentary and presidential votes may be the start of cautious political change in the country.

Tags European Union, Russia, Elections, Belarus, Political Leaders and Politicians, National Elections

Advances in 3D Printing Technology: Increasing Biological Weapon Proliferation Risks?

Post author By Kolja Brockmann
Post date 06/09/2019
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Image courtesy of Army Medicine/Flickr. (CC BY 2.0)

This article was originally published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on 29 July 2019.

The states parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) gathered in Geneva from 29 July to 8 August for a series of Meetings of Experts. Among other topics, states reviewed scientific and technological developments that impact the objectives of the treaty. Additive manufacturing (AM)—also referred to as 3D printing—is one of the technologies that is starting to receive attention, next to more well-known biotechnologies and genetic engineering techniques. Advances in AM have been met with concerns over its potential to facilitate the development, production, delivery and thus proliferation of biological weapons—and have highlighted the potential role of export controls in reducing these risks.

Tags 3D Printing, Technology, Proliferation, Chemical and Biological Weapons