International Security Programme

Chatham House staff from the International Security Programme attended the British Interactive Media Association Awards on 20 November to receive a prize for their innovative arms control game.

The political ascendancy of Elon Musk and others like him will likely draw Silicon Valley and the Pentagon even closer – a trend that may profoundly impact technology development and further entrench the power of ‘big tech’.

The constant escalation of doomsday language is a distraction from more urgent and practical cybersecurity priorities.

While problems with procurement and recruitment may be being addressed, appointing external reviewers to the Strategic Defence Review is a creative way to overcome inter-service rivalry and build on deep experience.

The country’s nuclear energy industry has languished. The new government’s plans to revive it provide important opportunities, but cybersecurity needs bolstering.

A shrinking army risks the UK’s ability to fulfil its roles within the alliance. Boosting spending on recruitment, retention and upgrading capabilities is essential to maintaining a leadership role.

A new UK government should consider the resilience and preparedness of society as a vital aspect of national security.

Not for the first time, a Western government agency suffered a major data breach where third-party contractors were exploited as a likely weak link.

The nuclear threat is resurgent – more must be done to avert the havoc of escalation.

Alliance countries need better understanding of the risks to their undersea infrastructure, and improved signalling to deter Russian sabotage and hybrid attacks.

Plans for a post-war peace must be made now

Failed tests may help the UK improve the reliability of its independent nuclear deterrent. But such events raise concerns about a lack of investment in non-nuclear defences.

While the e-evidence framework is an important step, major differences with other parts of the world must be overcome to achieve real progress in the fight against cybercrime.

The Court’s final ruling may take years, but it has now taken its decision on ‘provisional measures’.

Decades-old concerns are still not being adequately addressed.

A solid bloc of Eurosceptic parties in power is cause for concern.

Plans to rebuild Gaza after the war must be made alongside securing the safe return of all hostages.

Incremental shared victories can build trust between great powers even though geopolitical realities mean they will continue to push their respective agendas.

The nuclear talks could lay the groundwork for crucial agreement on risk reduction.

AI safety decision-makers cannot prioritize abstract, existential risks over existing, everyday harms to individuals and communities.

The Bletchley Park summit can help the UK assert itself in AI governance. Doing so requires a delicate approach to China.

As NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels, Zelenskyy makes a surprise visit to ensure focus remains on Ukraine.

Who has been taken, what were Hamas’ motives, how common is mass hostage-taking and is there hope for the safe return of hostages?

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is at a dangerous point in its 50-year history. Its failure carries a risk we cannot afford.

In computing, medicine and other fields, quantum tech holds promise – but major power rivalry threatens progress, write Marion Messmer, James Shires and Armida van Rij.

Explaining the UN cybercrime treaty, its potential benefits and risks, key issues in the negotiations, and likely paths forward.

Cynthia Enloe’s ‘Twelve Feminist Lessons of War’ brilliantly demonstrates the importance of women’s experience of and thinking on conflict, writes Megan MacKenzie.

A small protest at a US airbase in Berkshire on September 5 1981 soon became a successful international campaign against nuclear missiles, writes Rebecca Johnson.

The feeling in Kyiv may not be entirely positive, but the NATO alliance has been strengthened by the summit.

Attention will now turn to scrutinizing how Ukraine deploys the US weapons.

The examples of Afghanistan and Ukraine offer insights and lessons for policymakers and private sector actors on how to build and maintain a resilient internet in future conflict and crisis situations.

Cybercrime is a growing threat to global prosperity and national security. Recent attacks against critical services across the world have highlighted the need for countries to take a collaborative and strategic response.

Increasing use of nuclear energy – due partly to innovations in reactor design – will make it more important than ever to protect civil nuclear facilities from cyberthreats, including by applying existing international law.

A principles-based approach to cyber capacity-building offers significant advantages for countries developing the essential capabilities to defend themselves against ever more sophisticated cyberattacks.

