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2991. A New Security Strategy for Addressing Challenges in the Turbulent International Order

Author:
Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Japan Institute Of International Affairs (JIIA)
Abstract:
The post-World War II international order, which was formed under the leadership of the United States, was based on the premise that all nations, large and small, should abide by international law and spread liberal values such as individual freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and free trade. In recent years, however, countries discontented with the existing international order, such as China and Russia, have been trying to create an environment favorable to authoritarian regimes by unilaterally changing or denying internationally established norms and systems. The Trump administration, under the banner of "America First," has chosen to strategically compete with China and Russia, viewing them as "revisionist states" that challenge the existing international order. At the same time, the Trump administration has placed greater priority on protecting its own interests rather than on maintaining the existing order, and has called for correcting trade imbalances and increasing burdens on its allies. In particular, the Trump administration's policy of valuing the contributions of its allies from a financial perspective is a serious issue that could undermine the credibility of the Japan-US alliance.
Topic:
Security, International Law, Authoritarianism, Free Trade, and Norms
Political Geography:
Russia, China, Global Focus, and United States of America

2992. Japan and Post-INF Nuclear Arms Control /Non-Proliferation

Author:
Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Japan Institute Of International Affairs (JIIA)
Abstract:
Ten years have passed since US President Barack Obama called for a "world without nuclear weapons" in April 2009. However, after short-term progress and a surge in momentum, nuclear arms control and non-proliferation gradually turned sour. Among the negative trends for nuclear arms control in 2019 was the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which had a significant impact on the international community. The INF Treaty has been regarded as one of the symbols of nuclear arms control; it was signed in 1987 by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, who shared the ideal of eliminating nuclear weapons and the recognition that there is no winner in a nuclear war and such a war must thus never be fought, and it obliged the US and the USSR to reduce their nuclear arsenals under strict verification measures, including on-site inspections, for the first time in history.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Treaties and Agreements, and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Japan and United States of America

2993. Strategic Annual Report 2019 : Battles over Techno-hegemony: Japan's Course

Author:
Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Japan Institute Of International Affairs (JIIA)
Abstract:
With attention focused on advanced technologies in the context of international relations and international security, battles over techno-hegemony have surfaced. The most prominent form of technological competition is the race for simple technological advantage. First, each country considers its technological capabilities to be directly linked to its own security interests and, in a more straightforward manner, views them as sources of hard power and pursues relative technological superiority. Each country expects and/or worries about the disruptive innovations that introduce cutting-edge technologies as game changers in the military domain. Second, the technological capabilities of a nation do not determine only the superiority or inferiority of its military power. Technology is also used as a diplomatic tool. Some countries can impose constraints on access to critical technology, a choke point for products, and force other countries to make concessions.
Topic:
International Relations, Science and Technology, and International Security
Political Geography:
Japan and Asia

2994. Invisible Women: Gendered Dimensions of Return, Rehabilitation and Reintegration from Violent Extremism

Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
Abstract:
The joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) publication, Invisible Women: Gendered Dimensions of Return, Reintegration and Rehabilitation, is an effort to map the gaps and challenges pertaining to the reintegration and rehabilitation of women and girls associated with violent extremist movements and establish a preliminary evidence-base of good practices and approaches. The report and its methodology centralize the experiences of local civil society, in particular women-led civil society organizations (CSOs) who contributed to the report through interviews, dialogues, and case study profiles. The research emphasizes the necessity of integrated, multi-stakeholder approaches that enable state and civil society to work in tandem, based on the comparative advantages of each.
Topic:
Civil Society, Gender Issues, United Nations, Violent Extremism, Women, Gender Based Violence, Rehabilitation, WPS, Girls, and Civil Society Organizations
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2995. Toward Empowerment and Sustainability: Reforming America’s Syrian Refugee Policies

Author:
Sahar Aziz, Joanna Gardner, Tamara Anaie, and Omar Rana
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
The number of refugees and displaced people worldwide has reached unprecedented levels. Of the world’s 68.5 million refugees and displaced people, by far the largest number are Syrian. The nearly 13 million Syrian refugees and internally-displaced persons account for sixty percent of Syria’s pre-war population. While media coverage has focused on Syrian refugees seeking asylum in third countries, such as Europe and the United States, eighty percent of the seven million externally displaced Syrians have sought refuge in the countries neighboring Syria: Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon resulting in an enormous strain on government services and the local economies. As an influential player in Middle East politics, the United States has a national interest in sustaining the capacity of international systems to respond to protracted refugee crises. Toward Empowerment and Sustainability: Reforming America’s Syrian Refugee Policies examines Jordan as a case study for informing U.S. Syrian refugee policy. Jordan’s experience exemplifies the myriad challenges facing neighboring countries that warrant a rethinking of America’s approach to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Topic:
Civil War, War, Refugee Issues, Refugees, Refugee Crisis, Displacement, Syrian War, and Proxy War
Political Geography:
Middle East and Syria

