Arms Trade Treaty First Preparatory Committee (12-23 July 2010): A first positive meeting
The first Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of the United Nations Conference for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was held in New York from 12 to 23 July 2010, four years after the first UN resolution on this issue. Even though no actual element of a Treaty has been negotiated yet during this first PrepCom, the meeting is considered generally positive. Indeed the very principle of a treaty on arms trade has now been accepted by all States. Nevertheless, one question remained at the end of the meeting: what kind of an ATT will it be? The work is just beginning and much remains to be done, but the first step has been encouraging. ... Read more
Eliminating private security companies in Afghanistan is a well-founded idea but might be premature
This Tuesday 17 August, Afghan President Karzai signed an order to disband all private security companies (PSC) in his country by the end of the year. According to the Afghan government, these companies undermine the work of the national security forces and contractors should be incorporated into the Afghan police. An estimated 52 PSCs are registered with the government, which represents 24,000 armed men. Nevertheless several companies did not register and in reality the contingent of contractors in Afghanistan is of around 40,000 men, from which 26,000 work with the U.S forces. Their main missions consist of protecting NATO convoys and securing international and national institutions like ministries or embassies. ... Read more
The United Nations process on small arms: minimal but useful consensus
The Fourth Biennial Meeting of States on the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (SALW) took place in New York from 14 to 18 June 2010. Drawing on the 2008 meeting which managed to put the process back on track, the meeting reached a consensus-based outcome document focused on 3 specific topics (plus a miscellaneous point) of the Programme of Action (illicit cross-border trade, international cooperation and assistance, follow-up mechanism). ... Read more
2010 Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorations: a belated tribute
The commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki tragedies on 6 and 9 August will have a special meaning this year. For the first time for 65 years, the United-States, which committed one of the worst crimes of the last century by bombing these two cities, decided to take an active part in these days of remembrance. The US Department of State announced that Mr. John Ross, US ambassador to Japan, will represent his country on 6 August in Hiroshima. Representatives from the French and British embassies will also attend the commemorations for the first time, as well as the United Nations with the Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
Late and opportunist, these tributes to the victims will not be sufficient to erase disappointments after the 2010 NPT Review Conference and to conceal the difficulties about the ratification of the new START Treaty. Even if a global nuclear disarmament in accordance with article VI of the NPT seems not to be for a near future, however 2010 could be seen as the beginning of a new dynamic for the nuclear disarmament negotiations, which were at an impasse for several years. This is not enough but it is a start.
Our friend, Jean-Paul Hébert died on the evening of 21 July 2010 following a surgery at the age of 64. Economist, Jean-Paul Hébert was the Director of Cirpes (Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur la paix et les stratégies) and editor of its magazine "Le Débat Stratégique". He wrote regularly in the publications of GRIP. Eclectic and humorous, Jean-Paul was also the author of novels for children, under the signature of Hector Hugo, (ed. Syros).
Pierre Piérart, Professor Emeritus of the University of Mons and Vice-President of the AMPGN (Medical Association for the Prevention of Nuclear War) died this Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at the age of 83. Pierre Piérart has always supported the activities of GRIP. A few days before the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are losing one of the most ardent advocates of nuclear disarmament.
Bruno Barrillot rewarded with the “Nuclear Free Future Award”
Since 2 July 2010, Bruno Barrillot, founder member of “Observatoire des armements”, has been one of the five winners of the “Nuclear Free Future Award” which honors individuals and organizations acting in favor of a world without nuclear weapons. Bruno Barrillot is awarded for his 20-year-long work helping victims of nuclear tests. He also wrote a book on his involvement called “Les irradiés de la République : les victimes des essais nucléaires français prennent la parole ». The book was published with the contribution of the Group for research and information on peace and security (GRIP).
Federico Santopinto has contributed to this book with an article on the role of the EU development cooperation in this field. Even if less dramatic or visible than military missions, the EU cooperation policy, managed so far by the European Commission, has gained a growing importance over the last two decades, acquiring a strategic value that has long been underestimated by traditional national diplomacies.