Technologies developed by the private sector can exacerbate gendered cyber harms, but also have the potential to counter and mitigate them.

By identifying and understanding the connections between gendered cyber harms, states can take steps to better counter and mitigate these harms.

Protracted and increasingly complex armed conflicts are impacting the ability of assistance organizations to work in accordance with humanitarian principles. Coherent and shared approaches to the principles and greater local participation are central to improving civilian outcomes.

It is increasingly difficult for assistance organizations to provide aid in an impartial and neutral manner, particularly where gender-based marginalization is systemic. Project planning that considers gender and inclusivity can boost the reach of aid and provide more equitable assistance.

International humanitarian efforts are disconnected from the people affected by armed conflict contexts. This paper looks at how the international humanitarian system should respond to rejections of humanitarian principles and improve systems of accountability.

Behavioural insights have already been used to enhance the choice architecture in several areas of public policy. This research paper explores their potential for improving decision-making in nuclear weapons policy.

In this research paper, Juliet Skingsley investigates democratic states’ strategies for balancing utility and risk in offensive cyber operations.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The number of people living in fragile and conflict-affected states where relations between national authorities and major donors are estranged is rising. This research paper from Chatham House and NYU’s Center on International Cooperation identifies emerging best practice and strategic shifts in donor approaches to reflect this new reality.

Human processes and judgments can affect decisions in the nuclear chain of command. Complexity science offers policymakers pathways to reduce escalatory risk.

Specialist international engagement roles within the British armed forces may prove crucial to achieving the objectives of the UK’s Integrated Review.

The EU and the UK need to take the lead in addressing long-standing concerns over lack of transparency and accountability in the use of armed drones, write Jessica Dorsey and Nilza Amaral.

The pandemic crisis has underscored the need for a whole-of-society approach to tackling cybercrime, disinformation and fake news. and power imbalances between governments and big tech.

Quantum technologies represent significant scientific progress, however, security concerns continue to hinder deeper international cooperation.

In this paper, Steven Hill examines what the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons should mean for the members of the NATO Alliance.

This paper presents scenarios in which performance enhancement of military personnel would be ethically permissible, given the unique nature of warfare.

This paper will identify, raise awareness of, and help reduce risks to NATO’s nuclear weapon systems arising from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It aims to respond to the need for more public information on cyber risks in NATO’s nuclear mission, and to provide policy-driven research to shape and inform nuclear policy at member-state level.

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) alliances and proponents of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) are contrasted in this paper.

With roots in the Cold War era, nuclear deterrence theory may not fit current needs. Eight experts produce essays examining contemporary policymaking.

How would the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) respond to a serious cyber incident? This could be a global ransomware event, a critical infrastructure incident targeted at the energy sector, or an attack on government departments. This paper examines cyber resilience in the states of the GCC. 

The fallout from disinformation and online manipulation strategies have alerted Western democracies to the novel, nuanced vulnerabilities of our information society. This paper outlines the implications of the adoption of AI by the the legacy media, as well as by the new media, focusing on personalization.

As internet governance issues emerge in the wake of innovations such as the Internet of Things and advanced artificial intelligence, there is an urgent need for the EU and US to establish a common, positive multi-stakeholder vision for regulating and governing the internet.

Disinformation, as the latest iteration of propaganda suitable for a digitally interconnected world, shows no signs of abating. This paper provides a holistic overview of the current state of play and outlines how EU and US cooperation can mitigate disinformation in the future.

This paper provides an overview of the current landscape in SSA and space traffic management as well as possible scenarios for EU–US cooperation in this area.

The use of AI in counterterrorism is not inherently wrong, and this paper suggests some necessary conditions for legitimate use of AI as part of a predictive approach to counterterrorism on the part of liberal democratic states.

Cyberattacks are increasingly challenging critical national infrastructure. This paper considers the security by design approach for civil nuclear power plants and analyses areas of risk and opportunities for the nuclear industry.