India and the Convention on Cluster Munitions On May 30, 2008, the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) was adopted by 107 countries at a diplomatic conference in Dublin, Ireland. However, India was not a party to this Convention. The signing of the Convention took place in Oslo on December 3, 2008. It bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions, and places obligations on countries to clear affected areas, assist victims, and destroy stockpiles. Binalakshmi Nepram | July 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Struggling Giant: China in the Twenty-first Century by Kerry Brown Gunjan Singh | July 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Naval Diplomacy and Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean Maritime violence off the Horn of Africa has generated immense global attention. Ships carrying cargo that included oil, military weapons, and chemicals have been attacked. More than 20,000 vessels ply this strategically important area that includes the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the western Indian Ocean every year. Brian Wilson | July 2009 | Strategic Analysis
India and its Neighbours: Towards a New Partnership by Ashok K. Behuria (ed.) Satish Kumar | July 2009 | Strategic Analysis
The Danger of Nuclear Terrorism: The Indian Case The concept of nuclear terrorism is possibly the least understood of all dangers emanating from nuclear weapons. However, certain drivers like the nuclear black market (the AQ Khan Network), proliferation of nuclear technology, and the increasing demand for nuclear energy can make it easier for terrorist organizations like Al Qaida to acquire fissile material. The threat of nuclear terrorism cannot be ignored any longer. Nuclear terrorism is a plausible phenomenon that deserves adequate consideration, substantial countermeasures, expertise, and competence to combat it. Reshmi Kazi | July 2009 | Strategic Analysis
India Woos GCC’s Sovereign Wealth Fund: Policy, Scope and Precautions In 2007, a small piece of research by Steven Jen generated ripples about the role and significance of Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) in the world of finance. The term SWF was coined by Andrev Razanor in 2005, and IMF defined it as “assets held by governments in other country’s currency”. Although, SWF has a history of more than half a century, it gained currency only since 2000. SWFs have been created by the governments for different motives. Zakir Hussain | June 26, 2009 | Policy Brief
The 9th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit: An Assessment The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its ninth summit on June15 -16, 2009 in Yekaterinburg. The Heads of the SCO member states, observer states and guests of the host state - President of Afghanistan, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Secretary-General of the Eurasian Economic Community, and Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, participated in the meeting. Meena Singh Roy | June 24, 2009 | IDSA Comments
China’s Maritime Intent in South China Sea Vis a Vis ASEAN South China Sea is a disputed maritime area. This is because of the multiple and often overlapping maritime claims on parts of the Sea by China, many ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam) and Taiwan. Two incidents in the past one month have brought the issue once again to the forefront. In May, the Chinese permanent mission at the United Nations (UN) presented a note to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon claiming sovereignty over 80 per cent of South China Sea including the disputed islands of Paracel and Spratly. Sandeep Anand | June 23, 2009 | IDSA Comments
Japanese Vulnerabilities increases following North Korea’s actions The delicately maintained fragile peace in Northeast Asia received a severe jolt when North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test on May 25, 2009, followed by the test launch of four short-range missiles. Earlier on April 5, North Korea had launched a long-range rocket, which drew condemnation from the UN Security Council (UNSC) in the form of a strong presidential statement. Pranamita Baruah | June 23, 2009 | IDSA Comments
