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Begin New Search Topic International Affairs Content Type Special Report Publication Year within 25 Years Publication Year within 10 Years

451. An “Atomized Caliphate” in Europe

Author:
Armen Oganesyan
Publication Date:
12-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
East View Information Services
Abstract:
A part of the western world, Europe, however, has been very selective about alien cultures and civilizations; not a “melting pot” american style, it is paying dearly for this function imposed on it. The disagreements on the migration issues in the european corridors of power threaten the cohesion of the european Unity. Frau Merkel who demon- strated a no mean determination to meet a new wave of migrants with maximal openness and tolerance had already accepted the failure of mul- ticulturalism. This means that Berlin has no answer to the question about how to cope with the migrants who have arrived in thousands and mil- lions to europe to stay.
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Europe

452. Statement on the Democratic National Committee Hack

Author:
Aspen Institute
Publication Date:
07-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group’s statement on the Democratic National Committee Hack.
Topic:
International Affairs and Democracy
Political Geography:
America

453. Lessons in Arctic Operations: The Canadian Army Experience, 1945-1956

Author:
P. Whitney Lackenbauer and Peter Kikkert
Publication Date:
09-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
Abstract:
The documents in this volume provide insights into the Canadian Army’s attempts to secure a better knowledge of the characteristics of Northern operations during the Second World War and early Cold War. An extensive series of Subarctic and Arctic training exercises yielded valuable “lessons learned” that informed the planning, training, and equipping of the Army for Northern missions. The challenges encountered in these operations, the questions raised, and the lessons observed remain remarkably consistent with those experienced during Arctic deployments over the last decade.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Canada

454. Canada’s Northern Strategy under the Harper Conservatives: Key Speeches and Documents on Sovereignty, Security, and Governance, 2005-15

Author:
P. Whitney Lackenbauer and Ryan Dean
Publication Date:
09-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
Abstract:
The speeches and media releases collected in this volume help to reveal the narratives on Arctic sovereignty, security, circumpolar affairs, and governance that the Harper Government sought to construct during its near-decade in office. While the government touted its own achievements in regular updates on its Northern Strategy, other commentators have been more critical, suggesting that either the government’s priorities were misplaced or it promised more than it delivered. This volume is intended to preserve these primary resources for researchers to facilitate ongoing debate and discussion
Topic:
International Affairs and Domestic Politics
Political Geography:
Canada

455. Annual Report 2016

Author:
Mesut Özcan
Publication Date:
09-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Strategic Research (CSR)
Abstract:
As the Acting Chairman of the Center for Strategic Research (SAM), I am pleased to present our 2016 Annual Report. SAM’s primary objective is to conduct research on foreign policy and related issues, develop alternative perspectives, provide new insights and make policy recommendations. SAM has risen to a significant peak in our Ministry’s policy making process, and has created more influence than what was ever expected. Each year, it continues to move beyond its accomplishments of the previous year. On this occasion, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, for his valuable support and to the SAM staff for their contributions.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Turkey

456. Cross-Functional Teams in Defense Reform: Help or Hindrance?

Author:
Christopher J. Lamb
Publication Date:
05-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University
Abstract:
There is strong bipartisan support for Section 941 of the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017, which requires the Pentagon to use cross-functional teams (CFTs). CFTs are a popular organizational construct with a reputation for delivering better and faster solutions for complex and rapidly evolving problems. The Department of Defense reaction to the bill has been strongly negative. Senior officials argue that Section 941 would “undermine the authority of the Secretary, add bureaucracy, and confuse lines of responsibility.” The Senate’s and Pentagon’s diametrically opposed positions on the value of CFTs can be partially reconciled with a better understanding of what CFTs are, how cross-functional groups have performed to date in the Pentagon, and their prerequisites for success. This paper argues there is strong evidence that CFTs could provide impressive benefits if the teams were conceived and employed correctly.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

