Series

The Center for Security Studies (CSS) performs original research, policy-centered analyses, and consultancy work that focus on Swiss and international security. It performs these activities in order to 1) facilitate a wider understanding of the challenges associated with security policy development, and 2) to contribute to a more peaceful world, primarily by functioning as a bridge between academia and practice. This particular series focuses on current developments and events in foreign and security policy and their contexts. The topics are frequently selected and analyzed for their relevance to Switzerland, but are also generally of interest to an international audience.

Publishers: Center for Security Studies (CSS)
Publications: Hotspot Balkans: Serbia and Kosovo
NATO and Article 5 in Cyberspace
Reaching for the Stars: China's Space Ambitions
The United Nations and Counterterrorism
The Biological Weapons Ban and Scientific Progress
The Promise and Peril of Wargaming
Russia’s Footprint in Africa
The “Rules-​Based Order”: Conflicting Understandings
Russia’s Future as an Energy Power
The Climate Change – Security Interface
Ukraine’s Uncertain Path to the EU
Norms vs. Realities: Cyber at the UN
Russia as a Nuclear Power
Finland’s NATO Accession
NATO’s Strategic Concept: Tempered Ambitions
Geopolitical Dimensions of the Energy Transition
French Defense at a Crossroads
NATO’s Adaptation to the Russia Threat
Russia’s War in Ukraine: India’s Balancing Act
European Defense Policy: Zeitenwende, Ltd.
Russia’s War in Ukraine: China’s Calculus
France: A European Pioneer in the Geopolitics of Technology
The War in Ukraine: First Lessons
AUKUS: Below the Surface
The State of the Islamic State
Understanding Capability-​Based Planning
National Approaches to Ransomware Protection
Regulating Cybersecurity in the Health Care Sector
Microchips: Small and Demanded
The Taliban Takeover and China-​Russia Relations
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova between Russia and the West
From Robots to Warbots: Reality Meets Science Fiction
European Fighter Programs: A Preliminary Assessment
Climate Change in the Swiss Alps
The Persisting Past of Iraq
Contemporary Christian Nationalism in the US
COVID-19: Germany Rethinks Civil Protection
Europe and the Nuclear Ban Treaty
Weaponized and Overhyped: Hypersonic Technology
Geostrategic Storm in the Indian Ocean
Intersectional Conflict Analysis: Religion and Gender
Undermining Trust: Rearmament in the Western Balkans
Local Mediation with Religious Actors in Israel-​Palestine
Yemen – A Playing Field for Regional Powers
CSDP Missions: Addressing their Limited Reform Impact
Digital Disinformation: Evidence from Ukraine
South-​East Asia: A Hotspot in Great Power Rivalry
China and Nuclear Arms Control
Trouble with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean
Mercenaries in the Service of Authoritarian States
Internet Freedom in Retreat
China, Multilateral Banking and Geopolitics
China and Russia Maneuver in the Middle East
Arctic Matters: Sino-​Russian Dynamics
Information Battleground: Vaccines
The WHO’s Dilemma in Global Outbreak Response
Coronavirus: A Double-​edged Sword for China
Virus in the System: Russia and the Corona Crisis
Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity
Digital Technologies in Corona Crisis Management
The Western Balkans between the EU, NATO, Russia and China
The Swiss Candidacy for the UN Security Council
Nuclear Non-​Proliferation in a Deadlock
Integrating AI into Civil Protection
Ukraine: The Religious Dimension of the Conflict
The Colombian Trap: Another Partial Peace
Current Dynamics of Urban Military Operations
Space Security: The Next Decade
New Technologies for Border Controls in Europe
The Middle East and China’s Belt and Road Initiative
National Economic Supply as an Emergency Precaution
Ceasefires in Intra-state Peace Processes
AI in Military Enabling Applications
Russia and China: The Potential of Their Partnership
