1. Introduction: international security, armaments and disarmament

Chapter:

1. Introduction: international security, armaments and disarmament

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2017

Author(s):

Dan Smith

This is the 48th edition of the SIPRI Yearbook. Like its predecessors, it offers an overview of events and trends in conflicts, peace and international security during the previous year. The 2016 edition remarked that it was not difficult to characterize 2015 as one of the darkest years for international stability and human security since the end of the cold war. Nonetheless, there were also positive developments during that year and the international system for upholding security and international law continued in many respects to function well. Not least, international agreements were reached on restricting the tempo of climate change, and adapting to respond to its impact, and on a global development agenda until 2030. Although effective implementation will be demanding, both agreements were possible because the world’s states were able to set aside their differences to arrive at an overarching understanding on two of the major challenges of our era. While there were no comparable landmark international agreements in 2016, the overall perspective on the year is still a balance between negative developments and the continued functioning of the international system.¹ However, the year ended with clear grounds for concern about the direction of travel and the long-term health of that system.