457. 25 Years of Election Observation at The Carter Center A Retrospective

Author:
The Carter Center
Publication Date:
02-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Carter Center
Abstract:
Founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of suffering. To this end, the Center has sought to wage peace, advance freedom and democracy, and improve health worldwide. As part of these efforts, The Carter Center has enhanced the quality of democratic governance by conducting activities in several areas, including strengthening human rights institutions, combating political corruption, advancing transparent governance, and observing elections
Topic:
International Affairs and Democracy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

458. Iran's perspective in the South Caucasus

Author:
Elvir Mammadov
Publication Date:
03-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Security and Defense Studies (BHKK)
Abstract:
Iran's international standing is currently under slow, but significant change due to the recently signed nuclear deal with the global powers group of "P5+1". The South Caucasus region will be one of the primary influenced regions by such a sharp turn in the history of Iran. Turning back to the recent history of Iran's foreign policy towards the South Caucasus, it can be seen that Tehran has found itself in unpleasant situation and unprepared to build up effective ties with the countries because of certain objective reasons. Emerged regional conflicts suddenly after the collapse of the Soviet Union between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and in Georgia with its two breakaway territories caused more difficulties for Iran's foreign policy towards the region. The targets put in the beginning for integration into the region has ended up with a defensive and limited position for Iran in the South Caucasus.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Iran

459. The Inflated Yet Unsolvable North Korean Nuclear Threat

Author:
Boyan Boyanov
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Abstract:
After Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test on the 5th of January 2016 and declared it a successful experiment with a hydrogen bomb, the international community resumed its appeals for finding a definitive solution to the issue with North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. What impresses is the routine of the international response following the North Korean habitual act of defying the nuclear nonproliferation system: diplomatic condemnation mostly coming from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and, in a far more restrained manner – from China. When Pyongyang launched a satellite in space two days later, Seoul responded by shutting down the Kaesong industrial complex – a mutually beneficial industrial zone where South Korean companies employ North Korean labor1 . Even this seemingly harsh action does not constitute a precedent. At that time it was not very demanding to foretell the execution of consequential U.S. – South Korea military drills to display the U.S. resolution to be constantly involved in whatever is happening on the Korean Peninsula and to dismay the latest great leader of the North.
Topic:
International Security, International Affairs, and Nuclear Power
Political Geography:
North Korea

460. Libya, Extremism and the Consequences of Collapse

Author:
The Soufan Group
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Soufan Group
Abstract:
COMMENTARY NEWS ARTICLES INTELBRIEFS TV & RADIO OPINION PIECES PUBLICATIONS Libya, Extremism and the Consequences of Collapse January 27, 2016 RESEARCH TSG_Libya Report_cover Libya Extremism and the Consequences of CollapseJanuary 27, 2016.In a new, in-depth report, The Soufan Group (TSG) examines the security implications of continued instability in Libya. Four years after the revolution that toppled Muammar Qadhafi, the security situation in Libya remains volatile. The lack of centralized control has allowed criminal and violent extremist groups to flourish, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Continued instability in Libya will only see these criminal and violent extremist elements entrench themselves further. The expansion of these networks poses a serious security threat to the region, as well as to the broader international community. .
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

461. Oversight Actors of the Use of Special Investigative Measures

Author:
Aida Kržalić
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Centre for Security Studies
Abstract:
From the security point of view, we can identify two main purposes as to why state authorities seek to use the secret data collection. The use of secret data collection may be to improve national security, prevent risks and threats to the security of citizens, national security, society, institutions, economic and other vital interests of society and the state from the various terrorist and extremist groups. Considering that this is a preventive activity, these actions are characteristics of intelligence and security agencies. It is important to emphasize that with these kind of activities, intelligence and security agencies are reaching "for collection of data and information on the activities, plans and intentions of various domestic and foreign, state and non-state actors, their processing and analysis are a very important segment that is often neglected in our country, which is the timely dissemination of information to the different users"
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

462. Pointpulse Report – The Citizens’ Opinion of the Police

Author:
Sofija Mandić
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Centre for Security Studies
Abstract:
The second round of the public opinion survey "The Citizens’ Opinion of the Police Force" was conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. The questionnaire based on which the public opinion survey was conducted was devised by the regional network POINTPULSE to provide answers concerning the citizens’ opinion of the police. The questionnaire included six groups of questions
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

