IPSI's Peace & Security Report (PSR) is a concise weekly e-publication intended to brief busy students, academics, advocates, and practitioners in the conflict management community on pertinent global news, events, and trends.  Meticulously researched and written by IPSI, the PSR empowers us all to take a step back from our immediate deadlines each Friday and gain a greater understanding of the week's global events.

NOTE: Regular Decision and Scholarship applications are due on Monday, March 11th for the 2013 The Hague and Bologna Symposiums. Learn More and Apply Online >> 

International Women's Day 2013: Message from UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet  

 

In her message for International Women's Day, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet called on the international community to deliver on their commitments and to protect women's right to live free of violence. This year's International Women's Day coincides with the focus on ending violence against women at the UN Commission on the Status of Women - the annual gathering where countries agree on frameworks to address critical issues related to gender equality and women's rights.

 

One of the greatest challenges of our times, violence against women and girls affects up to seven in ten women worldwide. Occurring in multiple forms in all countries and settings, it impacts women and their communities, hampering development, and also costing countries billions of dollars annually in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

 

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BRAZIL: Increased security measures in preparedness for the World Cup

Last Sunday, Brazilian police backed by troops, helicopters, and armored vehicles, moved into the Caju and Barreira do Vasco neighborhoods, known as favelas or shanty-towns, near Rio de Janeiro's international airport.  Local authorities confirmed that more than 1,300 security personnel were involved in the operation. This measure is part of a strategy to wrest control of Rio's poor districts from drug-trafficking gangs before next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. According to government data, the program has reduced criminality and murder rates, shifting the national average from 26 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009, to 10.9 per 100,000 inhabitants during the first half of 2012. Comment: Since 2008, more than 30 favelas in Rio have been "pacified" by the government campaign to improve public security before the World Cup. According to the media, the program has helped to bring down crime rates in and around the communities; however, with over 600 favelas in the city, critics from the opposition suggest that only neighborhoods attractive to tourists or ones near the World Cup and Olympic venues will benefit from the pacification program. (BBC, Security and Technology News, The Rio Times)

 

COLOMBIA: Medellin named the most innovative city

Last weekend, Medellin was named the world's most innovative city by the non-profit Urban Land Institute. Medellin, once known for being the stronghold of Colombia's drugs cartel, beat out Tel Aviv and New York for the award. The institute stated that Medellin had excelled in increasing the mobility of citizens living in poor communities. The city has an efficient metro and cable car system, which allows people to access the city centre easily. Comment: The Urban Land Institute compiled a list of 200 cities based on eight criteria ranging from culture and livability to education and infrastructure.According to financial analysts, the award enhances the positive perception of the city and increases the potential for foreign investment. (BBC, El Tiempo, Global Post)

 

VENEZUELA: President Chavez dies

On Tuesday, President Hugo Chavez died after a two-year battle with cancer, ending the socialist leader's 14-year rule of the South American country and leaving the future of the nation in question. Foreign Minister Elias Jaua announced that VP Maduro will take over as interim leader pending the next election, declaring: "It is the mandate that comandante President Hugo Chavez gave us." A new vote will be called within 30 days. The government has announced seven days of official mourning for the president's death. Comment: Reactions to Chavez's death have been mixed, with some saying his passing was a tragic loss and others calling it an opportunity for Venezuela to  positively alter the political and economic balance in Latin America. (Al Jazeera, BBC News, CNN)

 

 

CHINA: Leadership transition nearly complete

In Tuesday's opening speech of the National People's Congress in Beijing, the current Premier Wen Jiabao expressed the dedication of the Chinese Communist Party to fighting corruption, addressing environmental reform, bridging the income disparity, and strengthening the military. The Congress will meet for the next thirteen days to appoint government posts and decide on economic and foreign policy, ending with a formal transition of power from President Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping and from Premier Wen to Li Keqiang. Comment: The 10.7 percent increase in military spending to 720 billion yuan (USD 114 billion), could impact the nature of ongoing territorial disputes between China and Japan in the East China Sea. Although Xi Jinping has expressed dedication to reform, analysts are skeptical due to the lack of specific measures and continued repression of political freedom. (AP, Xinhua, Aljazeera)

