Featured Speakers: Sang Hyun Lee is a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, and serves as president of the Korea Nuclear Policy Society (KNPS). He is a former nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center. Previously, he served as a Director-General for Policy Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Yong-Sup Han is a …
Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula: Different Ways, Same Goal Read More »
Keynote Address: Rep. Ted Lieu (California) Featured Speakers: Jeff Abramson, Senior Fellow, Arms Control Association Brittany Benowitz, Chief Counsel, American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights Colby Goodman, Senior Consultant, Transparency International Defense and Security Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, Washington Office on Latin America Kate Kizer, Policy Director, Win Without War Dan …
Beyond the Headlines: Redefining Responsibility in the Arms Trade Read More »
Dr. Philippe Thevoz from SICPA, who has been at the forefront of digital transformation for 30 years, will introduce blockchain technology, highlight use cases of the KSI Blockchain, which has been used by Estonia since 2008, and identify concrete examples of blockchain applications for securing data and process integrity of critical supply chains. This will …
Blockchain and the Traceability of Critical Materials Read More »
While the world’s attention has been focused on the denuclearization talks with North Korea, the country’s domestic social changes have evaded public scrutiny. The burgeoning market economy, the internal social control and the securitization of society management all have key implications for the threat perception of the North Korean government, hence the goals and approaches …
The “New North Korea”: Security Implications of North Korea’s Social Changes Read More »
China’s growing capability and influence across the Indo-Pacific provokes pressing questions for U.S. strategy in the region. With Asia undergoing major power transitions and advances in military technology potentially shifting the offense-defense balance, how should the United States, its allies, and its partners across the Indo-Pacific respond? Eugene Gholz (University of Notre Dame) will present …
This is the event was rescheduled from October As the Nuclear Security Summits recede into the past, it is important that the world’s leaders not forget about nuclear security. Where the Summits played a valuable role in jump-starting attention to this challenge, the global community must now do the longer-term work of making sound nuclear …
A Conversation with Dr. Chris Ford, Assistant Secretary of State Read More »
Commercial fishing is big business, with over 56 million people working on vessels to support it. Despite this, a lack of transparency exists across the entire seafood supply chain, impeding effective fisheries management. Distant water fishing (DWF) fleets operate in the shadows. With a lack of information on where they fish, what they catch, and …
Art reception to discuss the context and stories of a series of portraits “A Long Separation” exhibited at the Stimson Center. Artist, Laura Elizabeth Pohl, explains her inspiration and stories she found moving of families that were divided from loved ones in North Korea. Featuring: Laura Elizabeth Pohl, Photographer Remarks: Jenny Town,, Fellow, Stimson Center & …
A Long Separation: A Photo Series of Korean Separated Families Read More »
Japan updated its two major defense-planning documents in December 2018—the National Defense Program Guidelines for policy guidance, and the Mid-Term Defense Program for acquisition. Both documents are unprecedented in the heightened sense of urgency for Japan’s security challenges, and the ambitiousness of the plan for its future defense force to address them. The latest defense …
The intensifying theme of great power competition between the U.S. and China has major implications for the Korean Peninsula, its future unification and the U.S. alliance system in Northeast Asia. Most directly, China could be even more reluctant to change the status quo on the Korean peninsula in the hope of maintaining leverage against the …
Between Two Giants: The Korean Dilemma within U.S.-China Competition Read More »
In January 2018, weeks before the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, North and South Korea merged their women’s ice hockey teams into one, scraping together teammates of Korean descent from all over the world. Join the Stimson Center and the Council of Korean Americans for a book talk and signing with author Seth Berkman on …
A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History Read More »
With the recent adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/73/299) on the consultative process toward a declaration for the 75th anniversary commemoration of the United Nations and an associated Leaders Summit, in September 2020 in New York, the time is ripe to contribute innovative ideas and diverse perspectives and to begin to give greater …
