“While the US and its allies have had a monopoly on drone technology until recently, the uptake of military and civilian drones by a much wider range of state and non-state actors shows that this playing field is quickly levelling. Current international agreements on arms control and use lack efficacy in responding to the legal, ethical, […]
The sudden and unforeseen expansion of ISIS in Iraq and Syria over the summer has led to a dramatic shift on the ground in the Middle East, in Western public opinion, and subsequently in the involvement of the international community. Even though ISIS had been a threat to civilians in northern Syria and Iraq over […]
On the 13th of August the newly elected House of Representatives in Libya passed its first decree calling for the international community to intervene immediately to ensure that civilians are protected. With all eyes focused on other crises in the world, including Iraq, Gaza and Syria, the chances are slim that there will be an […]
The humanitarian crisis in Iraq may result in genocide if no immediate action is taken Around 40 000 Yezidi Iraqi citizens are stuck in the Sinjar Mountains, left stranded without food and water and surrounded by militants of “The Islamic State” (IS). The 40 000 Yezidi citizens in the Sinjar mountains are part of […]
Over the years working on nuclear weapons issues, I’ve always tried to make time to read as much as I can. Sometimes though the reading list you pick for your summer holiday isn’t as pleasant as the usual beach-book. For example, the Plutonium Files by Eileen Welsome. By Susi Snyder
Turns out I’m not the only person fascinated by weapon names. The War is Boring blog recently pointed out how the US military often uses Native American names for its weaponry – Tomahawks, Apaches and the like. Glad to be not alone. By Wilbert van der Zeijden
Image credit: Christiaan Triebert Syria’s ongoing civil war has already resulted in over hundred-and-fifty thousand casualties and has brought enormous destruction in cities and towns all over the country. Apart from the direct impact of the armed conflict on the lives and livelihoods of Syrian citizens, health and environmental impacts are emerging as problems that […]
Over the past week something special has been brewing in Geneva. Special because diplomatic discussions hardly ever take place on weapons of the future. Also both arms control campaigners and diplomats noticed that the discussions were unusually lively, especially for an often cynically disregarded platform for disarmament issues. By Frank Slijper
The Dutch peace organisation PAX is also represented in Juba, the young capital of South Sudan. Daud Gideon is one of our Juba Staff over there. He visited the second round of the peace talks on South Sudan, which took place in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia between 19 and 31 March.
On the 26th of February PAX will present the report ‘Deadly Decisions – 8 objections to killer robots’ at the annual NGO conference of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots in London. The report highlights eight objections to killer robots and explains why a comprehensive and pre-emptive ban on these weapons is necessary.