Latest News & Publications

Publication: 30 April 2013

North Korea: Taking into Account the View from Pyongyang

With rising tensions between North Korea and the United States, this month, Paul Rogers asks: what lies behind North Korea’s sense of insecurity and what is the impact of western policy since 9/11 on decision-making by North Korea’s leadership? Read more »

Publication: 26 April 2013

Obama in the Footsteps of Sadat

'In a much anticipated speech, the charismatic president, on a fleeting visit to Jerusalem, charmed and enthralled the audience and the wider Israeli public throughout the land. The echoes with Sadat are unmistakable. So if history is repeating itself – is it worse than a waste of time? Or a lot smarter than the commentators suggest?' In this article, ORG Advisor, Tony Klug, analyses President Obama's speech during his visit to Israel in March 2013. Read more »

Publication: 18 April 2013

Every Casualty and International Law: Presentation to the UK National Group of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War

Our Every Casualty team is dedicated to tracking developments in international law relating to casualty recording. In this context, we held a presentation on the topic of 'Casualty Recording: Legal Obligations and Current Practice' to the UK National Group of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War (ISMLLW). The ISMLLW is an organisation that seeks to bring together academics, military and government legal practitioners with an interest in all aspects of international law and armed conflicts. Read more »

Publication: 18 April 2013

Every Casualty Presentation at the Royal Society of Medicine

Our Every Casualty team gave a presentation at the Annual Medicine Overseas Conference of the Royal Society of Medicine Conflict and Catastrophes Forum on Friday 12 April. The theme of the conference was 'Research and Response in the Middle of Chaos'. In a session on 'Growth of Research and Associated Accountability Mechanisms' Elizabeth Minor, Research Officer of our Every Casualty programme, discussed the field of casualty recording; the importance of case-by-case, detailed casualty data for public health analysis; and the role of health professionals and institutions in casualty recording. The presentation drew on the results of our recent study into casualty recording practice. Read more »

Job: 22 April 2013

Job Opportunity: Director, Sustainable Security Programme

We are advertising for a new Director of our Sustainable Security programme. This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in shaping our analysis and advocacy work on global security issues. Our Sustainable Security programme deals with the likely long-term drivers of insecurity over the coming decades. It examines how current policies can better address these underlying trends rather than treat their symptoms. Read more »

Publication: 28 March 2013

The Fatal Flaw in Obama's Disarmament Plan - New Article Published in Leading Journal Nonproliferation Review

A new article, co-authored by Ben Zala of our Sustainable Security programme, argues that the current trend in the US defence posture towards linking nuclear weapons reductions with increases in strategic conventional weapons is ultimately a self-defeating approach. It looks at the increasing importance of ballistic missile defence (BMD) and the Prompt Global Strike (PGS) programme for the Obama administration’s approach to achieving a nuclear free world. It also focuses on the likely effects on Washington’s strategic relationships with Russia and China, as well as other players, such as Iran and North Korea. 'Advanced US Conventional Weapons and Nuclear Disarmament: Why the Obama Plan Won't Work', has been published in the leading journal, 'Nonproliferation Review'. Read more »

Publication: 27 March 2013

Building a North-South Dialogue on Global Security: Addressing a Marginalised Majority World

The connection between marginalisation and insecurity is now at the forefront of the international security debate. In conjunction with the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS (University of London), we held a workshop on this subject at the beginning of March in London - 'Building a North-South Dialogue on Global Security: Addressing a Marginalised Majority World'. For the workshop, our Sustainable Security Programme brought together policymakers, analysts, academics and civil society representatives from both the global North and South. Participants engaged in a creative, policy-focused discussion on the security implications of this growing trend and identified concrete opportunities for addressing marginalisation and its consequences in the short to medium term. Read more »

Publication: 27 March 2013

Al-Qaida and the Wider Jihadist Phenomenon

In his March briefing, our Global Security Consultant, Paul Rogers, argues that while al-Qaida as a movement may be diminished, as an idea, it retains considerable potency. He says that the concept of “revolts from the margins” merits far more attention than it currently receives. While this does not mean that conventional counter-terror policies and tactics are irrelevant, it does suggest that they should be seen as more of a treatment of symptoms than of underlying causes. Unless those are addressed, especially the trend towards socio-economic marginalisation, it would be wise to assume that radical and violent social movements, of which al-Qaida and neo-Maoism are examples, will remain significant threats to national and international security. Read more »

Publication: 27 March 2013

ORG in Conversation: Interview with Fredy Peccerelli of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation

In this video interview, Fredy Peccerelli describes the work of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG), who identify and analyse the remains of people missing from the decades-long conflict in Guatemala. Fredy is Forensic Anthropologist and Director to FAFG. Here, he gives a fascinating account about the contribution of this work to criminal proceedings relating to events during the conflict, the context of the work, and its challenges. Read more »

Publication: 26 March 2013

Developing Standards in Casualty Recording: First Meeting of a Process

A process to develop standards in casualty recording practice has been started by our Every Casualty programme. This involves members of the Oxford Research Group-facilitated International Practitioner Network (IPN) and users of the information that casualty recorders produce. The objective is to define casualty recording as a recognised field, and provide a set of benchmarks to assess different projects to record casualties. The first meeting was held in Bogota at the end of February 2013. Read more »

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