Emilie Boillat

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To Draft or Not to Draft? Conscription Reform in the EU

From the latest CSS Analysis in Security Policy:

Strategic Trends Analysis“The decline of conscription is a key element in the transformation of European armed forces since the end of the Cold War. The majority of EU member states have introduced professional all-volunteer forces (AVFs). The reasons for this trend are both military and societal. Given today’s geostrategic environment and the resulting task spectrum of European armed forces, the shift to AVFs is a logical development. The transition, however, requires a range of thought-out measures to secure appropriate recruitment levels and make the armed forces competitive on the labour market.”

Download “To Draft or Not to Draft? Conscription Reform in the EU” by CSS Researcher Aleksandra Dier from Strategic Trends Analysis (STA).

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CSS News

Change in US Nuclear Policy?

CSS Analysis no 74: "Obama's Nuclear Policy: Limited Change"
CSS Analysis no 74: “Obama’s Nuclear Policy: Limited Change”

One year after Obama’s Prague speech, has the announced change in nuclear policy actually taken place?

In a newly published policy brief, CSS senior researcher Daniel Möckli assesses the practical results achieved by the Obama administration so far.

On the plus side, he argues, Obama has succeeded in reintroducing nuclear disarmament to the international agenda. But domestic factors, alliance policy, and strategic considerations limit the scope for major turns in US policy.

According to Möckli, neither a sustainable reinforcement of the non-proliferation regime nor substantial progress in multilateral arms control are in the offing.

The publication can be downloaded here.

UN Security Council Reform: A Gordian Knot?

UN Security Council session on 24 September 2009 chaired by US President Barack Obama. (UN Photo)
UN Security Council Reform: A Gordian Knot? (UN Photo)

Will the UN ever manage to reform its Security Council?

CSS senior researcher Daniel Trachsler evaluates the organization’s 20-year-long efforts in a new policy brief.

He gives an overview of reform proposals and analyzes factors blocking the reform project. Disagreements, regional rivalries and institutional obstacles have led to a Gordian Knot, an intractable problem solved by a bold move, which will require a high degree of willingness for compromise to entangle, he argues.

Failing this, Trachsler warns against a substantial loss of legitimacy for the UN’s most powerful body. He stresses that it is particularly in the interest of small and medium states to avoid this.

You can download the paper here. For more resources on Security Council reform, please visit our Digital Library.

ACTA: Secret Anti-Piracy Negotiations Unveiled

Piracy graffiti in Sweden (cc Thobias Vemmenby)
Piracy graffiti in Sweden (cc Thobias Vemmenby)

It seems like ACTA negotiators have finally gone one step in the direction of transparency. After a week of negotiations in Wellington (NZ), they announced on Friday that the draft treaty would be made public next Wednesday. Or maybe they just learned their lesson after repeated leaks.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has been in the making for over two years behind closed doors. The new treaty aims to improve “global standards for the enforcement of [Intellectual Property Law], to more effectively combat trade in counterfeit and pirated goods,” according to the EU Commission.

As you might expect, the negotiating parties are a western club (US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the EU and Switzerland) with a few ‘like-minded’ friends (Singapore, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco).

ACTA has faced a storm of criticism from internet users. Here is a little summary of the main issues at stake:

Continue reading “ACTA: Secret Anti-Piracy Negotiations Unveiled”

Buzzword ‘Cyberwar’

Cyberwar: Concept, Status Quo, and Limitations
Cyberwar: Concept, Status Quo, and Limitations (istock.com)

For all the talk about cyberwar, what does it actually mean?

In a recent policy brief, Myriam Dunn defines it as “warlike conflict in the virtual space that primarily involves information technology means.”

According to her, it’s the last rung on the ladder of cyberconflict, as measured by potential damage.

While milder forms of cyberconflict – cybervandalism, internet crime and cyberespionage – are relatively frequent, we lack established knowledge on potentially more destructive forms such as cyberterrorism and cyberwar.  This is why the debate on cyberwar is extremely prone to speculation, she warns.

You can download the paper here.

Also, you may want to check the ISN’s Digital Library for further resources on information and cyber warfare.