Global Challenges
The 21st century will witness new commercial battlefronts: the yuan vs. the dollar is one of them. ++ Americans blame Chinese officials for maintaining the yuan at an unnecessarily low exchange rate, therefore making it more difficult for the …More
Olaf Theiler: The war in Afghanistan has exposed strains among NATO members, but these tensions do not threaten the stability of the alliance in a fundamental way. Rather, they can lead to better cohesion by showing how NATO’s role in a 21st century security context can be better defined. …More
Discussions on Turkey’s EU membership tend to neglect the fact that the country’s strategic significance has skyrocketed since the end of the Cold War. From the standpoint of Western interests, Turkey plays a key role in conflict resolution from the …More
Faced with the grim reality of global warming, one researcher or the other may have dreamed of coming up with a type of sun block for the planet. This dream may yet come to pass. Canadian scientists are confident that they …More
Tremors could literally be felt during Sebastian Pinera’s inauguration ceremony as Chile’s new President, just two weeks after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the nation. ++ “The earthquake and particularly the …More
Paal Sigurd Hilde: Norway is a bright example of how moderation can prevail even when the stakes seem high. Those dreaming of an Arctic El Dorado have been sorely disappointed. Will the other states rushing to the Arctic also come to their senses?
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Mia M. Bennett: Two groups of states are trying to take the lead on the Arctic battlefront: The “Arctic 5:” Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the US, versus the Arctic Council, the soft law regional multi-stakeholder institution. Who will dominate the High North power game? …More
Ingrid Lundestad: The United States has stated an intention to become a more active and influential player in the Arctic. What is currently the US position in the region, and what will it look like in the future? …More
K. S. Yalowitz & R. A. Virginia: The economic downturn is lifting pressure off further harmful resource exploitation development in the Arctic region. Will the international community however seize this unexpected opportunity to tackle environmental challenges? US commitment to UN multilateralism is key. …More
Roland Popp: Counter-terrorism operations in Yemen have proven to be difficult. While the West has recognized that a broad civil-military strategy for Yemen is required, strengthening the central government in Sanaa does not lead to a diminished terrorist threat. Western governments should prioritize the country’s regional integration and mediation efforts. …More
Antonio Buttitta: Contrary to the common assumption that terrorism is an irrational and unfathomable threat, having a closer look at the place and nature of the terrorist attacks helps us understand terrorists’ logics. …More
Brian O’Neill: The West needs to address structural problems in Yemen and not just focus on taking out Al-Qaeda. A strategy that fails to address poverty and corruption in the country will fail in the long-term. Any approach to strengthening the central government should take internal conflicts into account. …More
Baudouin Long: Iran’s nuclear ambition is not only a factor of concern for the Western powers but for its Arab neighbors as well. They have reacted to the Iranian threat by developing several strategies in compliance with the NPT. Nevertheless, they suffer from their disarray and should oppose a more united front to Iran. …More
“Sanctions are a sign of a failed policy.” ++ The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, currently under consideration in the United States Congress, targets Iran’s civilian economy and will likely accomplish little in reshaping Iran’s …More
The Obama administration is currently working on new UN sanctions designed to cut off funding to Iranian nuclear and missile activities, as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s vast network of companies. ++ Chinese participation is a …More
Germany has failed to keep its aid pledges to developing countries. ++ It has fallen short of both EU and UN aid requirements. ++ “In the international community, Germans are now seen as masters of the empty promise.” ++ Aid in Germany is no …More
The sad truth of the matter is that global income distribution in the year 2010 looks not so very different from that under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. In spite of a myriad of development projects, there is still a great chasm …More
Much progress has been made in the last decade in the area of international development, yet right now the developed world needs to re-affirm and strengthen its commitment to the Millenium Development Goals. ++ With enough effort, millions of people …More
The sad truth of the matter is that global income distribution in the year 2010 looks not so very different from that under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. In spite of a myriad of development projects, there is still a great chasm …More
