The World Today

At the beginning of June the oil markets began to fluctuate nervously, the business of the United Nations Security Council ground to a halt and newspapers around the world turned their attention back to the on-going struggle between the world’s remaining superpower and its foremost rogue state. After over a decade of war, regional instability and human suffering, the problem of Iraq is once more dominating international diplomacy.

It is not an easy task to rid former conflict zones of small arms and light weapons. They can’t be bought because that encourages a market, so why not offer development programmes as incentives? If schools and water supplies follow weapons bonfires, who can deny that peace is on the agenda?

After the end of the Kosovo war in 1999, an atmosphere of uncertainty hung over the southern Balkans. This was closely linked to the central problem of indecision about the political future of Kosovo. But last year the situation was apparently transformed. With the fall of Milosevic, Serbia became the favoured Balkan partner for the European Union, and pro-western forces in Albania and Montenegro were downgraded. As a result, many Albanians and Montenegrins resent the fickleness of the international community. In the absence of proper regional security arrangements, Albanians believe their country is surrounded by unfriendly states, particularly Serbia and Greece.

After eleven years of trying to solve the Kashmir problem militarily, India is exploring the possibility of a politically negotiated settlement. For the first time since the 1998 nuclear tests, the military coup in Islamabad, and the Kargil war of May 1999, the Indian and Pakistani heads of government are to meet. Yet, far from optimism over the timing and possible outcome of this month’s talks, the mood in the sub-continent is laced with cynicism.

Public differences on climate policy between the US and Europe have provided yet another opportunity for each to indulge its favorite stereotype of the other. Greater recognition of the political realities on both sides of the Atlantic, and greater honesty about the strengths and weaknesses of the Kyoto Protocol, are required if there is to be a climate agreement.

At the start of the twenty first century, with no pressing human need for whale meat or other products, and most whale populations still reeling from the apocalyptic exploitation that led to a global ban on commercial hunting, why is this issue still dividing nations? This month the International Whaling Commission meets in London to finalise details of a possible resumption of commercial whaling, but the implications extend far beyond whales to the international horse-trading behind other environmental agreements.