2996. The Future of EU’s Eastern Partnership Beyond 2020

Author:
Cristina Gherasimov
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Abstract:
The year 2019 has marked the ten-year anniversary of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) and seen the start of the development of a new strategy for the EaP, which is to be announced by mid-2020. A new European Commission took office on December 1, and according to its president, Ursula von der Leyen, “the European Union’s future is shaped and tied in with the future of its neighbors and its partners. A stable, secure and prosperous region around our Union is therefore of paramount importance. The EU should be present and active across our neighborhood, cooperating on common challenges and opportunities and providing support for essential reforms.” In her mission letter to Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, von der Leyen asked him to “take the Eastern Partnership to the next level” by proposing a new set of long-term policy objectives for the EaP. The changing domestic and geopolitical environment of the last ten years, and its effects on the EaP countries and the EU member states make this a challenging task. Zigzagging sociopolitical and economic developments in the EaP countries, the capacity to act of the EU (and of Germany, a particularly important player in the region), and the rising influence of third powers in the region are among the main factors that have profoundly changed the nature of the relationship between the EU and its neighborhood. The changing context therefore needs to be considered in the design of the next set of policy objectives and instruments. The EU and its member states, however, lack a clear strategy and a political vision for how to further engage with the eastern neighborhood. This report analyzes these factors that the EU should consider when engaging with the EaP countries in times of crisis and external pressure beyond 2020.
Topic:
Regional Cooperation, Partnerships, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Europe

2997. Asymmetrical Arms Control: How to Account for Innovation and Diversity in European Armed Forces

Author:
Torben Schutz
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Abstract:
Conventional arms control in Europe is in crisis. As it is based on a simple headcount of weapons systems, it does not reflect the qualitative changes to armed forces’ structures and assets brought about by technological innovation. It is high time to embrace asymmetrical arms control mechanisms which are a promising method to deal with the diversity of qualitative changes in European armed forces. Germany should push for such innovation within the OSCE.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Regional Cooperation, Science and Technology, and Weapons
Political Geography:
Europe and Germany

2998. Prioritizing Productivity in the Gulf Region: A Path toward Sustained Growth through Smart Diversification

Author:
Bart van Ark, Abdul Erumban, and Klaas de Vries
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Conference Board
Abstract:
Economic growth in the Gulf region has been disappointing in recent years and has mostly been achieved through increases in employment, whereas labor productivity growth, measured as an increase in output per worker, has been negative across the board. A recovery of productivity in economies of the Gulf region could accelerate growth beyond the average growth performance of major emerging markets in the next decade. This requires a long-term, strategic focus on new and expanded activities based on the creation of qualitative growth sources, including innovation, digital transformation, and enhanced skills for workers.
Topic:
Labor Issues, Economic Growth, and Diversification
Political Geography:
Gulf Nations

2999. The Azerbaijani economy in the first nine months of 2019: Brief Overview

Author:
CESD Research Team
Publication Date:
10-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
Abstract:
CESD – the Center for Economic and Social Development – concluded its macro-economic survey results for the first nine months of 2019. According to the State Statistic Committee of Azerbaijan, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 2.5 % in January-September 2019 compared with the same period of previous year: The CESD’s figure for the same period was 2.0 %.
Topic:
Development, Budget, Economy, and Macroeconomics
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Caucasus, and Azerbaijan

3000. 2020 State Budget of Azerbaijan: Brief Independent Review

Author:
CESD Research Team
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
Abstract:
he Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan presented the draft of the 2020 State Budget. According to the document, the growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Azerbaijan is expected to decline by 2020. The draft State Budget takes the expected cost per barrel in 2020 as US $55. Despite the fact that it is US $5 less than the previous year’s price, it doesn’t fully ensure related risks. Thus, CESD suggests to take US $50 per barrel for the state budget next year.
Topic:
Oil, Budget, GDP, and Finance
Political Geography:
Eurasia, Caucasus, and Azerbaijan