Peace and Stability Operations Programme
The aim of the PSOP-project is to strengthen the ability of UN and other peace and stability actors and institutions to respond to global security challenges, adapt to a changing globa...
Theory seminar: The Planetary Test-bed: Notes to a Theory of Technospheric Governance
At this theory seminar, Professor Orit Halpern will present her draft paper "The Planetary Test-bed: Notes to a Theory of Technospheric Governance”.
Korea’s unfinished war: The UN Command 73 years after the armistice
Norway's role in the Korean War is largely forgotten at home, but South Korea still remembers it. During the war, 683 Norwegians served at NORMASH...
The NB8–Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture
Europe’s security order is undergoing a structural transformation against the backdrop of a multipolar world. Russia’s protracted war against Ukraine and its full-scale sub-threshold warfare against Europe are creating a security environment in which mistakes will carry historic consequences. In this emerging security landscape, Ukraine is no longer merely a recipient of security assistance; it is an important contributor to the development of Europe’s defence capacity. The Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8)-Ukraine security nexus has the potential to become the operational core of a wider European response to Russia’s long-standing security threat. To achieve this, Ukraine must be integrated into Europe’s emerging security architecture now. Data from the Everywhere War Tracker underscores the urgency: more than 450 incidents in the Euro-Atlantic region between 2022 and October 2026, in which Russia’s role has been established. At the same time, although every NB8 state concluded a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine, turning these agreements into operational partnerships has proved difficult and slow: for instance, a solid rocket fuel plant planned in Denmark by Fire Point has been delayed until 2027. What else, beyond its battlefield experience, can Ukraine offer Europe? Why might a “frozen” war turn out to be the calm before a larger storm? What role should Ukraine play in European security? You will find the answers to each of these questions in the report “The NB8–Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture”. The report was prepared by the Sahaidachnyi Security Center (SSC) in cooperation with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI).
Digital Peacebuilding? The Socio-Technicality of Transforming Armed Conflict
This book explores how we can make sense of the increasing use of digital technology in peacebuilding. It studies digital peacebuilding at different stages of conflict, including conflict prevention, conflict mitigation, peace mediation, and sustainable transitions from armed conflict. Moving beyond a focus on individual tools, the book encourages a ‘post-digital’ posture that enables a reflexive position vis-à-vis the appeal of digital innovation. It suggests exploring how technologies are always socially embedded, and how the socio-technicality of digital peacebuilding conditions prospects of conflict transformation. To this end, the book develops the concept of apomediated peacebuilding, which suggests that authoritative knowledge about conflict and peace that underpins digital peacebuilding is generated in decentred peer-to-peer networks that involve both humans and machines. It also encourages a critical-reflexive engagement with how claims about technology and society shape digital peacebuilding. In addition, the book is interested in how these dynamics and outcomes differ globally depending on variations in the degree of digitalization of the conflict context and levels of political repression. The book presents comparative empirical research on digital peacebuilding initiatives in South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Northern Ireland, as well as illustrative examples from several other cases. It delves into a variety of applications, including social media monitoring to counter harmful speech, the use of mobile phones and mobile apps to enable localized early warning and early response, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital dialogues to support peace processes, and everyday online interactions that can foster societal reconciliation and political change.
Science diplomacy and sovereignty in Svalbard
Power politics and security dynamics in the Arctic increasingly manifest themselves in international research and science collaboration. Changes are visible also in the archipelago of Svalbard, where research is increasingly marked by strategic competition and framed in security policy terms. To a greater extent than before, research in the Arctic is defined by security measures and cautiousness. This Policy Brief discusses how Svalbard’s status as both a geopolitical hotspot and a global laboratory for climate research makes for a difficult balancing act.
Hvordan bør Norge forvalte rominfrastrukturen i nord?
How should Norway manage its space infrastructure in the High North when it is at once a security asset, an economic resource and an arena for great-power rivalry? Amid growing pressure from state and commercial actors, Norway’s ability to monitor its own maritime areas, contribute to stability on Svalbard and remain relevant in allied cooperation increasingly depends on this infrastructure.
Breakfast seminar: The NB8-Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture
In this seminar, we will hear from four experts from Ukraine, Sweden and Norway on how the NB8-Ukraine partnership is evolving, what is needed next, and the role of this partnership for the European security architecture.