463. A, B, C – Deployment of Civilian Capacities to International Peace Operations

Author:
Denis Hadžović
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Centre for Security Studies
Abstract:
After the end of the Cold War traditional peacekeeping has become more complex and multidimensional, including not only military but also civilian, political and humanitarian tasks.1 The concept of peacekeeping thus broadened into a concept of peacebuilding, which dates back to the post-World War II reconstruction of Europe and Japan. The term ‘peacebuilding’ entered the international lexicons in the early 1990s when the then United Nations Secretary General Boutros- Boutros Ghali defined it in his 1992 Agenda for Peace as “…Action to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict“.2
Topic:
International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

464. NON-TARIFF MEASURES TO FOOD TRADE IN INDIA: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED PORTS

Author:
Aparna Sharma
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
Speaking at a recent summit, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to India as a bright spot in the global economy. India’s rapid domestic growth and growing integration with global trade, technology and financial flows support his assertion; yet, all this is not translating into peak progress in South Asia, to which New Delhi avowedly assigns high priority. Despite India climbing nine positions in the Ease of Doing Business index (164 to 155 - out of 180 countries), its ranking vis-a-vis facilitating border trade (133) remains unchanged since the last five years. In the absence of timely reforms to bolster food security in South Asia, Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) measures, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and administrative measures for trade facilitation have emerged as the biggest concern to South Asia’s food trade. 86 percent of South Asia’s food trade remains crippled with non-standard implementation of SPS and TBT measures.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

465. Mapping out vulnerable sectors in the Eastern Partnership countries – structural change, Visegrad experience and relevance for EU policy

Author:
Vitaliy Kravchuk, Malgorzata McKenzie, and Mykola Ryzhenkov
Publication Date:
08-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
This is the first report of the project on vulnerable sectors in the Eastern Partnership (EP) countries. Its aim is to provide a macroeconomic setting for future structural reports. It also provides a toolkit for the sectoral reports in the sense that it offers a set of macroeconomic points of reference.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Europe

466. Iran: Regional Threats and Shiite-Sunni Challenges

Author:
Ian Dudgeon
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
Any assessment of the multitude of dynamics that contribute to the ongoing regional stability in the Middle East requires an understanding of the factors that motivate the perceptions and actions of each state and other non-state actors. Iran and its neighbours, the Islamic State (IS) and the Sunnis and Shiite sects of Islam are all stakeholders in this mix, and in shaping any solution that contributes to regional peace and stability.
Topic:
International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Iran

467. Emerging Scholars

Author:
Melissa Conley Tyler
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) was established in 1924 to promote public understanding and interest in international affairs. The AIIA works actively to engage younger people in its work by coordinating events such as careers fairs, school events, mentoring, internships and a Young Diplomats Program. As part of the AIIA’s commitment to engage young people, AIIA National Office launched an internship program in 2006 that has hosted more than 150 interns to date. Internship opportunities also exist in all AIIA state and territory offices. Anyone who has served as an intern at the AIIA is eligible to submit a paper for publication in Emerging Scholars.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Australia

468. Informe sobre la Desigualdad en España 2015

Author:
Luis Ayala Cañón
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
Contexto y objetivos: El I Informe sobre la Desigualdad en España de la Fundación Alternativas, publicado en 2013, recogía una situación preocupante sobre la evolución de la desigualdad social. Por un lado, las diferencias económicas entre los hogares dejaron de reducirse a comienzos de los años noventa y la fase de crecimiento económico anterior a la reciente crisis no consiguió que éstas disminuyeran. Por otro lado, la caída de la actividad económica y la destrucción del empleo que comenzó en 2007 elevaron los indicadores a niveles desconocidos desde hacía décadas. En el momento actual, en el que ya se vislumbra una cierta mejoría de las condiciones macroeconómicas y, con mayor lentitud, del empleo, no parece que las desigualdades hayan disminuido. Por el contrario, la información más reciente muestra, inequívocamente, que el crecimiento de la desigualdad no se ha frenado. En este contexto, resulta de sumo interés la pregunta sobre el papel que han tenido las prestaciones sociales y los impuestos en el crecimiento de la desigualdad para entender cómo pueden prevenirla en el futuro. La respuesta a esta pregunta ha constituido el objetivo del II Informe sobre la Desigualdad en España 2015 cuyo eje conductor ha sido tratar de vincular los procesos de desigualdad existentes con las principales políticas del Estado de Bienestar.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Spain

