The Japanese military presence in the Horn of Africa commenced in 2009, when two Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) destroyers were dispatched to the region to participate in counterpiracy operations following an emergency order from the cabinet. In 2011, in order to facilitate this, Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) Base Djibouti was established.

In the last months of 2020, Israel normalized its ties with four Arab countries. In the case of Morocco, the US issued a proclamation, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, making it the first country in the world to do so. What consequences such recognition will have on what is essentially a conflict in limbo is unclear.

While there is no doubt that both national and international anti-piracy laws will lead to better conditions for the fight against piracy, it is evidently important to be aware of the opportunities that national laws have where international law cannot deliver.

While there are obvious reasons that cause cybersecurity problems in the healthcare industry to be particularly burdensome during a pandemic, organizations should realize the importance of cybersecurity and lead the charge from within.

Not only is military intervention justifiable in certain circumstances, but the simple existence of the possibility of such action occurring could also make beneficial contributions towards curtailing the occurrences of GBV and discrimination.

The Human Security Centre (HSC) has joined with 49 other organisations and experts in signing the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) open letter to governments which relays concerns that crimes against humanity and genocide are taking place against Uyghurs in East Turkistan.

The House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee has published its report on its inquiry into the UK’s policy in Afghanistan. The Human Security Centre submission provided extensive analysis and featured in 7 recommendations.

The warming of relations between Russia and China in the Arctic has driven some Western policymakers to declare that an ‘Arctic Alliance’ has formed between the two powers. However, a deeper examination of the evidence indicates that a destabilising partnership between the two powers is far from apparent.

How can the seemingly widespread support for arms control in outer space be reconciled with the establishment of an ever-growing number of national military space commands? How does the weaponisation of space relate to its militarisation? And what does the future hold – constellations of orbiting doomsday lasers or peaceful exploration and commerce?

To adapt our security response to hybrid wars and to ensure the safety of our citizens, it appears necessary for many strategists to unify civil and military counterinsurgency, to give a greater role to civilians in defense and security fields, to work in close collaboration with different sectors and combining capabilities, as well as to choose technologically driven solutions.