Peacekeeping and Security
Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council
Year in Review: United Nations Peace Operations
Reports of the Security Council
The war on terror: Separating the (star) fish from the sea
Though hardly a new phenomenon terrorism has assumed greater political saliency since the events of 9/11. Unfortunately this greater saliency has not resulted in more effective strategies to counter the terrorist threat the nature of which is often poorly understood. This essay describes terrorism as a method then develops a model of what terrorist organizations look like and how they function focusing on their evolution from hierarchical insurgent groups of the pre 9/11 era to network-like structures of today such as al-Qaeda. Mao Zedong’s dictum about insurgency says “The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea. ”Counterinsurgent strategy has often attempted to “drain the sea”- i.e. separate the guerrilla from his support base in the population. By implication this essay will point out that counterterrorist strategies against contemporary terrorist networks must adapt this drain-the-sea principle to the network model if effective policies are to be developed.
A conversation with history
Freedom From Fear met the leader of Solidarnosc a few days from the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain marking the end of the Cold War during his visit in Italy to Torino Spiritualità to talk about 1989: the year that changed the world.
In the spotlight. Energy security
The geopolitical landscape has changed considerably since the fall of the Berlin Wall with the US maintaining for the time being its economic and military superiority. It seems however that the world is moving towards a fundamental reshuffle of the global balance of power with the emergence of actors whose posture will eventually shape a new global order through alliances reflecting different interests from those currently dominating international politics.
The CBRN threat: Past, present and future
In recent years world leaders news media and experts have warned of the global security threat from chemical biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) material and weapons. Last December a bipartisan U.S. commission cautioned that “unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.” In parallel with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall it is interesting to highlight the Cold War origins of many modern-day CBRN challenges. At the same time this article explores how newer developments have been infusing additional complexity into the global CBRN threat landscape.
From Khmer treasures to Chinese antiquities: The ongoing plunder and trafficking in South East Asia
In June of this year in a ceremony associated with much pomp and political significance the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva handed over to Cambodian officials in Phnom Penh a number of Khmer treasures seized by Thai authorities from smugglers in 1999. The treasures included six massive stone heads of the Hindu God Shiva dating from the 12th Century Angkorian era (Associated Press 2009).
Wall-less Europe
When the wall came down 20 years ago it was the end of a regime whose cruelty was vividly represented by images of the lengths to which it went to keep its citizens within its borders. Who can forget the images of cars being searched as they exited Checkpoint Charlie; border guards doing their utmost to find even the most ingeniously hidden escapee. How can we not remember the dark inventiveness with which a regime seemed to turn every technological advance against its own citizens? How happy one could feel to be a citizen of the free world: free to travel across our own borders with governments who respected our personal liberty not only in this context.
Gaza: A fence away from freedom
There is a fence around Gaza. It stretches from the north to the south. From a distance the fence looks innocent; it is not a tall imposing structure with deep ditches or piercing floodlights. Neither does it appear impenetrable. Yet the fence looks out of place uncomfortable dividing land that otherwise flows gently as far as the eye can see. And as everyone in Gaza knows any seemingly benign features belie the fact that the fence constitutes an absolute – separating people from productive livelihoods family members higher education and indeed freedom itself in the form of access to the rest of the world beyond it.
Has the cold war ended?
Few doubt that the fall of the Berlin Wall is the event that closed the Cold War era and brought in the twenty-first century. Like every event in history this one also has its founding myths.
Youth marginalisation and the burdens of war in Sierra Leone
The transformation of the world system after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 provided a new era of free democratic uncertainties in the lives of the youth population in both West and Eastern Europe. Uncertainties that have never been free or democratic yet always part of the lives of most youth in Africa. In the case of Sierra Leone young people have been struggling for a factual democratisation process and participatory governance since its independence in 1961 thus revealing the role the Sierra Leonean youth has been keen to play in the country’s political social and economic processes.
UN engagement on the rule of law: Helping States substitute right for might
Promoting the rule of law at national and international level is at the very heart of the global mission of the United Nations. The rule of law is fundamental to achieving a durable peace in the aftermath of conflict to the protection of human rights and to economic progress and development. The basic concept that drives our work is the principle that everyone – from the ordinary citizen to the State and its leaders – is accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated equally enforced and independently adjudicated and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. As a lawyer and a former professor of law I retain a deep personal interest in this area of UN engagement.