469. Informe sobre la Democracia en España 2015. Reformular la política

Author:
Joaquín Estefanía
Publication Date:
06-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
El Informe sobre la Democracia en España nació con el objetivo de analizar el funcionamiento de la democracia española y los desafíos derivados del afán por mejorar sus instituciones. En las distintas ediciones continúa proporcionando una información fiable sobre acontecimientos y decisiones colectivas, de utilidad para el análisis, el debate social y la formación de la opinión pública. De este modo, cada entrega anual da cuenta del comportamiento efectivo de nuestro sistema de convivencia: las elecciones, las relaciones entre los poderes e instituciones del Estado, los partidos políticos, la vida parlamentaria; las relaciones entre los poderes centrales y territoriales, la creación y difusión de la información, el comportamiento de los medios y la articulación de la opinión pública, el papel de los poderes económicos, etc. Un selecto plantel de investigadores y un Consejo Asesor de especialistas en la materia hacen posible esta ambiciosa publicación que incorpora una auditoria de la democracia española para intentar aproximarnos a la evolución de la calidad del sistema democrático en nuestro país.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

470. Informe sobre el estado de la Unión Europea: nueva legislatura: 11 desafíos de Europa

Author:
Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
Este es el cuarto informe sobre el estado de la Unión Europea que la Fundación Alternativas y la Fundación Friedrich Ebert elaboramos conjuntamente y que hemos titulado en esta ocasión Nueva legislatura: 11 desafíos de Europa. El motivo de haber elegido este título radica en el hecho de que recientemente se han celebrado las elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, se ha elegido una nueva Comisión, y nuevos presidentes de esta última institución y del Consejo Europeo. Estamos pues ante una nueva legislatura y con ella iniciamos una nueva fase en el devenir de la Unión en un momento decisivo del proceso de construcción de nuestra querida Europa
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Europe

471. The state of the European Union 2015. The new legislature: eleven challenges facing Europe

Author:
Diego López Garrido
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
The new legislature: eleven challenges facing Europe is the fourth State of the Union Report that the Ebert Foundation and Fundación Alternativas have published jointly. Its title reflects the new composition of the European Parliament in the wake of the most recent European parliamentary elections as well as the inaugurations of a new Commission and new presidents of the European Commission and the Council of Europe. The beginning of this new legislature, which marks the advent of a new phase for the Union, is getting underway at a decisive moment in the construction of our beloved Europe.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

472. The ISIS defence in Iraq ad Syria: countering an adaptive enemy

Author:
Jessica Lewis McFate
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for the Study of War
Abstract:
Some have claimed that ISIS is on the defensive inside Iraq and Syria. A defensive strategy, however, is not a sign of organizational weakness, but rather a sign that ISIS intends to preserve its holdings in Iraq and Syria and keep its claim to a caliphate. ISIS’s defensive strategies include expanding elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, while also maximizing combat power and future opportunities to launch offensives inside Iraq and Syria. Iraq and Syria are the physical foundation for ISIS’s expanding caliphate.
Topic:
International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Iraq and Syria

473. U.S.-China 21 The Future of U.S.-China Relations Under Xi Jinping

Author:
Kevin Rudd
Publication Date:
04-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Asia Society
Abstract:
The future relationship between China and the United States represents one of the great mega-changes and mega-challenges of our age. Unlike other such changes, the consequences of China’s rise are unfolding gradually, sometimes purposefully, but most of the time imperceptibly while the world’s attention is drawn to more dramatic events elsewhere. With the rise of China, we are observing the geopolitical equivalent of the melting of the polar ice caps. Slowly the ice thins, cracks appear and one day a large sheet of ice spectac- ularly peels away. If captured on camera, the world momentarily sits up and pays attention before CNN returns our gaze to the drama of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s most recent atrocity.
Topic:
International Relations, International Cooperation, and International Affairs
Political Geography:
China and America