The 2019 protests in Hong Kong have riveted the world, as their focus has expanded from an extradition bill to alleged police misconduct, Hong Kong’s electoral system, and the broader relationship between Hong Kong and the government in Beijing. Understanding the history of the Sino-British negotiations, the deeper social, economic and political roots of the …
The past six months have seen major disruptions in stability across southern Asia. As tensions in Kashmir continue to simmer, a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan is up for debate, and nationalist discourses gain traction in the region, all eyes are on the strategic dynamics in Southern Asia. This year–the 20th anniversary of the Kargil crisis …
Competitive Security Dynamics in Southern Asia: Conflicts, Challenges, and Choices Read More »
The East Asia Program is launching a new annual series, Taiwan Security Brief. In the inaugural volume, three emerging researchers examine the impact of several nontraditional security challenges in Taiwan: online disinformation, cybersecurity in the digital economy, and energy security. How can Taiwan effectively mitigate problems in these security issues? What opportunities does Taiwan have …
Lessons from Taiwan: Disinformation, Cybersecurity, and Energy Security Read More »
Join us for a conversation with Ramesh Subramaniam on regional dynamics and the Asian Development Bank’s strong partnership in the region’s transformation. To maintain growth momentum, Southeast Asia needs vast investments in infrastructure – about $210 billion dollars a year according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimate. Current investment levels are substantially less than …
Infrastructure needs in developing Asia are vast: the Asian Development Bank estimates that $26 trillion is needed through 2030. Bridging this infrastructure gap will require significantly increased engagement and public spending from governments, assistance from donor governments and international financial institutions, and—most importantly—unlocking investment from the private sector. The Free and Open Indo-Pacific has a …
Since President Jimmy Carter signed the Taiwan Relations Act into law in 1979, the United States and Taiwan have maintained unofficial relations, including trade, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural ties. In the forty years since the Act was signed, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been a long-standing friendship between two democracies, surviving periods of tension with China. …
U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Reflections on 40 Years of the TRA Read More »
Both the United States and Japan are deep in their political campaign seasons ahead of elections. With so much happening in many foreign policy areas ranging from Iran and North Korea, to U.S.-China tension over trade, there is much to discuss in foreign policy circles. On the other hand, there is a “myth” that foreign policies do …
Policy vs. Politics: Tackling the myth that voters are disconnected from foreign policy Read More »
The Hanoi summit was not the breakthrough in the peace process that South Korea had hoped to see. The talks with North Korea have stalled in an environment of increasing tension between the U.S. and China, placing South Korea in a challenging position as Moon Jae-in struggles to break the stalemate between Donald Trump and …
Why and how do great powers participate in foreign wars covertly rather than overtly? In a new book, Secret Wars: Covert Conflict in International Politics, Austin Carson unpacks the politics of secrecy in war, revealing the incentives for keeping an intervention covert, including escalation control, and what happens when major powers collude in secret. In …
Secret Wars: Insights from the Backstage of Covert Conflict Read More »
The nuclear competition among China, India and Pakistan is accelerating with the introduction of new ballistic and cruise missiles, multiple warhead missiles and missile defenses. Border clashes between India and Pakistan persist, as do standoffs between India and China. Diplomacy is dormant. What to do? Stimson’s South Asia Program presents a collection of proposals from …
Off Ramps From Confrontation in Southern Asia Book Launch and Discussion Read More »
You are invited to a forum featuring Secretary Ernesto Pernia, PhD, on the Philippine economy, a bright spot in the East Asia-Pacific region. This presentation for investors, academe, policy analysts and others will provide an overview of the Philippines’ fast growing economy, with projected GDP growth of 6.4 percent in 2019 and an annual average of …
Economic Briefing and Investment Opportunities in the Philippines Read More »
The Trump administration and the Kremlin have given notice of intent to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. New START may be next on the chopping block. Where do we go from here? If the process of nuclear arms control as we have known it isn’t sustainable, what might take its place? Stimson is …
Future of Nuclear Arms Control Series: Is a Treaty-Based System Sustainable? Read More »
