SIPRI Yearbook: 2003 Armaments, Disarmament and International Security

Author: China Institute for Defense and Arms Control
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) presents the 34th volume of the SIPRI Yearbook. In its chapters, it narrates and comments on the major developments in global security over the past year, reflecting the institute's traditional continuity in documentary and analytical work. The year 2002 began under the shadow of recent terrorist attacks on the United States and ended under the shadow of potential (now actual) armed conflict in Iraq. It was a year marked by intense discussions at the global public, political, media, and academic levels about the implications of these events for the mechanisms, planning, values, and beliefs of international security. In this volume of the yearbook, the institute aims to reflect the chaotic situation without being misled by it. As a research institution serving decision-makers, activists, scholars, and students worldwide, SIPRI must persist in analyzing issues from a longer historical perspective and a broader geopolitical angle. When documenting various events, the institute must fully reflect the intricate complexity of current security processes, not just the dominant one or a few aspects—while still having to painstakingly consider and explain why the latter dominates.