NAPSNet 19 April 2012

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet 19 April 2012", NAPSNet Weekly Report, April 19, 2012, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/napsnet-19-april-2012/

DETERRENCE: The politics of a Korea-Japan NWFZ, Leon Sigal, NAPSNet Special Report (17 April 2012) [PDF, 0.1 MB]

The only way to prevent Pyongyang from restarting its plutonium program, producing enough enriched uranium for a weapon, or testing warheads and missiles, is to negotiate in earnest and test whether it is prepared to stop and reverse course.

DPRK: DPRK rejects UNSC’s act to violate DPRK’s legitimate right to launch satellite, KCNA (17 April 2012)

The UNSC condemned North Korea’s rocket launch and pledged to sanction “additional entities and items” that support the DPRK’s missile program. North Korea responded by rejecting the UNSC measure, pledging to launch more satellites, and declaring that it would no longer be bound by the February 29th Agreement. North Korea also promised that it would “take necessary retaliatory measures” to respond to the UNSC condemnation of the launch.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Pakistan floods emergency: Lessons from a continuing crisis, Shaheen Chughtai and Cate Heinrich, Oxfam et al., pp. 1-16 (2012) [PDF, 3.36 MB]

Shaheen Chughtai and Cate Heinrich argue that greater political commitment and resources are necessary to tackle the social and economic injustices that leave vulnerable groups such as women, children and elderly and disabled people at particular risk from hazards such as floods and earthquakes in Pakistan. They call for the international aid community to provide timely and adequate funding and technical support to Pakistan’s efforts.

ENERGY SECURITY: Nuclear power and natural justice, Praful Bidwai, Financial Chronicle (4 April 2012)

In Asia– Fukushima at one end, Iran at the other– nuclear governance issues have come to the fore again and have also affected the fuel markets. In India, a secretive establishment has resorted to state violence. South Korea hosted a Nuclear Industry Summit, even as idling of two old domestic units has created anxieties about political support. Power and/or fuel shortages worsen; sanctions on Iran prove lucrative for India and China.

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: US, South urge North to listen, Moon Gwang-lip, Joongang Ilbo (19 April 2012)

The US and ROK urged the DPRK to make the “right decision” following last week’s failed satellite launch and subsequent suspending of a US-DPRK food aid deal reached in February. The ROK praised China’s support of a UNSC resolution, stressing China’s importance in Korean peninsula affairs. Despite recent tensions, however, civilian exchanges between the Koreas will continue, according to the ROK Unification Minister.

CLIMATE SECURITY: Much ado about conflict? Climate’s links to violence re-examined, Nils Petter Gleditsch, New Security Beat (28 March 2012)

The Journal of Peace Research investigated weaknesses in writing on climate change and conflict, concluding that pessimistic predictions may not be warranted in the short to medium run. As yet there is not much evidence for climate change as an important driver of conflict. Although environmental change may under certain circumstances increase the risk of violent conflict, the existing evidence indicates that this is not generally the case.

 

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