The tenth anniversary of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) coming into force provides a unique opportunity for reflection on the impact and challenges of the Treaty to date.
We took some time to talk with Roy Isbister and Elizabeth Kirkham from Saferworld’s Arms Unit and to reflect on their experience of working on the global treaty to regulate the international arms trade. The discussion explores Saferworld’s involvement in bringing the Treaty into existence, the main successes and challenges of the ATT since its adoption, and the progress they hope to see from states in the future.
The next decade will bring new challenges for arms control. Saferworld, alongside civil society partners, will continue working to ensure the ATT does ultimately fulfil the promise of its object and purpose. Strategic funding partnerships are crucial for innovation, rapid response to crises, and for building the networks that create high-impact initiatives like the ATT.
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27:12
Where next for the UK Integrated Security Fund?
With a new Labour government in power after the UK’s 2024 General Election, what does the future hold for the UK’s Integrated Security Fund (UK ISF)?
The UK ISF is a cross-government fund designed to address UK national security challenges, with a budget of approx. £1 billion. The idea of such a fund began in 2001 when a previous Labour government introduced the Conflict Pool, which evolved in 2015 to become the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), and evolved again in 2023 to become the UK Integrated Security Fund. It supports a wide range of projects around the world, from training overseas security forces to high-level dialogue between geopolitical rivals; and from supporting women’s rights organisations to tackle gender-based violence, to involvement in de-mining initiatives.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Gaurav Saini, co-founder of the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR), a think tank based in New Delhi, India. We also hear from Lewis Brooks, Saferworld’s UK Policy and Advocacy Advisor. We discuss their respective experiences of engaging with the UK ISF (and its previous iterations), including any gaps or challenges that stem from the national security approach it takes, and hear what they hope to see from the UK ISF moving forwards under a new government.
As Lewis Brooks says in the episode, “If you want to understand UK security and conflict policy around the world, then you need to understand this fund”.
Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.
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36:34
Somalia’s security sector after the African Union withdrawal
With the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) set to withdraw and the al-Shabaab insurgency still posing a very real threat, how can the Somali security sector address some of the challenges facing the region?
In this episode of Warpod, we speak with regional security analyst and Somalia security expert Samira Gaid alongside Saferworld’s Country Director for Somalia Ali Hersi. We discuss the security challenges that Somali citizens and civil society organisations face, we look at some of problems with the coordination between international actors that have been undermining peacebuilding efforts, and at the importance of investing in community reconciliation and dialogue to address security challenges in the long term.
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35:23
The impact of US and European elections on UK security policy
Our conversation with Olivia O’Sullivan and Christine Cheng was so interesting that it ended up being too long to fit into one episode. This shorter bonus episode focuses on how the next UK government might approach US and EU relationships.
If you haven’t listened to the full episode, you can do by clicking here or searching for Ep#5 How are UK political parties thinking about security policy?
Olivia O'Sullivan is the Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House and contributor to their podcast, Independent Thinking. Christine Cheng is a senior lecturer in War Studies at King's College London.
Saferworld, as a registered charity, is not politically affiliated in any way and is both politically neutral and impartial.
Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.
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14:37
How are UK political parties thinking about security policy?
The UK’s place in the world is changing, and so is the nature of the conflict around the world. With new risks and developing dynamics pulling policymakers and politicians in different directions, we spoke to great guests.
Olivia O'Sullivan is the Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House and contributor to their podcast Independent Thinking.
Christine Cheng is senior lecturer in War Studies at King's College London.
Our discussion gives insight into how UK political parties approach security policy making and the various challenges they face. We cover the ways in which the UK’s major parties would respond to current conflicts and crises, the areas of consensus between their approaches, the difficulties in communicating foreign policy and security challenges to domestic populations, and the potential reorientation of the UK’s foreign policy under a prospective Labour government. We also spoke about the role of foreign policy and commentary on it in the upcoming UK election more broadly, and the need for inclusive and constructive debates on security challenges.
Saferworld, as a registered charity, is not politically affiliated in any way and is both politically neutral and impartial.
Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.
Every month, Charlie Linney and Lewis Brooks speak to a diverse group of practitioners, experts, and commentators from around the world to discuss the impacts of security policy on contemporary conflict.
Join us to talk about the long-term implications of securitised interventions and policies, both for democratic controls over the use of force in Europe, the US and elsewhere and for the communities most impacted in places like the Middle East, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, South America and South-East Asia.
South Africa