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Welcome to SIPRI

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Welcome to SIPRI

SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI is named as one of the world's leading think tanks in Foreign Policy magazine's "Think Tank Index".  Read more about SIPRI >>

News

  • New insight paper on demilitarizing mining areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Ruben de Koning
    The illegal economic exploitation of artisanal mining areas by military forces is a persistent problem in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), even in areas such as northern Katanga Province that are in transition to peace. There is little political will to completely demilitarize mining areas. Read more.

  • SIPRI to host ‘Security Jam‘ discussion forum

    The Security Jam, a five-day virtual conference, aims to identify concrete solutions to the global security challenges of the 21st century. The Security Jam will run from 4 to 9 February 2010. You are welcome to join SIPRI’s interactive discussion forum, ‘Capabilities and budgets: will the tools of today be suited to the missions of tomorrow? Read more. 

  • Out now: Arabic translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2009

    Yearbook Arabic 2009The Arabic translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2009: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security has now been published and is available from the Centre for Arab Unity Studies (CAUS), Beirut. The translation is funded by a generous grant from the Swedish Institute Alexandria. For more information and to order the book, contact CAUS. SIPRI Yearbook 2009 will also be translated into Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian. 

  • Vacancy: Director for the SIPRI China Programme

    SIPRI seeks a highly-regarded, dynamic and experienced individual to lead its rapidly growing China and Global Security Programme. Read more. 

  • New background paper on arms trade to East and Southern Africa

    Pieter Wezeman
    Arms flows to East and Southern Africa, which originate from a wide diversity of countries, are relatively small. However even small volumes of arms can play a major role in armed violence and can be an economic burden. Small arms and light weapons (SALW) are commonly used in violent conflicts in the region. The legal or illegal supply of significant quantities of SALW to and within the region is therefore a cause for concern. Read more.

  • New fact sheet: North Korea's nuclear test explosion, 2009

    Fact sheetThis new fact sheet, by SIPRI Researcher Vitaly Fedchenko, gathers the evidence collected since North Korea conducted a nuclear test on 25 May and explains how international agencies and the scientific community were able to determine the details of the explosion—its location, nature and size.
    Read more >>>

  • Ukrainian translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2008 available now

    YB08 Ukraine The Ukrainian translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2008: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security has now been published and is available from the Razumkov Centre—Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies (UCEPS), Kyiv. The translation of the SIPRI Yearbook is funded by a grant from the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, which also supports Chinese and Russian translations.
    For more information, contact the Razumkov Centre, Kyiv. For more information on other translations of the Yearbook, click here.

  • New Background Paper: The EU non-proliferation clause: a preliminary assessment

    Lina Grip
    The European Union (EU) introduced the non-proliferation clause in 2003 as a way to encourage its non-EU partners to enhance their participation in and implementation of multilateral non-proliferation instruments. This paper examines how the EU has fared—and sometimes failed—in its efforts to include the WMD clause in agreements with third countries. Read more. 

  • Launch of SIPRI Report in Beijing 3 Nov and Washington Nov 19

    Why has China increased its peacekeeping presence and where? What sort of operations are they doing? How well are they working with the soldiers and police from other parts of the world? What is motivating China’s more active peacekeeping role? Read more about the Beijing event here and the Washington event here.

  • New Background Paper: Artisanal mining and post-conflict reconstruction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    SIPRI Researcher Ruben de Koning
    For at least two decades mineral resources have been a curse rather than a blessing for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Although the civil war formally ended in 2003, armed conflicts continue in the east of the country while the country as a while remains highly militarized. Re-establishing civil control over militarized mining areas must be a first priority for the Congolese Government. Read more. 

In Focus: Peacekeeping
Cover PP 25The new report on China's role in peacekeeping was launched on 3 Nov at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China in Beijing. Download the report, the executive summary in Chinese and the press release here.

See also SIPRI's recently published series of fact sheets on peacekeeping in 2008: (a) Africa (b) Asia (c) Europe (d) Personnel.

Information on all UN and non-UN peace operations conducted since 2000 can be found in the SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database (below).


Databases


SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database

The SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database is a unique source of transparent and reliable data on all multilateral peace operations (both UN and non-UN) conducted around the world. It contains information on where an operation is located, the dates of its deployment and operation, the mission mandate, the participating countries, the approved and actual number of personnel deployed, broken down into personnel types, the financial costs and the number of fatalities suffered. Enter the database here.

 

Activities
Dec 16, Stockholm

SIPRI Lecture: Nuclear disarmament from a nuclear-materials perspective

Frank von Hippel is Professor of Public and International Affairs and Co-chair of the International Panel on Fissile Materials. He will speak on the central importance of controlling and eliminating plutonium and highly enriched uranium and the means of their production in nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the prevention of nuclear terrorism. To register for the event, contact SIPRI Communications Assistant Clarissa Dierang.

Nov 19, 10:00, United States Institute for Peace, Washington

SIPRI briefing on China's expanding role in UN peace operations

SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang of the University of Southern California will present their new SIPRI Policy Paper, China's Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implications for the media and interested members of the public. The panel event will take place at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP). Read the full programme here and all information about the new report here. 

Nov 16, Stockholm

SIPRI Director to speak on SIPRI's goals and role in international relations

On the occasion of the 62nd Session of the Institute des Hautes Études de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN), SIPRI Director Dr Bates Gill will speak on SIPRI's goals and relevance in international relations. The address will form part of a one-year training for high-ranking decision makers on different aspects of defence and sovereignty. The invited audience will comprise French members of parliament, senators, business executives, journalists and military representatives. Contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner.

Nov 6-8,  Stockholm

International NGO conference on disarmament

The Swedish Network for Nuclear Disarmament will host an international NGO conference on the topic Reaching Nuclear Disarmament: The Role of Civil Society in Strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The goal of the conference is to gather the International Movement against Nuclear Weapons and to facilitate coordination of strategies that will lead to a successful NPT Review Conference in 2010. SIPRI Governing Board Chairman Amb. Rolf Ekéus and SIPRI Deputy Director Daniel Nord will participate. For further information read here or contact SIPRI Project CoordinatorTheresa Höghammar.

Oct 21, 14:00, SIPRI

SIPRI lecture: Achieving a Non-Nuclear Korean Peninsula:  Options for Diplomacy in Northeast Asia

Ambassador James Goodby, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
is a specialist on nuclear arms control, nonproliferation and security issues, both at a global level and with regard to Northeast Asia. To register for the event, contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner.

Oct 6, Washington

China and Climate Security at Kissinger Institute, Washington

SIPRI Senior Researcher Linda Jakobson gave a talk on China and Climate Security at the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States on 6 Oct. The event assembled an informed audience of more than 100 specialists in the field of international security, environment and China studies. Watch the live stream of the event here.

Oct 5, SIPRI

SIPRI lecture: Iran's Middle East Policy—Navigating the Region's Geopolitics

Dr Uzi Rabi, Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History and a senior researcher at the Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University, will address the challenging position of Iran in a regional context. To register for the event, contact SIPRI Communications Officer Stephanie Blenckner.