 

MALAYSIA: Government takes military action against Sabah-occupiers                                              

On Tuesday, Malaysian security forces launched ground and aerial attacks against the armed Filipinos who have occupied Lahad Datu in the Sabah State since February 9. "Operation Sovereign" follows a series of smaller skirmishes over the last weekend between the "Royal Sulu Army" and Malaysian police; the current death toll is at sixty, including eight Malaysian police officers. The Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III declared a cease-fire on Thursday, but the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak denied reciprocating and called for complete surrender. Comment: Seventy-four year-old Jamalul Kiram III sent his younger brother and about 100-200 followers to regain the Sabah state in Malaysia, which the Kiram family has historical claims over, possibly in response to the royal family's increasing poverty and the wealth of Sabah's resources. Shell and ConocoPhillips have invested billions of dollars to develop oil and gas fields in Sabah, while Chinese companies invest in hydropower and coal mining. The current conflict jeopardizes the upcoming elections in Malaysia and Philippines, and both governments will investigate opposition involvement. (AP, Aljazeera, Bernama)

 

REGIONAL: UN drafts new sanctions; North Korea threatens to end the 1953 Armistice

The UN Security Council passed a U.S.-China drafted resolution on Thursday imposing harsher sanctions against North Korea (DPRK) in an attempt to obstruct its nuclear arms program and condemn the DPRK's recent violations of past UN resolutions. In response, the DPRK has made threats to renege the 1953 armistice that ended conflict during the Korean War, sever the inter-Korean telephone line, and launch a nuclear strike against the United States. Additional tension on the Korean peninsula stems from the current joint U.S.-South Korean (ROK) military drills, scheduled to occur until April 30, and sources from within the DPRK report that the military has repositioned vehicles and missiles to Gangwon province, which borders South Korea. Comment: North Korea claims the right to nuclear arms due to U.S. hostility. On Wednesday, ROK President Park Gyen-Hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to counter a DPRK threat together, and South Korea announced that it will not tolerate any military provocations. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying requested all relevant parties to remain calm in response to North Korea's threats, but also stated that a peace agreement should eventually replace the 1953 armistice. (AP, Daily NK, Korea Times, Xinhua)

 

BULGARIA: Protesters occupy the streets

On Sunday, National Liberation Day, which celebrates the 135th anniversary of Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule, became a symbol for tens of thousands of protesters calling for the government to address corruption, organized crime, poverty, and the recent increase of electricity prices. Last weekend, President Rosen Plevneliev attempted to set up a 35-member public council to represent the interests of the people, but representatives' competing interests derailed the process. The protestors insist on a national conference to be held on March 9, and until demands are met, protestors are committed to occupying the streets outside of the president's administration building in Sofia. Comment: Last month, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov and his center-right government resigned after protests turned violent. Elections are scheduled for May; an interim government will be appointed next week to fill the void until then. (Reuters, Sofia Globe, Hurriyet Daily News)

 

ITALY: Return to the ballot box could become reality

On Sunday, Pier Luigi Bersani, the Democratic Party leader, challenged Beppe Grillo, head of the 5-Star Movement, to either support a coalition government or return to the polls. In the statement, Bersani put forward two options for an Italian government: one could be a coalition with Berlusconi's People for Freedom Party and the second would be the return of a technocrat government, similar to the previous one led by Mario Monti. The Thursday conviction of Berlusconi over wiretapping could further obstruct the formation of a government. As the informal bargaining continues, Grillo said that his movement will not give a vote of confidence to any coalition. Comment: Although Bersani has secured a majority in the lower house, without forming a coalition of either the People for Freedom Party or the 5-Star Movement, no government can be installed. The political limbo seems to be far from over with the three main political parties appearing deadlocked, causing other members of the European Union as well as the European Central Bank to push for a coalition in order to prevent further financial crisis. (Reuters, BBC, New York Times, the Atlantic)

 

