IV. Conclusions

Chapter:

1. Introduction: international security, armaments and disarmament

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2016

Author(s):

Dan Smith

SIPRI was founded in 1966, making 2016 our 50th anniversary year. In May 2015, the Governing Board of SIPRI proposed that the institute treat the golden jubilee year as a ‘year for reflection’. It did so not on the basis that action is not urgent, for that would be quite misleading, but rather on the basis that some of the peace and security issues with which the world is now grappling quite clearly require close attention and deep thought in order to figure out what to do about them. That the events and trends of 2015 offer a complex and uncertain picture is not in itself surprising. There is so much packed into most years that paradox and uncertainty are hallmarks of security issues—and, indeed, many other issues besides. Nonetheless, it does seem right to think, in 2015 and 2016, that there is something more challenging about seeking to understand the present period.