Kazakhstan: A Centrepiece in China’s Belt and Road
European Strategic Autonomy and the US
Europe and the Global AI Race
UN Mediation in Libya: Peace Still a Distant Prospect
Resilience to Disaster Is No Small Measure
Public Attribution of Cyber Incidents
Unpacking Complexity in the Ukraine Peace Process
Lessons of the War in Ukraine for Western Military Strategy
PESCO Armament Cooperation: Prospects and Fault Lines
Rapprochement on the Korean Peninsula
More Continuity than Change in the Congo
Military Technology: The Realities of Imitation
The OSCE’s Military Pillar: The Swiss FSC Chairmanship
Long-distance Relationships: African Peacekeeping
Trusting Technology: Smart Protection for Smart Cities
The Transformation of European Armaments Policies
Trump’s Middle East Policy
New Challenges in Nuclear Arms Control
Belarus between East and West: The Art of the Deal
Contracting Out – the EU’s Migration Gamble
Swiss Experiences in Addressing Religion in Conflict
The UN Human Rights Pillar on Shaky Ground
Subsidiarity and Swiss Security Policy
Views on Islam in Times of Terrorism
The Putin System
Cybersecurity in Sino-American Relations
President Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review
The Next Steps of North Africa’s Foreign Fighters
Security and Stability in Turkey
Artificial Intelligence: China’s High-Tech Ambitions
The Defense Policies of Italy and Poland: A Comparison
NATO´s Framework Nation Concept
Health Security: The Global Context
OPEC and Strategic Questions in the Oil Market
Mali´s Fragile Peace
Cross-examining the Criminal Court
NATO: Pushing Boundaries for Resilience
Trump and the Future of US Grand Strategy
Mediation in Violent Conflict
Dealing with Jihadist Returnees: A Tough Challenge
Algeria: Stability against All Odds?
Security Measures at Zurich Airport
The Chemical Weapons Ban in Troubled Waters
Defense Choices for the Next French President
Sectarianism in Pakistan
The Urbanization of Disaster Management
Climate Policy after Paris: Inconvenient Truths
The OSCE and the Future of European Security
Constrained Leadership: Germany´s New Defense Policy
Putin´s Next Steppe: Central Asia and Geopolitics
Switzerland and Jihadist Foreign Fighters
Bioweapons and Scientific Advances
Brexit: Implications for the EU´s Energy and Climate Policy
Swiss Border Guard and Police: Trained for an ´Emergency´?
One Belt, One Road: China´s Vision of ´Connectivity´
Ex-Combatants and Post-Conflict Violence: Are Yesterday´s Villains Today´s Principal Threat?
Why Security Sector Reform has to be Negotiated
Libya: In the Eye of the Storm
Transatlantic Energy Security: On Different Pathways?
Peace and Violence in Colombia
Bosnia: Standstill Despite New Strategic Significance
Nordic Security: Moving Towards NATO?
The Legacy of Obama’s Foreign Policy
A Nuclear Deal for Pakistan?
Challenges to Coexistence in Georgia
Is Britain Back? The 2015 UK Defense Review
Revisiting Switzerland’s North Africa Program
The Concept of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE)
Arms Procurement (II): Project Dynamics
Arms Procurement (I): The Political-Military Framework
Military Conscription in Europe: New Relevance
Nonproliferation and Nuclear Energy: The Case of Vietnam
Afghanistan: Back to the Brink
European Security after the 2014 Watershed
Sectoral Sanctions: The Long Arms of Coercive Diplomacy
War in Yemen: Revolution and Saudi Intervention
NATO’s “Spearhead Force”
Global Disaster Politics Post Sendai
Putin’s Russia and European Security
Space: The New Frontier of Security Policy
The Western Balkans between Europe and Russia
Entrenched Positions on Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Sinai Peninsula – from Buffer Zone to Battlefield
EU Foreign Policy: Mogherini Takes Over
The Neo-Caliphate of the “Islamic State”
The US Campaign Against the “Islamic State”
Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems: Future Challenges
Internet Governance: Time for an Update?