UNITED KINGDOM: "Non-lethal" equipment to the opposition force in Syria

On Wednesday, in a speech to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary William Hague pledged a USD 20 million (£13 million) non-lethal package deal to the Syrian National Coalition in order to "help save lives" as the humanitarian crisis intensifies. The non-lethal package includes armored vehicles and body armor, as well as communication equipment and disease-prevention materials. In his statement, Hague argued that Syria is important to the UK since it prevents peace in the Middle East and causes humanitarian suffering. Some members of parliament have used the example of military involvement in Iraq to raise concerns that additional involvement in Syria could draw the UK into an unwanted military intervention. Comment: Last week, the European Union (EU) announced changes in the terms for the Syrian arms embargo, allowing members of the EU to assist areas that are under opposition control with non-combat logistical and humanitarian support. (BBC, Associated Press, the Telegraph) 

 

Researched/Written by Caroline Larsson

EGYPT: Protests increase in Port Said

On Sunday, violent protests reignited in the streets of Port Said and continued into Tuesday; at least three civilians and three policemen died and hundreds of others were injured. President Mohamed Morsi met with security and military officials on Tuesday to consider pulling the police off the street and giving the military full control over Port Said; local police have shown a willingness to use excessive force and their control over the situation is slowly deteriorating. Comment: The surge in violence is due to the verdicts expected on March 9 for the 52 defendants involved in the February 2012 Port Said football massacre that killed 74 people and left over 1000 injured. Protests have been ongoing in Port Said since late January when 21 people were sentenced to death for their involvement in the football massacre. (Al Jazeera, CNN, Haaretz)

 

IRAQ: Syrian soldiers killed in Anbar province

On Monday, an ambush killed 48 unarmed Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi soldiers as their convoy was on route back to Syria. The soldiers originally fled to Iraq seeking medical attention. Iraq's defense ministry says that the attack was carried out by a terrorist group that had crossed into Iraq from Syria. The soldiers had entered Iraq at the Yaarabiya border crossing where heaving fighting on Saturday between the Syrian army and opposition forced Iraqi military to fire warning shots. Comment: Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said that a victory for the Syrian opposition force will cause a sectarian war within Iraq. The defense ministry also issued a warning to both sides of the Syrian conflict to not bring the violence any closer to Iraqi borders. This week's ambush was not the first time Iraq experienced a spill-over effect of the war; last September, a five year old girl was killed when Syrian rockets struck a border town in the al Qaim area. (Al Jazeera, Reuters, Al Jazeera)

 

ISRAEL: UNICEF accuses Israel of mistreating detained Palestinian children

On Wednesday, UNICEF reported that Palestinian children detained by Israeli authorities have faced cruel and inhumane treatment that violates international law. The report indicates that the treatment of the Palestinian children, including physical and mental abuse, painful restraints, coercion, and blindfolding, has become an institutionalized practice for Israeli authorities. Around 700 children between the ages of 12 and 17 are arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank every year. Israeli officials said that the current methods of interrogation are geared toward adult terrorists, so it has become increasing difficult to deal with the rise in children who are becoming involved in the conflict. Comment: Even though the report indicates widespread violation of child abuse laws, it also notes that Israeli prison authorities have made "positive changes" for dealing with minors in recent years. Some of these changes include preventing pain and injury, informing the child to his/her right to a lawyer, and informing the child's parents of his/her detention. (Al Jazeera, BBC, Saudi Gazette, Al Arabiya)

 

SYRIA: Syrian rebels detain UN peacekeepers

On Wednesday, armed Syrian rebels detained 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, the zone separating Israel and Syria, as the peacekeepers conducted a routine supply mission. The captors have identified themselves as the Martyrs of Yarmouk and are using the hostages to force Assad's regime to withdraw from Jamlah. The UN Security Council and the Philippines called for the immediate and unconditional release of the peacekeepers on Thursday. Comment: The Martyrs of Yarmouk have also accused the UN peacekeepers of assisting the Syrian regime and supporting Assad. Colonel Arnulfo Burgus, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said that the hostages are safe and they are being treated with respect. Vitaly Churkin, UN Security Council president, said that talks are underway with the captors, and he urged countries with ties with Syrian opposition to call for the release of the peacekeepers. (Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, BBC)

 

Researched/Written by Kevin Coughlin