474. International Affairs

Author:
East View Information Services
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
East View Information Services
Abstract:
Russian World special
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Russia

475. U.S. Policy in a Changing World

Author:
A. Kortunov and A. Frolov
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
East View Information Services
Abstract:
The U.S. foreign policy today has fallen on hard times. The world is entering a new era with a lot of totally new challenges, including untraditional challenges that the U.S. leadership is faced with. In some instances, Washington manages to fit into ongoing processes while in others, the situation starts to follow a different scenario and then this policy, which is based on a number of important and fundamental principles, begins to founder.
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
America

476. Russia in the Mediterranean: Geopolitics and Current Interests

Author:
D. Malysheva
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
East View Information Services
Abstract:
ON JULY 26, 2015, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on board the frigate Admiral of the Soviet Navy Gorshkov endorsed a new version of the Maritime Doctrine of the Russian Federation, the basic document that specifies Russia’s naval and maritime policy. This version added the Mediterranean to the areas of the national maritime policy (the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific zones) and specified that Russia’s naval pres- ence there is aimed at “turning it into the zone of military-political sta- bility and good-neighborly relations.”1 This is not fortuitous: The region is one of the main zones of Russia’s politics and international coopera- tion. Time has come to sort out regional developments, varied interests of the states involved and the problems they have to cope with. In other words, we should arrive at a clear idea about the region’s importance for the Russian Federation.
Topic:
International Cooperation, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Russia

477. Ice Islands in Canadian Policy, 1954-1971

Author:
Adam Lajeunesse
Publication Date:
09-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
Abstract:
Ice islands are large rafts of multi-year ice that are carried by currents around the Arctic Ocean. They became politically significant in the early 1950s when American and Soviet research parties began occupying them. This activity called into question their legal status and highlighted the uncertain nature of polar maritime jurisdiction. This volume tracks the evolution of Canadian policy vis-à-vis ice islands and examines how the politics surrounding these bodies influenced the country’s broader position on Arctic maritime sovereignty.
Topic:
Climate Change and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Canada

478. The Advisory Committee on Northern Development: Context and Meeting Minutes, 1948-66

Author:
P. Whitney Lackenbauer and Daniel Heidt
Publication Date:
09-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
Abstract:
The Advisory Committee on Northern Development (ACND), a high-level interdepartmental committee, was responsible for coordinating federal Arctic policies and programs from 1948-1971. The minutes of its main meetings provide unparalleled insight into how high-ranking civil servants in Ottawa grappled with what they perceived to be the most pressing issues of the era, including Canadian-American relations, sovereignty, security, Aboriginal affairs, socio-economic development, scientific research, and governance. As this volume reveals, the ACND represented an early example of the “Whole of Government” approach to policy deliberations, revealing the myriad activities that constituted the “Arctic revolution” during this pivotal quarter-century.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

479. Annual Report 2015

Author:
Ali Resu Usul
Publication Date:
09-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Abstract:
As Chairman of the Center for Strategic Research (SAM), I am pleased to present our 2015 Annual Report. SAM’s primary objective is to conduct research on foreign policy and related issues, develop alternative perspectives, provide new insights and make policy recommendations. SAM has risen to a significant peak in our Ministry’s policy making process, and has created more influence than what was ever expected. Each year, it continues to move beyond its accomplishments of the previous year.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Turkey

480. Beguiling Americans: a guide for Indian diplomats

Author:
Christine Fair
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
Pakistan continues to receive succour from its long-time ally, the U.S., despite blundering about in its neighbourhood unabashedly- be it through righteous indignation or through generous courtesies. The external affairs ministry needs to improve its approach towards U.S. officials who are visiting India in order to better its relation with the country.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