Corruption undermines health care systems: a human rights issue
Counter the financing of terrorism
The financing of terrorism is often difficult to detect because it follows only few fixed patterns. For instance an investigation into the financial transactions of some high profile terrorists and hijackers showed that most of the individual transactions were not that unusual. The account holders appeared to be foreign students receiving money to fund their studies; in such a way the transactions then would not be flagged as suspicious transactions needing a special scrutiny by the financial institutions involved.
An analysis of Mexico’s organized crime: Narco-police and the dead women of Juarez
The current situation in Mexico has put the international community on alert due to the increas in crime rates; besides common criminality bizarre behaviours have developed and are concerning Mexican citizens their government and foreigners. This situation is out of the country’s control: in the past attacks massive kidnappings and homicides as well as drug trafficking were seen as isolated cases but nowadays they have become recurrent and interconnected issues.
Corruption in natural resource management: An introduction
Natural resources often provide fertile ground for corruption. Since a substantial number of partner countries in development cooperation are richly endowed with natural resources these contexts pose a particular challenge for effective donor action. The risk of corruption cuts across several natural resource sectors from non-renewable resources such as oil gas minerals and metals to renewable resources such as forests fisheries and land. There are however important variations in the challenges presented by these sectors and the manner in which corruption in relation to them can be addressed.
Foul play: Corruption in football
2006 was a dark year for the Italian football nation. The former management of FC Juventus Turin one of the most popular teams in the world was accused of manipulating games with the help of corrupt referees players and officials. As a consequence the team had to dismount to the second division and its last two-championship titles 2005 and 2006 were withdrawn. One of the managers was punished to 5 years of occupational ban. In total 26 officials were accused.
A business worth 50 million dollars
Nur is a common name but it is just as likely that it is not his real name; he has been living for some time on the coast of Kenya near Lamu one of the last standing examples of Islamic architecture not far from the Somali border. He is a little over forty years old he speaks broken English and is constantly chewing on “khat” leaves from a plant that grows in some areas of Kenya and Ethiopia which cause a mild state of euphoria and are commonly used in Somalia. Although he was initially diffident and almost scared of my questions he overcame his hesitation in front of a few banknotes and accepted my invitation to tell his story and his experience as a pirate.
Somalia at a glance
Somalia became independent in the 1960s when the two protectorates Great Britain’s in the South and Italy’s in the North were unified. A military coup headed by Mohamed Siad Barre in 1969 brought the country into a military regime that very soon shifted into an authoritarian rule which somehow managed to generate a certain degree of balance. After having experienced such ‘stability’ the country precipitated into a civil chaos in 1991 after Siad Barre was overthrown by opposing clans. Since then Somalia whose territory occupies a strategic and crucial position in the Horn of Africa has been living in full anarchy. Shortly after Barre’s capitulation the northern region of Somalia self-declared the independent Republic of Somaliland a country never recognized by other states which however has been preserving a stable existence: the Republic includes today eight administrative districts and it keeps its effort to guarantee democratic representation holding elections at all levels local and parliamentary.
Restorative justice. Restoring victims and communities
What do the following news stories have in common? The Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme responsible for the biggest corporate securities fraud in history the Austrian rape and murder case of Josef Fritzi whose daughter was enslaved for 24 years and the Irish Republican Army shooting two British soldiers and injuring four others in March 2009 breaking the peace outside Belfast? The answer is that we will probably never know what steps have been taken to provide a form of reparation to the victims or their families in ways that allow them to live their lives in peace. Victims-driven restorative justice is happening all around the globe. It is challenging the traditional criminal justice system by providing a new vision for systemic justice reform. The crime victims and those who recognize their unmet needs are the ones who are increasingly leading the effort to make this transition. However despite thorough evidence and numerous restorative justice evaluations the victims’ appeals for restoration are rarely heard.
Tackling cyber crime and cyber terrorism through a methodological approach
Destabilizing factors in urban settings: explaining violence and social disorganization in Ciudad Juarez
The most visible manifestations of urban violence encompass physical and psychological harm against persons – from homicide to other forms of victimization. For more than a century social scientists have also studied the ways in which violence reconfigures social and spatial relations and triggers cycles of insecurity and fear that span generations. There is also evidence that “structural” forms of urban violence arising from the degradation of urban economies and austerity measures can equally contribute to a “break down” in social life leading to new forms of violence. An especially disconcerting manifestation of urban violence is found in Mexico.