Global arms sales and military spending are influenced by shifting security concerns, economic circumstances, and varying political priorities. Each year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) analyzes trends in global arms transfers and military spending and serves as a key resource for insights on changing dynamics around the world. Join the Stimson Center and …
Growth in Global Arms Transfers and Military Spending Read More »
In the aftermath of the Liberian civil war, groups of ex-combatants seized control of key natural resource enclaves in the country. With some of them threatening a return to war, these groups were widely viewed as the most significant threats to Liberia’s hard-won peace. Building on fieldwork and socio-historical analysis, Dr. Christine Cheng’s newest study …
On July 23, 2018, one of the saddle dams of the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy Hydropower Project—the largest dam to be constructed in southern Laos—broke, sending up to five million cubic meters of water gushing into the Xe Pian River Basin and very rapidly inundating 19 villages, with six of those being totally destroyed. The …
Please join Stimson’s Defense Strategy and Planning program for a discussion of the ways in which the United States and China have used their armed forces in recent decades as a tool of foreign policy. Since the 1990s the US has sought to promote an open, rules-based international order. China has recently asserted itself militarily …
In recent years, U.S. air operations in Somalia have surged. However, with this increase, questions remain about the targets of such strikes, the strategy guiding strike decisions, and the outcomes and implications of such operations – including regarding civilian casualties. Join us at the Stimson Center for an expert discussion on the challenges posed by …
Transparency and Accountability in U.S. Counterterrorism Strikes Read More »
The Trump administration and the Kremlin have given notice of intent to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. New START may be next on the chopping block. Even if New START can be extended, what steps might usefully follow? Are numerical constraints still feasible? Stimson is convening a series of brainstorming sessions on our …
In 2004, Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. worked together to respond to the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2007, they formed the Quad, seeking to deepen their cooperation, only to disband after only a year. Now that it has met again, could the Quad become a new platform for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief? …
Please join Finnish Ambassador Jari Luoto and Stimson Center experts on March 12 from 12:00- 2:00 pm for a lunch and briefing on Finland and the Stimson Center’s contributions to radiological source security. The Government of Finland has emerged as a new information hub around nuclear and radiological security activities to elevate the importance of …
Finland is Combating Nuclear Terrorism – Learn How Read More »
The US-Russian Relationship in Times of Tension A conversation with Ambassador Anatoly Antonov Stimson President Brian Finlay hosts a public conversation with Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s Ambassador to the United States, on the US-Russian relationship in times of tension.
On February 27-28, President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un met for a second time in hopes of making progress towards a DPRK denuclearization deal. However, the two leaders walked away from the Hanoi summit without a signed agreement. With contrasting statements issued from the White House and DPRK Foreign Ministry regarding what unfolded …
Join Stimson’s Defense Strategy and Planning program in welcoming Thomas Wright and Michael Kofman, who will discuss their recent studies on US and NATO efforts to confront Russia short of war. In recent years, the US and its NATO allies have become increasingly alarmed by Russia’s willingness to advance its foreign policy objectives through military …
This issue brief, the fifth in Stimson’s Letters from the Mekong series, looks at Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake as the heart of the Mekong Basin and introduces alternative development pathways which can optimize trade-offs to the water-energy-food nexus. If utilized, these alternative pathways prevent resource scarcity in Cambodia and promote regional stability in Southeast Asia …
Letters From the Mekong; Toward a Sustainable Water-Energy-Food Future in Cambodia Read More »
This event was rescheduled due to inclement weather. It is now taking place on Thursday, May 2. Event Description: Wilson will challenge Cold War concepts that still inform policy, and present new and compelling reasons why we should take the question of elimination seriously. In his first public discussion of his forthcoming book, Hope …
Hope in an Age of Nuclear Weapons: The Realist Case for Elimination Book Discussion Read More »
Celebrated for its natural beauty and its abundance of wildlife, the Mekong river runs thousands of miles through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Its basin is home to more than 70 million people and has for centuries been one of the world’s richest agricultural areas and a biodynamic wonder. Today, however, it is …