The Challenge and Tragedy of Irregular Migration to Europe
NATO after Wales: Dealing with Russia – Next Steps
Separatism in the EU
The EU’s Policy to Secure Gas Supply
Egypt One Year after Morsi’s Ouster
Indonesia: Challenges for the New Government
China in the Indian Ocean
Japan's Military Rebirth
The Bundeswehr in 2014: Between Kabul and Crimea
Testing Times for Saudi Arabia
Russia’s Military Reform: Progress and Hurdles
Dual Use: Dealing with Uranium Enrichment
Kosovo between Stagnation and Transformation
More Responsibility? German Foreign Policy in 2014
Interreligious Tension in South and Southeast Asia
The Sino-Swiss Free Trade Agreement
The Future of Conventional Arms Control in Europe
The Proliferation of Advanced Conventional Weapons
The Kerry Initiative: Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man?
Debating European Defence and Security
Resilience in Security Policy: Present and Future
Kidnapping for Ransom as a Source of Terrorism Funding
China’s Nuclear Arms Build-Up: Background and Consequences
France's New Strategy: The 2013 White Paper
The Struggle for Sweden's Defence Policy
Descending Drones?
Russia in Europe: Strategic Challenges
Tunisia: The Challenges of Transition
The 2014 NSS: Towards an Obama Doctrine?
The Council of Europe: Time for Reform
Lashkar-e-Taiba: Local Organisation, Global Ambitions
Nagorno-Karabakh: Obstacles to a Negotiated Settlement
The ICC: High Expectations, Ambiguous Records
Whole of Government: Integration and Demarcation
European Strategies Against Jihadist Radicalisation
The Nuclear Suppliers Group at the Crossroads
Smart Pooling: State of Play in European Defence and Armaments Cooperation
Nepal’s Faltering Peace Process and Swiss Engagement
The Syrian Civil War: Between Escalation and Intervention
Israeli Perspectives on the Arab Uprisings
The Chemical Weapons Ban: Status and Prospects
The North Korean Nuclear Issue: Between Containment and Dialogue
Swiss Nuclear Phaseout: Energy Supply Challenges
Somalia: Little Hope for Peace
The Arctic: Thaw With Conflict Potential
India-US Relations: Progress Amidst Limited Convergence
NATO's Chicago Summit: Alliance Cohesion Above All Else?
Myanmar: Limited Reforms, Continued Military Dominance
Women, Peace, and Security: UN Resolution 1325 Put to the Test
Iraq After the US Withdrawal: Staring into the Abyss
Implications of the Debt Crisis for Swiss Foreign and Security Policy
PPPs in Security Policy: Opportunities and Limitations
The OSCE: Fighting for Renewed Relevance
Afghanistan: Withdrawal and a Regional Solution?
Representing Foreign Interests: Rebirth of a Swiss Tradition?
Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East: Here to Stay
Swiss Foreign Policy 2012
Mediating Conflicts With Religious Dimensions
Fukushima and the Limits of Risk Analysis
Crisis Mapping: A Phenomenon and Tool in Emergencies
South Africa: A Hamstrung Regional Power
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
New Libya: Political Transition and the Role of the West
A Fragmented Europe in a Frail Congo
Al-Qaida’s Uncertain Future
Pakistan After Bin Laden
EU Foreign Policy: Still in the Making
Russia's North Caucasus: An Arc of Insecurity
The Middle East Conflict: Changing Context, New Opportunities
Brazil: Powering Ahead
Clashing Over Fighters: Winners and Losers
Impartial and Stuck: NATO's Predicament in Libya
Risk Analysis
Human Security: Genesis, Debates, Trends
Nuclear Disarmament: A Slow March on a Long Road
Progress in Biotechnology as a Future Security Policy Challenge
EU Civilian Crisis Management: A Crisis in the Making?
Nato and Missile Defence
NATO Summit: Forward-Looking Decisions, Difficult Implementation
The African Standby Force Put to the Test
Economic Sanctions: Silver Bullet or Harmless Dud?