Illicit trafficking of precious metals and its destabilizing factors in systems of affected countries
Illicit trafficking in precious metals is an integral part of a growing international trend of which the continued existence depends on organised crime corruption and developmental inequalities. The problem of illicit trafficking in precious metals entails organised criminal groups exploiting loopholes in national and international legislation as well as gaps in the trade monitoring procedures.
From encryption to failure of traditional investigation instruments: The challenges of fighting cybercrime
The shift from industrial societies to information societies 1 and the related dependence of the society as well as the economy on the availability of Internet services have moved the attention of politics towards the cybercrime topic. While in other emerging areas of crime it is possible to use traditional crime prevention and investigation strategies the fight against cybercrime faces unique challenges that require a special attention from both investigators and lawmakers. This article provides an overview of some of those challenges.
Close up. Reporting in times of war
Once upon a time there was journalism. Many have recited the de profundis for the reporting profession over the last few years. Because of the economic crisis which has been stifling newspapers for the last two years. And before that in an even more substantial way because of how conflicts in the post 9/11 world have changed the way of telling History and the stories of those who are called upon to cover them.
Interview with a hacker: Chronicles of a black hat
The internet: Anonymous forever
Universal identification is portrayed by some as the holy grail of Internet security. Anonymity is bad the argument goes; and if we abolish it we can ensure only the proper people have access to their own information. We will know who is sending us spam and who is trying to hack into corporate networks. And when there are massive denial-of-service attacks such as those against Estonia or Georgia or South Korea we will know who was responsible and take action accordingly.
Webcam child sex tourism: stopping the growing number of predators
Among many others the Webcam Child Sex Tourism (WCST) is one of the emerging crimes against children and represents a violation of the United Nations Conventions on child rights. WCST is illegal in most countries. Some have laws prohibiting adults from conversing with minors about sex. Others prohibit “enticing” a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Other countries outlaw showing obscene images to minors and most countries prohibit viewing sexual images and sexual performances involving minors. Thus Governments should adopt policies that give their law enforcement agencies the mandate to proactively search for predators seeking to engage in WCST on public online places known to be hotspots for child abuse.
The death penalty: a child rights issue and a public health issue
2013 saw the first ever United Nations Human Rights Council panel discussion on Children of Parents Sentenced to Death or Executed. The author summarizes new research on this neglected topic.
The last stop
Violent extremism is the last stop in a long process. It is the most visible type of extremism and it creates deep and painful traces in many people’s lives. With hindsight we ask ourselves over and over what we could have done differently. It is not necessarily wrong if we do it to learn but if we do it to undo what cannot be undone our starting point is wrong. We do not have time to regret. We have time to act and we must do that all the time because violent extremism is about people’s lives. It is about the fate of people who we might be able to help. The debate about violent extremism is not necessarily merely about what we are left with in the aftermath of a tragic event but about what forms people who are willing to take to violence to express their opinions.
Avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime
The news is full of reports detailing the stories of victims who have lost thousands even millions of dollars at the hands of cyber criminals. Many of us know someone who has already been the victim of one of these crimes. As widespread as cybercrime appears to be it would be easy to conclude there is little anyone can do to avoid becoming a victim. However the prevalence of cybercrime does not mean that victimization is inevitable or that people should avoid using the Internet. Users can make themselves aware of the vulnerabilities its use creates and can take steps to reduce their risks.
When citizens start destabilizing the power of mafia
The impact of the mafia on our societies is complex and multidimensional: it affects our politics our economy our culture our development and our opportunities. In other terms it affects our society as a whole.
Cybercrime and organized crime
The current era of cybercrime is no longer dominated by hackers accessing computer systems just for fun or notoriety. The development and growth of the digital economy has changed the criminal landscape dramatically. High rewards combined with low risks have made digital networks an attractive environment for various types of criminal groups. In the non-digital era organised crime sought after the safe havens offered by countries with weak governments and unstable political regimes. Today’s organised criminal groups can benefit from national jurisdictions that do not have proper legal frameworks and technical capabilities to fight cybercrime. The easiness of communication anonymity and the accessibility of tools for illegal operations have transformed cybercrime into a global fast-expanding and profit-driven industry with organised criminal groups thriving behind it.
Online crimes against children
The emergence of the Internet as a mass consumer product has not necessarily created any entirely new genres of crime but it has certainly given a new twist to some very old and familiar ones. Above all it has changed the scale on which a number of offences are carried out. Crimes against children are a classic example. Crimes involving the production and distribution of child abuse images are a very specific case in point.