The financial crisis demonstrated that economic difficulties arise as a result of misguided financial as well as monetary policies. With the crisis a recent memory, the chances are good for tackling the root of the problem and …More
What used to be inconceivable, is today desirable and even essential. ++ As mentioned by the President of the EU, a European economic government should be the centre of all the EU efforts and attention for three reasons. ++ First, the crisis …More
The solar radiation management (SRM) represents the last great temptation of the industrialized world to continue its energy-intensive lifestyle and to forgo costly and inconvenient mitigation and adaptation. The costs to the rest of the …More
Faced with the grim reality of global warming, one researcher or the other may have dreamed of coming up with a type of sun block for the planet. This dream may yet come to pass. Canadian scientists are confident that they …More
Regulating nanomaterial is indeed difficult: For one, it is nearly impossible to intervene in early development phases - for example to ensure environmentally-friendly design - since the final application of the material may yet be unknown at this …More
Asia faces dramatic economic change in the coming decades. In order to preserve economic growth, Asian markets need to abandon their excessive export orientation and reliance on foreign markets such as the American and European ones. As a result …More
The key cause of the current financial crisis is a lack of balance in the world economy. ++ Whilst China has built up immense financial reserves, the US has seen its account deficit grow and grow on the back of infinitely increasing interest payments …More
Although there is lots of talk of green shoots, the recession is not over and the crisis demands that we finish what we started. ++ Stimulus packages are helping to stabilise our economies, but we are still in danger. ++ “Premature …More
Although climate activists have been successful at attracting the world’s attention to the receding ice on Mount Kilimanjaro, with an influx of tourists as a direct result, they fail to bring attention to the people of Tanzania. ++ Although scientists …More
“Politicians in Copenhagen can and must agree on the essential elements of a fair and effective deal and, crucially, a firm timetable for turning it into a treaty.” ++ The required transformation will demand that we all rethink …More
A series of email-exchanges from Britain’s Climate Research Unit, that were released by a hacker, show how researchers should not respond to global warming sceptics. ++ Although none of them undercuts the scientific consensus on climate change, a call …More
The United States and the European Union are establishing a series of new tools for ensuring financial control and preventing new financial crises. The EU is setting up a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) for macroprudential control and a …More
In the present financial crisis many expats are dropped by their home company in favor of local hire. ++ Although this presents a significant cost reduction to the head office initially, the mid- to long term effects of dispensing with key personnel are …More
The financial turmoil in Dubai last week, following the state-owned Dubai World conglomerate’s request for a six-month standstill on its debts, is a reminder for investors that they should not assume implicit government support. ++ It also demonstrates that the …More
According to a report from the British government, “using fossil fuel in vehicles is better for the environment than so-called green fuels made from crops.” ++ Firstly, because clearing rainforests for biofuel plantations …More
The American hummer is an endangered specie. ++ 9000 of these “gas guzzlers” were sold this year against 71 000 in 2006. ++ Even the Chinese Communist Party is suspected to have rebuffed GM’s offer to buy the sinking brand because of its …More
There has been a sharp shift away from the urgency for a climate deal in the lead up to Copenhagen. ++ “Climategate,” the failure to reach a meaningful deal at Copenhagen, and the faulty evidence produced by the IPCC have all …More
Frank O'Donnell: On January 14, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists repositioned its ‘Doomsday Clock’ by only one minute, from five to six minutes to midnight. This incremental adjustment symbolizes the global uncertainty regarding the future of the nonproliferation regime. …More
Jerome Grossman: A world without nuclear weapons would do much in terms of security, but more so, it would enhance and protect the superpower status of the United States. Giving up nuclear weapons and accepting US hegemony may be the price humanity must pay to avert the threat of total annihilation. …More
Editorial Team: Two of the most important issues regarding nuclear disarmament were discussed at the second day of the conference: How to prevent a nuclear arms race in the middle east and how to adapte the Non-Proliferation Regime to new realities. The videos prove, that the questions instigated a hot debate amongst the experts. …More
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