Intelligence Agencies: Adapting to New Threats
Switzerland and the EU: Challenges and Uncertainties of Bilateralism
Privatising Security: The Limits of Military Outsourcing
Post-Conflict Democratization: Pitfalls of External Influence
The Military Utility of Drones
The Libyan Affair: Afterthoughts on Swiss Crisis Management
Unconventional Gas: Producer Pickle or Consumer Curse?
To Draft or Not to Draft? Conscription Reform in the EU
Obama's Nuclear Policy: Limited Change
Rising India: Challenges and Constraints
UN Security Council Reform: A Gordian Knot?
Cyberwar: Concept, Status Quo, and Limitations
Yemen: Challenges of Counterterrorism
European Energy
Finland: Crisis Management and Territorial Defence
Swiss Military Operations Abroad
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: An Anti-Western Alignment?
The Crisis of the NPT
British Defence Policy at a Crossroads: East of Suez Revisited?
Swiss Civilian Peace Support
Risk Communication in Security Policy
Swiss Foreign Policy 2009: Crises and Challenges
Resilience: A Tool for Preparing and Managing Emergencies
Iran: Domestic Crisis and Options for the West
US$147/B One Year On
The New Appeal of Nuclear Energy and the Dangers of Proliferation
Conflict and Cooperation in Europe's Eastern Neighborhood
Making Waves: Piracy Floods the Horn of Africa
Alliance of Contradictions
Nuclear Disarmament
Strategic Foresight: Anticipation and Capacity to Act
Last Throw of the Dice? US Strategy in Afghanistan
The Swiss Security Policy Report: Key Points and Debates
The Middle East Conflict After the Gaza War
The Campaign Against Terrorism
Pakistan: Anatomy of a Crisis, Skeletal Opportunities
The French White Paper on Defense and National Security
The Growing Importance of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Swiss Foreign Policy: Strategies of a Niche Player
Iran Nuclear Crisis: Status and Options
Comprehensive Approaches to International Crisis Management
US Foreign Policy under Bush: Balance Sheet and Outlook
Security and Development: Convergence or Competition?
Caucasus Crisis: Implications and Options for the West
Africa’s Growing Strategic Relevance
Switzerland and the EU: The Prospects of Bilateralism
Energy Security of the European Union
Switzerland's Controversial Middle East Policy
Information Operations: Trends and Controversies
Cracks in the Foundations: NATO After the Bucharest Summit
Open Source Intelligence: A Strategic Enabler of National Security
The European Armaments Sector: The Need for the State to Adapt
Risk Management in Security Policy
Kosovo's Controversial Independence
ESDP After Lisbon: More Coherent and Capable?
Current Strategic Trends
Climate Change and Security Policy
After Annapolis: A Fragile Peace Process in the Middle East
Environment-Related Conflicts: Balancing Ecology and Politics
Strategic Crisis Management: Trends and Concepts
NATO and EU Rapid Response: Contradictory or Complementary?
Is Turkey Heading for Strategic Reorientation?
Swiss Neutrality: Rhetoric and Relevance
The Korean Peninsula: Room for Cautious Optimism
The Rise of Islamists in the Near East: The EU, the US, and Hamas
Sarkozy to set New Course for French Foreign Policy
Critical Infrastructures: Vulnerabilities, Threats, Responses
Russia is not Breaking with the West
German Defense Policy: Continuity and Change
The Illicit Drug Industry as a Security Policy Challenge
US Missile Defense: A Strategic Challenge for Europe
The Difficult Stabilization of Afghanistan
The EU and the Transformation of European Security
Ahead of the Status Decision: Kosovo Between New Violence and Volatile Peace
The Rise of China: Regional and Global Power Shifts
UN Peace Operations in Transition
The Role of the Private Sector in Security Policy
Biological Risks: Protection from Pandemics and Bioterrorism
After the Baker Commission: What Next in Iraq?
Energy Security: Oil Shortages and their Implications
Iran's Nuclear Ambitions: Options for the West
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