Environmental crime and instability: the role of criminal networks in the trafficking and illegal dumping of hazardous waste
Amongst environmental crimes trafficking and illegal dumping of waste has become a significant source of revenue attracting growing interest of unscrupulous brokers as well as criminal networks. This crime poses not only a serious prothreat to the environment and human health but has also become one of the causes for social and economic instability.
The value of natural capital: a risk or an opportunity?
What is the value of a forest? And that of a river? The answer depends on whom you ask: indigenous people who depend on the forest and consider trees and water streams to be sacred surely have a totally different idea than the manager of a timber company.
Terrorist use of the internet and legal response
Without doubt terrorist organisations today are using the Internet for various purposes. Unlike the early debate when the focus was on potential terrorist-related network-based attacks against critical infrastructure and the use of information technology in armed conflicts (cyberwarfare) it is widely recognised that the range of activities is more complex.1 Terrorist use of the Internet includes research training propaganda and communication.2 But despite more intensive research many aspects are still uncertain as reports about concrete incidents often remain classified. The following article provides an overview of the different areas of terrorist use of the Internet and the concept of legal response.
Defending quality of life through critical infrastructure protection
Lebanese emigration: Lebanon’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain!
Are “drugs” the consequence of economic and political destabilizing factors?
Every society and culture has the stimulants and intoxicants it deserves needs and tolerates. Since hallowed antiquity alcohol has been THE intoxicant for the western culture. Alcohol is so much part of the culture that few can imagine life without it. Aside from stating this fact can the link between drugs and culture be developed further? Some examples might help to clarify the concepts and categories that would allow a closer look at the interdependence between drugs and culture.
Rethinking security governance: a new security architecture
Security risks are a constant for any human society. Human beings and human societies have always strived to create an order that secures their lives jobs properties and the future of their children. The risks that prevented the achievement of this goal have mostly been similar throughout history and include wars famine economic crisis climate change natural disasters technological catastrophes terrorism and crime.
Privacy vs. security? A dliemma of the digital era
Over the coming years a crucial issue in dealing with cybercrime will be the delicate balance that must necessarily be struck between personal data protection public order and security. If the stellar growth in e-commerce in the last decade was accompanied by increasing alarm about the attendant potential for fraud (from e-bay scams to creditcard cloning) the next ten years seem bound to be beset by the headaches of cloud computing: who knows what dormant dangers may be inadvertently aroused merely by surfing the web even without posting personal data online or using social networks (all of which are exposed to data mining)?
Albinism in Africa: interview with Stéphane Ebongue Koube
China’s commitment to the United Nations Convention against Corruption
In its 2012 survey covering 178 countries Transparency International ranked China at 3.5 in what is called the Corruption Perception Index the 80th country together with Serbia and Trinidad and Tobago. To see things from another point of view China was the fourth-lowest ranking of G20 nations with only Argentina India Indonesia and Russia scoring lower. At such levels corruption poses a threat to China’s political stability and sustainable development especially at a time when China’s ‘Gini’ coefficient a statistical measure of income inequality is at 0.47 close to that 0.5 threshold where inequality is severe and calls for immediate action. Many experts believe that this widening wealth gap is partly the result of large amounts of “illegal income” resulting from corruption.
See you in Mogadishu
It was the month of November 1991. Mohamed Aden Sheikh one of the most versatile Somali men and former representative of the Somali government was publishing his first book in a Western country. “See you in Mogadishu” a book-interview with Italian journalist Pietro Petrucci was the story of the state of Somalia since its independence (1960) told by somebody who served its country as a shepherd doctor minister and refugee. Siad Barre was the dictator who first appointed him as Minister of Health and Minister of Culture and Information in the ‘70s and then jailed him from 1982 to 1988; after Barre’s government fell in January 1991 three different self-declared “presidents” started fighting for the control of the territory and the international community was about to intervene.
Macau: The Ao Man Long corruption and money laundering case
This article summarizes the main issues underlying the case of Ao Man Long the highest profile corruption case ever occurred in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China which attracted international attention. Ao Man Long was the first Secretary for Public Works in the Government of the Macau SAR a post equivalent to minister to which he was appointed on 20 December 1999 at age 43 and then reappointed in 2004 for a second term. Ao graduated in mechanical engineering from the University of Taiwan obtained an MBA at the University of Macau and had served as a Macau civil servant since 1987.