ORG Explains #11: The UK Military in the Eastern Mediterranean

This primer explains what presence, relations and obligations the UK military has in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Turkey. Read more
ORG Explains #10: The UK’s Joint Expeditionary Force

This primer describes the new UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), situating it in the context of other European rapid reaction forces and the UK and NATO’s expanded military presence in the Baltic Sea region. Read more
ORG Explains #7: The UK Military in the Arctic

This primer explains what military presence, relations and obligations the UK has in the “High North” region comprising the Arctic and the adjacent Northeast Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Read more
ORG Explains #5: NATO Nuclear Sharing

This primer explains the role US-owned B61 tactical nuclear weapons play in Europe as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements. It considers these weapons in terms of their economic, political, diplomatic and security significance, including internal NATO dynamics, US-Russia relations and international arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament regimes. Read more

Europe and NATO

ORG Explains #11: The UK Military in the Eastern Mediterranean

This primer explains what presence, relations and obligations the UK military has in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Turkey. Read more

ORG Explains #10: The UK’s Joint Expeditionary Force

This primer describes the new UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), situating it in the context of other European rapid reaction forces and the UK and NATO’s expanded military presence in the Baltic Sea region. Read more

ORG Explains #7: The UK Military in the Arctic

This primer explains what military presence, relations and obligations the UK has in the “High North” region comprising the Arctic and the adjacent Northeast Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Read more

European Military Integration: Implications for the UK

European military integration will, if successful, pose even larger questions about the UK’s roler of “Global Britain’s” resurgent interest in supporting the US in the Asia-Pacific region. Read more

Global Britain: A Pacific Presence?

Several developments over the last month suggest that the UK is moving to establish its strongest military presence in the Western Pacific since its 1971 withdrawal of forces from Singapore. Drivers include the quest for post-Brexit trade and arms supply deals, the imperative to use the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers to promote a strong Global Britain brand, and a growing alignment with US regional objectives and alliances. Read more

Towards a New Consensus on National Security

As the UK commences negotiations on leaving the EU, juggles challenges to its own union, confronts a new wave of DIY terrorist attacks, and launches Europe’s largest ever warship, the need for a “strategic” National Security Strategy has never been greater. Read more

The UK, Russia and NATO Revisited

From Theresa May’s hand-holding with Donald Trump to the pointed demands of US President, Vice-President and Defense Secretary that European states pay their share of NATO’s costs, via Turkish-Russian rapprochement and a seemingly endless series of scandals linking incoming US officials to Russian influencers, turbulence in trans-Atlantic relations looks set to be the defining security issue of 2017. Read more

Taking Back Control? The UK, Europe and NATO

The briefing argues that Britain’s future international policy should correspond both with the interests and values of the majority and be based on principles such as democracy, human rights and social justice. Read more

Brexit: Whither UK Defence and Foreign Policy?

This briefing considers what the Leave vote and ensuing changes to the British government might mean in the short, medium and long term for the UK’s defence and foreign policy, including decision-making and accountability mechanisms, and the still-urgent need to build sustainable security. Read more

ORG, Russia and NATO

Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in 2014, Oxford Research Group has worked to understand what drives the greatest tensions in European security for a generation, not least Russia’s own perception of its place and interests in Europe and the wider world. Read more

We Need to Talk About NATO

This briefing poses some questions about the UK’s existing security alignments, particularly the role of NATO, and considers how these might be brought back into public discourse in the context of intra-Labour Party and national policy debates during the current parliament. It finds that the character of NATO and European-US relations is already in flux and a more public discussion of the alliance is overdue. Read more

Libya’s Proxy Battlefield

Less than four years since NATO-led military intervention helped to unseat the 42-year Gaddafi dictatorship Libya is a failing state on the borders of Europe. Read more

Britain's National Security Strategy - One Year On

The UK National Security Strategy (NSS) was published in March last year, and an initial assessment formed the basis for the ORG International Security Briefing for that month (Britain’s Security – A New Approach?). The Strategy was presented as an entirely new development in Britain’s approach to international security. Read more

Latest

Security in the DRC and Yemen: Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment

This briefing examines the effect of military conflict on the response (and vice versa) to Ebola and COVID-19 in DRC and Yemen, respectively.
Mistrust, Misinformation and Community Engagement: Reflections on lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen

This briefing examines the mistrust, misinformation and community engagement during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks in the DRC and Yemen, respectively.
Women’s Experiences of Disease Outbreaks in Conflict: Reflections on lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen

This briefing will explore the challenges facing women and girls in each of these contexts. It will first examine the response of the international community in the DRC, and identify key challenges to Congolese women.
Background Briefing - Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment: A Comparative Study of Yemen and DRC

This is the first briefing in a series released by the Oxford Research Group’s (ORG) Strategic Peacebuilding Programme. These briefings examine the lessons that can be drawn from the response to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and how they can be applied in the response to COVID-19 in Yemen.

The Role of Youth in Peacebuilding: Challenges and Opportunities

Young people are frequently ‘othered’ in discussions about conflict. This is a dangerous practice as youths can play a very positive role aiding peacebuilding in societies recovering from conflict.
Making Bad Economies: The Poverty of Mexican Drug Cartels

Some stories say that local economies benefit from cartels in Mexico. But research suggests that the areas most plagued by drug-related violence have seriously suffered economically.
ORG's Vision

Oxford Research Group (ORG) is an independent organisation that has been influential for for nearly four decades in pioneering new, more strategic approaches to security and peacebuilding. Based in London since 2006, ORG continues to pursue cutting edge research and advocacy in the United Kingdom and abroad while managing innovative peacebuilding projects in several Middle Eastern countries.
Remote Warfare: Lessons Learned from Contemporary Theatres

This report is a first attempt to identify some of the factors that have helped or hindered the UK’s current approach to remote warfare.
Weavers of Peace: The Higaonon Tribe in the Philippines

The Higaonon, an indigenous tribe in Northern Mindanao in the southern Philippines, have preserved an ancient system of conflict resolution which has enabled them to be a truly peaceful community. However, there is a need to ensure that this knowledge is not lost in the future.
The Cyprus Problem: Why Solve a Comfortable Conflict?

Several diplomatic efforts have been made both domestically and internationally to enhance peaceful unity since the start of the Cyprus Problem. Despite the shortcomings of past efforts, it is still desirable not only to resolve the issue, but also to do so in a timely manner.
Why Does UN Humanitarian Intervention Remain Selective?

Over the past two decades, the United Nations Security Council has responded more strongly to some humanitarian crises than to others. This variation in Security Council action raises the important question of what factors motivate United Nations intervention.
The UK and UN Peace Operations: A Case for Greater Engagement

This report supports an enhanced role for Britain in UN peace operations and sets out a case for greater engagement.
The Politics of Coltan: An Interview with Michael Nest

In this interview, Dr. Michael Nest discusses the political, environmental, ethical and social issues surrounding the mining of columbite–tantalite (coltan).
The Expanding Role of Chinese Peacekeeping in Africa

China's increased involvement in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping in Africa reflects a broader trend of the country taking a more proactive approach to foreign policy.