This is the final briefing in a series that began in 2003. The briefing looks back to a 2012 briefing, which assessed the state of global security in the first decade of the twenty-first century. It then looks forward to the decade ahead by taking into consideration the key events and trends from the past ten years. Read more
This paper adds color to the monochromatic narrative that has developed around Marib in recent decades by highlighting its rich history, complex social fabric nd important role in the national economy. Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic is now at the point where it could be met with more militarised responses. This briefing assesses the chances of avoiding a securitisation of the outbreak. Read more
This month’s briefing analyses the current state of the COVID-19 outbreak, puts it in the context of the past century’s worst pandemics and illustrates the lessons that can be learnt from these episodes Read more
Our work focuses on promoting global cooperation through attitudes, structures and institutions that sustain peace and security in the long-term. The programme brings to ORG expertise on climate and environmental policy, marginalisation and development challenges, arms industry, exports and proliferation, and geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East and northern Africa.
The sustainable security approach has been pioneered by ORG since the mid-2000s and prioritises the identification and resolution of underlying drivers of insecurity and conflict rather than their violent symptoms. Its emphasis is on preventative rather than reactive strategies and an exploration of alternatives to military action to manage and resolve conflicts.
ORG identifies three interconnected trends that are most likely to lead to competition over resources, global and regional instability, and loss of life of a magnitude unmatched by other potential threats:
These drivers represent something new. Never before has humanity faced a world as interconnected yet so socio-economically divided, where environmental limits are so apparent and where traditional approaches to war-fighting and the use of force are so counter-productive.
The programme aims to develop new thinking around the security challenges and responses that define our age in pursuit of more sustainable approaches to peace and security in the United Kingdom and globally.
This briefing, the penultimate contribution to a series that began in 2003, revisits some of the early issues. These briefings were written at the beginning of the so-called ”war on terror”. Read more
There is still much to learn about the virus and its behaviour, but it seems probable that we are still in the early stages of the global pandemic and the worst impacts of the outbreak may be yet to come. Read more
In the Anthropocene, it is vital for those in power to understand the interplay between drivers of insecurity and act accordingly. But no state is currently equipped to do this. Read more
The UK needs to better conceptualise its understanding of national security. By acknowledging and accounting for all the drivers of conflict and insecurity the UK can ensure that all its engagements work towards a more peaceful and prosperous world. Read more
COVID-19 is the greatest challenge to global human security in the past 50 years. Before the outbreak the UK Government claimed to be world-leading in pandemic preparedness but is likely to end up being the worst affected state in Western Europe. This analysis seeks to explain why this is so. Read more
On 9 June ORG hosted a webinar where an expert panel discussed the Sustainable Security Index's key themes and findings. Read more
The Sustainable Security Index ranks 155 countries on sustainable security. The Index report explores the key themes and findings of the Index. Read more
The global system is still barely five months into the COVID-19 pandemic and so it is difficult to draw general conclusions about the outbreak. But what is noticeable is that certain countries have fared better than others in dealing with the spread of the virus. This briefing explores some of the possible reasons for this development. Read more
This briefing concentrates on three elements of the COVID-19 outbreak,: the experience in the United Kingdom and its response to the crisis; the global emergency which is becoming apparent across the Global South; and some early indications of the longer-term impacts of the pandemic. Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as the biggest crisis facing the world since the end of the Second World War. The pandemic has raised serious questions about whether the political and economic systems in many states can deal with a crisis of this nature. Read more
The "war on terror" has been underway for nearly two decades. Yet there is still little appreciation in some political quarters of how this approach has often been counterproductive and even created the conditions for violent extremism to thrive. If we are ever going to move towards a less violent future, this must change. Read more
The assassination of Qasem Soleimani caused tensions between the US and Iran to escalate dramatically. Relations between the two have simmered, though it is difficult to see how long for. But who are the real winners and losers from the crisis? Read more
The recent Conservative UK election victory and the lack of progress in the recent Madrid climate summit have cast doubt over future efforts to reduce global carbon emissions. This briefing assesses the prospects of whether a radical rethink amongst policymakers to mitigating climate breakdown will occur in time. Read more
Ahead of the upcoming UK General Election, this briefing examines the approaches taken by each of the main political parties to tackling climate change and asks whether election campaigns can really achieve long-term policy changes on key issues. Read more
During the past nine months, there have been major episodes of civil unrest in several countries across the globe. Focusing mainly on the recent mass protests in Iraq, Lebanon and Chile, this briefing draws on the concept of “revolts from the margins” to explain these events. Read more
President Trump has responded to the emerging challenges to the United States’ power from Iran and North Korea with baleful talk of military action. These threats have achieved little. What does this situation tell us about the limits of America’s military power? Read more
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
As the United States seeks to end its 18-year war in Afghanistan through negotiations with the Taliban, this briefing revisits how Washington and the Western coalition have responded to the 9/11 attacks and stoked the cycle of violence that has empowered al-Qaida, Islamic State and other extreme, anti-Western groups. Read more
This briefing tracks the evolution of the ecological movement since the 1960s and of scientific and direct action to respond to the catastrophic threat of climate disruption. Read more
The posture of the British Armed Forces in and around the Persian Gulf mean that it would be very difficult for the United Kingdom, or its key ally Oman, to remain neutral in any military escalation of the conflict between Iran and the United States. Read more