How can the US achieve its security and foreign policy objectives with Iran and Iraq while avoiding another war? Kenneth M. Pollack, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will discuss his recently completed study of how the US has used its military, short of war, to advance its foreign policy objectives in Iran …
US Coercive Diplomacy in Iran and Iraq: A Conversation with Ken Pollack Read More »
Click here to view the event transcript (PDF). India’s nuclear profile, doctrine, and practices have evolved rapidly since the country’s nuclear breakout in 1998. However, the outside world’s understanding of India’s doctrinal debates, forward-looking strategy, and technical developments are still two decades behind the present. India and Nuclear Asia fills that gap in our knowledge by focusing …
India and Nuclear Asia: Forces, Doctrine, and Danger Read More »
Today, a need to act against chemical threats by state and non-state actors is more urgent and relevant than ever as demonstrated by events in North Korea, Russia, Syria, Iraq, the UK, Malaysia, and Australia. Achieving greater efficiency in chemical safety and security and improving national and international coordination among relevant actors, including the chemical …
Organizing Democracy, a new book by Paul Poast and Johannes Urpelainen, argues that new democracies are more likely to flourish when they receive support from international organizations to help them provide public goods to their populations. This event will present the findings of Organizing Democracy, analyze the relationships between new democracies and international organizations in …
Can International Organizations Promote Democracy? Read More »
Donald Trump’s announcement of intent to withdraw from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty constitutes another severe blow to a treaty-based system of nuclear arms and threat reduction. One last treaty governing formal, verifiable draw-downs of nuclear forces remains — the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Mr. Trump has vacillated wildly in his comments on the …
Our Uncertain Nuclear Future: How Do We Proceed if Treaties are Trashed? Read More »
What: Join The Stimson Center for a unique insight into a private collection of North Korean propaganda posters over the span of 50 years from 1963 to 2013 depicting North Korean domestic initiatives. The reception will be complemented with remarks by Jenny Town, Stimson Research Analyst & Managing Editor of 38 North, who will share …
50 Years of Propaganda – A Glimpse into North Korean Domestic Initiatives Read More »
Click here to download the event transcript (PDF). The Indo-Pacific region, a key focus of the Trump administration’s foreign policy agenda, is undergoing significant political and strategic realignments with the return to great power competition. India’s role in the region is central to these developments, both in its emerging partnerships with nations like Japan and the …
The future of Taiwan, a flourishing liberal democracy and vibrant economy, is anything but secure. China, regarding it as a renegade province, has not renounced the use of military force to resolve the standoff. Taiwan must deter China’s aggression, taking steps to convince Chinese leaders that the costs of waging war on Taiwan will outweigh …
A Question of Time: Enhancing Taiwan’s Conventional Deterrence Posture Read More »
Note: Apologies for the audio issues during the Livestream. Please download our presentation slide here or download below to get an overview of the event and discussion. Disposal of radioactive waste remains a contentious issue around the world. Many would argue that it is almost impossible to gain a social licence to operate (SLO) for the disposal of …
Gaining a Social License to Operate (SLO) for Radioactive Waste Read More »
A new era of US engagement in infrastructure and development opportunities the Indo-Pacific commenced on October 3, 2018 when Congress passed the BUILD Act, a bipartisan legislation which establishes the International Development Finance Corporation. The IDFC will completely overhaul the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and mobilize $60 billion to facilitate the participation of private …
Building the Indo-Pacific: ASEAN Stakeholder Forum Read More »
The United States midterm elections may determine whether U.S. foreign policy changes course in 2019 or holds steady. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. foreign policy agenda has undergone some changes, rarely mentioning U.S. values and at times displaying disconnect between rhetoric and policy implementation. Particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where the Trump administration has …
Join us for the Washington, D.C. book launch of Just Security in an Undergoverned World, the companion volume to the Report of the Albright-Gambari Commission “Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance.” We apply just security as a new conceptual framework for charting innovative solutions and strategies for essential global governance, including in coping with violent …
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