481. La Ronda Uno y la senda del futuro

Author:
COMEXI
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:
El documento fue preparado por algunos integrantes del Grupo de Trabajo de Energía por lo que representa la posición de quienes participaron directamente en su redacción. Varios miembros del Grupo más amplio contribuyeron con comentarios y sugerencias para mejorar el documento, pero éste no necesariamente representa la visión de todos y cada uno de los integrantes del Grupo de Trabajo de Energía. El contenido de este documento de ninguna manera representa la visión institucional de Comexi, cuya posición es neutral e independiente
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Mexico

482. Foreign Fighters

Author:
The Soufan Group
Publication Date:
01-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Soufan Group
Abstract:
In June 2014, The Soufan Group (TSG) released its initial Foreign Fighters in Syria report, which identified approximately 12,000 foreign fighters from 81 countries. Nearly eighteen months later, despite sustained international effort to contain the Islamic State and stem the flow of militants traveling to Syria, the number of foreign fighters has more than doubled. Based on its own investigation, TSG has calculated that between 27,000 and 31,000 people have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State and other violent Salafist groups from at least 86 countries. This increase is evidence that efforts to contain the flow of foreign recruits to the Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria have had limited impact
Topic:
Intelligence and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

483. Corruption Risk Assessment in the Security Sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author:
Armin Kržalić
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Centre for Security Studies
Abstract:
Corruption risk assessment in the security sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the original work of authorship by a research team of the Centre for Security Studies which consisted of Denis Hadžović, project manager, Alma Kovačević, project coordinator, Aida Kržalić, project assistant, and surveyors Mirela Hodović, Emsad Dizdarević, Sabrina Berberović–Tadić and Sanjin Hamidičević. The assessment is one of the results of the „Mapping Corruption Risks in the Security Sector“ project which the CSS implemented during the period between December 2013 and August 2015. The Project was funded by the European Union.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

484. Foreign Fighters in Syria

Author:
Richard Barrett
Publication Date:
06-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Soufan Group
Abstract:
Over 12,000 fighters from at least 81 countries have joined the civil war in Syria, and the numbers continue to grow. Around 2,500 are from Western countries, including most members of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. There are also several hundred from Russia. But the great majority are from the Arab World. Most are fighting with rebel groups, and increasingly with the most extreme among them; but many are also fighting with the Government, or with ethnic or faith communities that are trying to protect themselves from both sides. A lot are young, often teenagers, and a fair percentage of those arriving from non-Muslim majority countries are converts to Islam. These and others who share their faith commonly express their motivation as a religious obligation to protect fellow Muslims from attack. This sense of duty is captured by their loose use of the word ‘jihad’.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Syria

485. Afghanistan: transition to transformation, National and external stakeholder interests

Author:
Ian Dudgeon
Publication Date:
02-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
On 31 December 2014 Afghanistan will move from a UN-led period of ‘transition’ (2001- 2014) to an Afghan-led and owned ‘transformation decade’ (2015-2024). During transition, the UN has sought to rebuild the basic political, security, economic and societal institutions and infrastructure of Afghanistan, which were all but destroyed by the previous Taliban government, but are essential prerequisites for the restoration of Afghanistan as a functional nation. Transformation will seek to consolidate and build on the outcomes of transition and ensure that Afghanistan achieves the goal of being not only a functional nation, but also a stable and durable nation.
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Afghanistan

486. Emerging Scholars

Author:
Melissa Conley Tyler
Publication Date:
12-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) was established in 1924 to promote public understanding and interest in international affairs. The AIIA works actively to engage younger people in its work by coordinating events such as careers fairs, school events, mentoring, internships and a Young Diplomats Program. As part of the AIIA’s commitment to engage young people, AIIA National Office launched an internship program in 2006 that has hosted more than 150 interns to date. Internship opportunities also exist in all AIIA state and territory offices. Anyone who has served as an intern at the AIIA is eligible to submit a paper for publication in Emerging Scholars.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Australia

487. Ministers for Foreign Affairs 1960-72

Author:
Melissa Conley Tyler
Publication Date:
12-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
In February 2013 the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) held a one-day Forum to examine the achievements of Australia’s foreign ministers between 1960 and 1972. The Forum brought together some of Australia’s most eminent academics and experts in international relations, former senior diplomats and government officials to explore the major issues that confronted foreign ministers during this period.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Australia

