Center for Security Studies

Resources

The purpose of the Resources section of the CSS website is outreach - i.e., it features the analyses of CSS experts, external partners and like-minded institutions in order to promote dialogue on international relations and security-related issues. CSS Resources is the successor to the International Relations and Security Network (ISN).

CSS News

Unequal Access to UN Human Rights Bodies

The United Nations Special Procedures operate a human rights complaint mechanism for individuals. Despite being open for all individuals in principle, complaints are frequently filed by socioeconomic elites from high-income countries.

Geopolitical Echoes of the Karabakh Conflict

The capture of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijani forces in September 2023 signaled a regional power shift. The Armenian military stayed out of the conflict, and Russian troops stationed on the ground to maintain peace failed to prevent hostilities. As Russian influence declines, Armenia is reassessing its relationship with Moscow. Prospects for peace are uncertain and fears of renewed conflict persist.

The New Frontier of Space Militarization

The exploitation of space today is increasingly driven by the innovations of private actors. Confronted with Russia’s military aggression, Ukraine showed how nations with little or no space capabilities can leverage commercial space infrastructure for combat. The massive reliance on commercial actors to provide vital support for Ukraine’s military operations suggests a new round of the militarization of space, one that private actors increasingly dominate.

Bulletin 2023 on Swiss Security Policy

The Bulletin 2023, which deals with current Swiss foreign and security policy topics, is now available.

Cyber Rapid Response Teams: Structure, Organization, and Use Cases

Cyber rapid response teams are becoming an increasingly prevalent form of incident response and mitigation at the national and supranational level. Nation-​states and international organizations have begun building out teams to efficiently manage incidents and leverage expertise across borders. 

Featured Publications

May 2023 | Publications

Russian Analytical Digest No. 294: Whither Russia?

In this issue of the RAD eight Russia scholars with different backgrounds provide shorter comments on key areas of Russia’s future development. Taken together, the contributions cover Russia’s political regime, society and public opinion as well as the impact of sanctions and Russia’s role in international politics. Several contributions highlight the huge uncertainty involved in any assessments of Russia’s future. Accordingly, the authors do not make predictions but outline possible trends.

Feb 2023 | Publications

Russian Analytical Digest No 292: The Value of Public Opinion Polls

This issue focuses on the methodological challenges of wartime polling. Denis Volkov engages with criticisms of Levada surveys. Bryn Rosenfeld answers four questions about wartime surveys. Jeremy Morris challenges the very existence of public opinion. Heiko Pleines introduces Discuss Data’s collection of open-​access raw opinion data. Anna Biriukova discusses wartime polling by Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-​Corruption Foundation. Elena Koneva and Alexander Chilingaryan highlight how the sociology of war is crucial for policymakers. Aleksei Minialo reflects on activist polling. Finally, Emil Kamalov, Ivetta Sergeeva, Margarita Zavadskaya, and Veronica Kostenko discuss their original panel survey data of the most recent wave of emigration.

Jan 2023 | Publications

No 131, Caucasus Analytical Digest: Informality and Informal Practices in the Time of COVID-19: The Case of Georgia

The topic of this issue is Informality and Informal Practices in the Time of COVID-​19: The Case of Georgia. Firstly, Irakli Korkia addresses corruption by analyzing 1) simplified state procurement procedures related to the healthcare sector and quarantine zones and 2) the vaccine deployment process; secondly, Rhiannon Segar discusses how informal forms of social capital have impacted the dissemination of information during the pandemic in the Georgian-​Armenian and Georgian-​Azerbaijani ethnic minority communities; thirdly, Tamar Tolordava underlines the importance of institutions (formal and informal) to help citizens learn about and internalize the new rules and restrictions important to defeating the pandemic.

CSS Blog Network

Here is a selection of articles recently featured on our blog.

Search CSS Resources

Newsletter

Want to keep up to date with CSS? Sign up to our monthly newsletter here.

Contact

You can get in touch with CSS Resources via .

JavaScript has been disabled in your browser