Women have proved they can perform the same police, military and civilian roles to the same standards and under the same difficult conditions as their male counterparts. They are also key agents in mediation and peace-making. Continue reading
Written by Clare Ferguson, We will remember 2016 as a tumultuous year worldwide, a 12-month period of vicious conflicts and political upheaval that will have long-lasting consequences is coming to an end. The resulting insecurity and uncertainty as to the foreign policy intentions of major world powers means that the EU strategic partnership with the … Continue reading
For more than a decade, China’s steadily rising military budget has been observed by Western analysts and the governments of neighbouring countries. This Keysource lists the country’s 2012 to 2014 official figures and diverging estimates provided by foreign organisations, international reaction to these figures plus analyses of the possible implications of current developments. Development up … Continue reading
The European Union (EU) must not only promote the observance of human rights by other international actors, but also respect them itself in the course of all its actions abroad. However, the applicability of international human rights instruments to EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations is problematic since the EU itself, as opposed … Continue reading
China started in the early 1990s, after a period of non-involvement in the United Nations, to become one of the major contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. As of 31 December 2012, a total of 1 869 Chinese peacekeepers were participating in nine UN operations around the world. As its strength increases, China wishes to assume more … Continue reading
The Chinese military build-up is reflected in the steep growth in its military spending. This is rooted in a renewed foreign and security policy doctrine, manifested by a greater involvement and assertiveness of China on the international stage. The modernisation of China’s military forces is the main thrust of its military development. Its major aim … Continue reading