“Strengthening Border Controls”, a side-event organised by GRIP at the United Nations Conference on SALW
On Wednesday 16 June, GRIP and the ‘Biting the Bullet’-Project (Saferworld and Bradford University) will co-organize, together with the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a side-event conference on “Preventing Illicit Small Arms (SALW) trafficking: Priorities for Strengthened Border Controls”.
The conference will take place during the 4th Biennial Meeting of States for implementing the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (14-18 June, United Nations, New York).
During this side-event, GRIP and the Biting the Bullet Project will each present a report on the importance of border controls for an effective implementation of the UN Programme of Action.
The Norwegian research institute NOREF (Norsk Ressurssenter for Fredsbygging) published an article by Federico Santopinto called «The Lisbon enigma: crisis management and coherence in the European Union». The article, which is available on the NOREF website, analyses the responses brought by the Lisbon treaty to the problem of coherence of the EU external policy, especially referring to the Council-Commission dualism. A diagram illustrating the possible structure of the forthcoming external action service is published in annex.
On 9 June 2010, the United Nations Security Council adopted a fourth round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran with a strong majority. Brazil and Turkey voted against while Lebanon abstained. The idea of new sanctions dated from September 2009 but had been suspended after Iran accepted to join an international meeting on its nuclear program in October in Geneva. During this meeting, the negotiators concluded a draft agreement on uranium exchange between the countries of the Vienna Group (IAEA, the United-States, France and Russia) and Iran. However, the project failed after Iran changed its mind few weeks later.
Iranian latest decision to start enriching uranium at 20% on February 2010 revived the P5+1 exasperations. Their main request around this issue is that Tehran halts its nuclear enrichment process. Despite the uranium exchange agreement signed by Brazil, Turkey and Iran on 17 May 2010, the P5+1 decided to send a strong signal to Iran through this new round of sanctions. This strategy will continue until Iran complies with the Security Council and the IAEA recommendations. ... Read more
Outsourcing War: The urgency of a regulatory frame for private military and security companies
The current military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq put on the agenda a new modern version of one of the oldest jobs: mercenary.
A mercenary is a versatile fighter essentially motivated by the desire for private gain.The early days of this activity go back to 2 500 BC but has developed to an unprecedented scale during the decolonization process in the 1960’s and 1970’s despite regional and international conventions to end this illegal activity.
Since the end of the Cold War a new kind of mercenaries has appeared. They are employed by known companies, some of which are registered on the stock exchange. Working with the approval of governments the private military and security companies (PMSC’s) work as ... Read more
Collection of articles on the external policy of the EU
Composed of 413 articles, 37 protocols and 65 declarations, for a total of more than 400 pages, the new European treaties amended by the Treaty of Lisbon are not easy to read. Besides, the fact that these articles do not have any title helping to identify the topic treated is another factor which complicates the reading. In order to face these difficulties, GRIP has decided to collect all the dispositions of the European Treaties which regards the external policy.
The collection is not limited to the articles which specifically address the external policy of the Union. It includes also several other dispositions scattered among the articles, protocols and declarations, which are essential to understand the EU competences outside its borders.
As a consequence, the document is long, but complete. In order to facilitate its reading, the following structure has been adopted:
A title indicating the content of each articles has been inserted between brackets;
A table of contents including all articles of the collection (with their title indicating their subject) has been inserted at the beginning of the document, in order to help the reader to guide its research in a more efficient way;
Unless otherwise indicated, the majority of our Analyses, Reports and Books are in French. English titles and abstracts are provided to indicate their content. Some of our publications are already translated into English or will be soon. Please contact us for more information.
2010/06/15 - Luc Mampaey, Mehdi Mekdour, Jihan Seniora et Virginie Moreau visited Eurosatory, an international exhibition for land armaments held in Paris under the patronage of the French Ministry Of Defense.
24/08/2010 - Pamphile Sebahara gave an interview to the “Radio Chrétienne Francophone” based in Paris on "recrudecence of Al-Shebab deadly attacks in Modadiscio and difficulties of AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia).
Presentation
ABOUT GRIP
Peace and conflicts in Africa
Small arms (SALW)
Analyses
Presentation
GRIP ANALYSIS • 2010/08/25 (VIRGINIE MOREAU)
The European Commission and development cooperation in crisis management (Federico Santopinto)
