Johan Bergenas

Unlike the Cold War era, today’s global threat horizon is not defined by a single or a few large threats. Rather, our common security is challenged by a horizontal portfolio of problems that transcends borders, including everything from the trafficking of small arms and drugs to the smuggling of cigarettes. All of these scourges have a disproportionately negative impact upon developing economies. more

The process of globalization has revolutionized international affairs, resulting in soaring economic growth and development that has benefitted almost all countries. But the undercurrents of globalization include challenges such as drug, arms and human trafficking on the national, regional and international levels. A crucial part of any strategy to combat these ills is the expansion and improvement of information-sharing among governments and private-sector actors in the international arena. more

The U.S. government’s efforts to reduce its budget deficit has put funding for development aid and even defense spending on the chopping block. With advocacy groups and lobbyists in Washington now fighting to minimize the damage to their interests, little attention has been given to an innovative way to achieve security and development objectives amid financial austerity: leveraging the private sector. more

Thirty years of globalization has propelled widespread economic growth across Southeast Asia. Yet, these positive development trends are accompanied by a darker side of globalization, which threatens to undercut the remarkable gains of the past quarter-century. Preserving those gains at a time of global financial austerity will require dual-benefit development assistance and engagement with the private sector.

The case for leveraging foreign assistance with a dual-benefit approach has never been stronger. Traditional security-related assistance can be tapped to help meet internal development goals and human security priorities while addressing counterterrorism and nonproliferation obligations. The net result is a sustainable relationship for governments working toward similar goals. more

The concept of linking responses to terrorism with development objectives in order to reduce radicalization is not new. For decades, international security analysts and governments made the case for enhanced cooperation, even while development specialists have warned against the "securitization" of development assistance. But to date, little has been done to practically link the two. more

The impact of small arms and light weapons in East Africa goes far beyond their immediate capacity to kill and maim. Arms trafficking undermines all aspects of human security and diminishes prospects for economic development. With domestic and international funding increasingly scarce, it is essential to leverage existing sources of foreign assistance to address the problem. more

Urbanization and changing lifestyles in Africa, coupled with inadequate public health infrastructure, threaten to deepen a longstanding public health crisis. With OECD projections indicating significant reductions in traditional development assistance on the horizon, the international community needs to seize additional opportunities to reach beyond the standard sources of funding.
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A toxic mix of development and security challenges is preventing East Africa from participating in the positive progress other parts of the world have been enjoying for decades. Opportunities exist to leverage existing sources of aid funding in ways that can bridge the gap in priorities between North and South, but they remain untapped because the discourse on better linking security with development remains vague. more

In the coming months, numerous governments in the Middle East will likely need resources to rebuild and reform their countries in accordance with popular demands to expand freedoms and implement democratic rule. The West should actively help by using dual-benefit security assistance to further its goals, while simultaneously providing opportunities for Middle Eastern countries to build free societies. more

This weekend, Saudi Arabia will gather Gulf Cooperation Council countries and other Middle Eastern states to collaborate on fighting the spread of weapons of mass destruction to terrorist organizations. The initiative reaffirms that regional cooperation is an emerging and powerful facet of international politics. This is not just hyperbole; there is ample evidence worldwide to back it up. more

The United States isproposing to allocate $1.2 billion of military equipment and training over the next six years to combat al-Qaida in Yemen. In response, critics are calling for a more holistic approach. Presently lacking in this debate is the understanding that security and development are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, both interests can be advanced simultaneously using a dual-track approach.
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The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, and Iran's top nuclear negotiator are currently involved in a diplomatic dance over resuming talks on Tehran's nuclear program. If the talks take place, Ashton could assume the negotiating role previously played by her predecessor, Javier Solana. While Solana's efforts did not bear fruit, the circumstances that hampered his attempts have since improved. more

The recent conclusion of a new bilateral strategic arms treaty between the United States and Russia is important for both countries' security. Yet seen through the prism of nuclear disarmament, it is but a baby step. More substantial progress toward the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons will only come to fruition if credible middle powers help defuse tensions between the nuclear haves and the have-nots. more

With the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference around the corner, President Barack Obama is in dire need of a credible arms control and disarmament achievement worthy of the lofty agenda he articulated almost a year ago in Prague. Ridding Europe of U.S. nuclear weapons is one possible goal. But to do so, he will have to reject flawed and outdated arguments that stand in the way. more

President Barack Obama's lofty pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons is off to a peculiar start. But the main reasons are not Kim Jong Il's nuclear saber-rattling on the Korean peninsula or the centrifuges continuing to spin in Iran, but rather the failure of the disarmament community to engage youth movements as an antidote to the cynicism that permeates the entire debate. more