Russia’s view of Georgia: a NATO proxy yet again?
After the crises in Ukraine, and despite the Georgian government’s allegedly more pragmatic attitude towards Russia, official statements from Moscow increasingly project Georgia as hostile. This may be the result of the Kremlin stepping up a propaganda campaign to put pressure on Georgia, but it is also linked to growing perceptions of Georgia as becoming an agent of NATO. Moreover, Russia’s increasingly insistent rhetorical and practical support for the independent status of the two Georgian breakaway republics, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, is still framed with reference to Kosovo as a tit-for-tat in a conflict with the West. In parallel with this hardening in Russian views, there is hardly any diplomatic contact between Russia and Georgia. The regional multilateral frameworks have become dysfunctional, obstructed by polarization. Further Georgian NATO integration could entail an increasing risk of war, unless frank discussions and engagement with Russia can be promoted.
Podcast: Hva skjer med det sikkerhetspolitiske samarbeidet i Norden?
Hvordan har de nordiske landene samarbeidet om sikkerhetspolitikk i etterkrigstiden? Hvilke utfordringer og muligheter finnes for nordisk samarbeid fremover? Hvordan vil det nordiske samarbeidet endres i den kommende Forsvarskommisjonen?. Lytt til samtalen mellom: Kristin Haugevik, seniorforsker, Norsk Utenrikspolitisk Institutt Håkon Lunde Saxi, førsteamanuensis, Forsvarets høgskole Hedda Langemyr, daglig leder, UTSYN Mette Vågnes Eriksen, generalsekretær, Polyteknisk Forening
Andrew E. Yaw Tchie
Dr Andrew E. Yaw Tchie is a Senior Researcher in the Research group on peace, conflict and development. At NUPI, he works on stabilisation, peace...
Customs brokers as intermediaries in international trade
Recent studies suggest that intermediaries like merchants facilitate international trade by reducing fixed trade costs for producers that trade through them instead of exporting or importing directly. This study argues that customs brokers–a type of intermediary rarely studied in economics before–play a similar role by reducing fixed costs of clearing goods through customs for firms that use them instead of selfdeclaring. Using panel data of Norwegian trade transactions, the paper shows that the majority of manufacturing producers participating in international trade use such brokers, and that the brokers typically handle large trade values on behalf of several different produces. In an econometric analysis, the author finds that the share of a producer’s market specific trade that is self-declared rather than handled by brokers increases with the traded value. This is in line with predictions from theoretical models on trade intermediaries and holds after controlling for observed as well as unobserved factors at the producer, country and product level. Results are similar for exporting and importing, indicating that brokers facilitate both modes of trade.
Utenlandsinvesteringer i sjømatnæringen og norsk tilknytning til EU
This chapter discusses foreign direct investments in the seafood industry and the Norwegian relationship with the EU. While ownership in harvesting is mainly national, the aguaculture industry is characterised by multinational firms. Norway and many EU countries alike, have regulations that limit foreign ownership in harvesting. There is no such regulations in processing or in aquaculture. Alternative trade agreements between Norway and the EU may influence on foreign direct investments in the fishery industries.
Paul Beaumont
Paul Beaumont holds a Ph.D. in International Relations/International Environmental Studies and Development from the Norwegian University of Life S...
Managing a digital revolution: cyber security capacity building in Myanmar
Digitalization is exposing developing countries to a growing number of risks as well as opportunities associated with connecting to the Internet. Myanmar stands out as a critical case of both the pitfalls and the benefits Internet connection can bring. Amidst a political transition from military rule to a functioning democracy Myanmar is adding ICT to key areas like banking and e-government. Having been one of the least connected countries in the world only five years ago the country is now connecting to the Internet at an unprecedented pace, with few institutions in place to ensure the transition goes smoothly. The rapid expansion of Internet connectivity is connecting ever more people to an international world of business, discourse, and entertainment, but also crime, subterfuge, and discord. A crucial aspect for development in the years to come will be the harnessing of the benefits, as well as mitigating the downsides that inherently follow in the wake of Internet access (Schia, 2018). In this chapter, we examine the risks and potential benefits of Myanmar’s embracement of digital technologies.
Risikovurderingsverktøy mot terrorisme og ekstremisme: Erfaringer fra kriminalomsorgen i Nederland, Storbritannia, og Sverige
Spesialiserte verktøy for å vurdere enkeltpersoners risiko for å bli innblandet i terrorisme og voldelig ekstremisme har blitt en sentral del av mange europeiske lands antiterrorarbeid. Denne rapporten gir en oversikt over tre lands ulike beslutninger om å ta i bruk ett av de to mest veletablerte verktøyene brukt i Europa for å vurdere individuell risiko for terrorisme. Både Nederland og Sverige bruker VERA-2R (Violent Extremism Risk Assessment, andre og reviderte versjon) til å vurdere risiko blant innsatte i fengsler, mens Storbritannia benytter ERG22+ (Extremism Risk Guidelines 22+) for det samme formålet. Rapporten ser på hvorfor landene satte i gang med spesialisert vurdering av risiko for terrorisme, belyser de tidlige erfaringer med implementeringen av disse, og peker på noen viktige valg tatt underveis. Rapportens siste del skisserer viktige lærdommer fra hver av de tre landene og analyserer dem i lys av den fortsatt sparsomme forskningslitteraturen på spesialisert terrorismerelatert risikovurdering.
Framing Peace Operations in a Changing Global Landscape
Today is the first day of this year’s Virtual Challenges Annual Forum VCAF20, which runs from 7 to 11 December 2020, with the overarching theme “Framing Peace Operations in a Changing Global Landscape”. The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) is co-hosting the event together with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.