488. Beyond the Islamic state: Iraq's Sunni insurgency

Author:
Sinan Adnan and Aaron Reese
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Institute for the Study of War
Abstract:
The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) is not the only violent group opposed to the government of Iraq. Groups ranging from Salafist-jihadist to Sunni nationalist have also been mobilized against Baghdad since at least 2013. They remain a threat to the government even if ISIS is removed, especially if the core concerns of Iraqi Sunnis remain unaddressed by the Iraqi government. The primary grievances of most Iraqi Sunnis include the integration of Shi‘a militias into the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), attacks by the ISF in Sunni civilian areas, and political exclusion in Baghdad
Topic:
International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Iraq

489. Fragile Politics: Weak States in the Greater Middle East

Author:
Center for International and Regional Studies
Publication Date:
01-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University in Qatar
Abstract:
A growing body of literature within the social science disciplines has developed over the last few decades around the concept of “state failure.” Initially, the scholarship focused on the poor economic performance of certain states, highlighting their weaknesses in delivering efficient economic growth and fostering development. An emerging developmental discourse, fuelled by the enthusiasm of international organizations that embraced the notion of inherent but potentially “fixable” weaknesses, added weight to this body of scholarship. Aid and assistance programs were implemented on the basis of this idea of state weakness, and on the assumption that these internal “weaknesses” could somehow be mitigated through externally-supported and specifically targeted development initiatives. Bilateral and multilateral efforts were devoted to turning these weak states around, supposedly from the brink of failure, into healthy, viable entities
Topic:
International Relations, International Affairs, and Fragile States
Political Geography:
Middle East

490. Green Financing - International Panorama

Author:
Helena Gonçalves
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Abstract:
In this article, Helena Gonçalves presents some of the main economic instruments and financial incentives in effect today, emphasizing some examples of good international practices in applying these mechanisms. The author highlights the cross-cutting nature between social and environmental problems, as well as the necessary complementarity between society, market and State in order to solve this crisis.
Topic:
Environment, International Cooperation, International Affairs, and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Global Focus

491. “Transforming to Where? The Cases of Egypt and Tunisia”

Author:
Maria Haimerl
Publication Date:
12-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Abstract:
Egypt and Tunisia have been witnessing radical transformations ever since presidents Hosni Mubarak and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali were toppled. The countries have seen, among other changes, a remarkable awakening of public interest in politics and in shaping their own societies, an unprecedented flourishing of their political landscapes, and relatively free and fair, and hence historic, elections. However, as is to be expected, uncertainties prevail, and both countries are struggling hard with the complex steps of their respective transitional processes. They are encountering formidable challenges (although the degrees and dimensions of these challenges vary), such as the emergence of new powerful political actors with an Islamic reference system and an unpredictable and unclear agenda as regards their commitment to democratization; a society split along a secular-Islamist divide; and, correspondingly, a lack of consensus on the draft of a new constitution. A deteriorating and hence alarming socio-economic situation, an unwillingness to deal with atrocities committed in the past, a highly politicized judiciary, and a complex and opaque constellation of actors further complicate the situation.
Topic:
International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Egypt and Tunisia

492. Siete equilibrios clave de la reforma energetica

Author:
COMEXI
Publication Date:
01-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:
Reforma energética: siete equilibrios clave para garantizar el éxito de su instrumentación” es producto del análisis y diálogo del Grupo de Trabajo de Energía del Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (COMEXI). En esta ocasión los expertos, especialistas y conocedores que forman parte del Grupo reflexionan sobre los principios y equilibrios que deben imperar en la elaboración de las leyes secundarias de la reforma energética
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Mexico

493. Local voices in internationalised justice: The experience of civil parties at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

Author:
Johanna Herman
Publication Date:
05-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre on Human Rights in Conflict
Abstract:
The experience of civil parties participating in Case 002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) provides important insights into victim participation in a mass atrocity trial. Understanding the expectations of civil parties and evaluating their experience so far will help us to improve victim support at future cases at the ECCC and other internationalised courts.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus