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Why in the News?
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has released its yearbook highlighting some trends of the past year in international security.
The expected rise of the global nuclear arsenal was the chief cause of concern among SIPRI experts
Key Highlights of the Yearbook
Trends in Military Spending:
During 2012-2021, military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has largely been stable
Russia leads the charge in absolute numbers of nuclear inventory (5977) followed by the USA(5428)
Global Arms Imports:
Military modernisation is seen to be a global trend
India was the top weapons importer during the 2017-2021 period
Other countries in the top five arms importers list include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, and Australia
These five nation-states account for 38% of total global arms imports.
Concerns flagged by the yearbook:
It mentions the following as worrying indicators of an unstable system.
Low-level border clashes between India and Pakistan
The civil war in Afghanistan, and
Armed conflict in Myanmar as some of the worrying indicators of an unstable system
It highlighted three cause of concern trends:
Chinese-American rivalry
Involvement of state and non-state actors in multiple conflicts, and
The challenge that climatic and weather hazards pose
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised some serious concern because of the continuous rhetoric from the Kremlin over them not shying away from the use of nuclear weapons
China’s recent activities surrounding the construction of 300 new nuclear missile silos have also been turning heads
The report claimed that Iran’s military budget grew to $24.6 billion, growing for the first time in four years
General attitude among countries about existing nuclear and arms-related treaties:
The leaders of the P5 countries (China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.) issued a joint statement affirming the belief that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”
This highlights collective belief that bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements and commitments were indeed important
The nation-states are making sure to remain well within the ambit of what the treaties and agreements ask for
The states are aware of the value of the rhetoric and the security dilemma that their actions present
The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent NATO bids by Finland and Sweden seem to be telling events
The year 2021 also saw the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 2017 coming into effect
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regimes (MTCR) held their annual meetings despite decision making being limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic
What lies ahead?
A strong political opposition would be needed to help keep the ruling dispensation in check
Furthermore, the two largest nuclear weapons-holding states need to take on a more engaging role in the international arena
Negotiation should be used by nations to reach a peaceful settlement
