- DETERRENCE: Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons
- DPRK: N.Korea Seeks Four-Party Nuclear Talks
- ENERGY SECURITY: The Next Hurricane, and the Next
- GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: China VP tells S. Korea he’s ‘very furious’ over Japan’s rightward shift
- CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Using Science for Disaster Risk Reduction: Report of the ISDR Scientific and Technical Advisory Group
DETERRENCE: Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, Yen-Chiang Chang, Energy Policy, 2009, 37:6, pp. 2131-2135
Chang examines the NPT and CTBT re the threat or use of nuclear weapons and the ICJ advisory opinion on the legality thereof. He concludes that lack of explicit enforcement mechanisms make the treaties ineffective and notes that ICJ did not explain what “extreme circumstances of defense” might make use of nuclear weapons legal. [subscription required]
- U.S. shows nuclear facilities to reassure Japan, allies on deterrence, Yoshihiro Makino, Asahi Shimbun, July 30, 2013
- Roberts: Japan shown U.S. military facilities to confirm ‘nuclear umbrella, ‘Yoshihiro Makino, Asahi Shimbun, July 31, 2013
- How Do You Say “Do You Have Anything Else” in Japanese?, Jon Wolfsthal, July 31, 2013
DPRK: N.Korea Seeks Four-Party Nuclear Talks, Yonhap News Agency, (26 August 2013)
Cautious optimism continues after North Korea asked for Four Party Talks. Explicitly including ROK signals some DPRK flexibility and possibly acceptance of “trustpolitik” to a degree. China’s chief Six Party negotiator is in North Korea – likely to study their arrangements to talk. U.S. Assistant Secretary Daniel Russel will visit China, Korea and Japan just as U.S. Human Rights Envoy Robert King leaves after 10 days in the same three countries.
- Enlarged meeting of WPK Central Military Commission held under guidance of Kim Jong Un. (North) Korea Central News Agency (25 August 2013)
- Chinese negotiator in DPRK. Li Xiaokun, ChinaDaily USA (28 August 2013)
- Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King’s travel to North Korea. U.S. Department of State (27 August 2013)
ENERGY SECURITY: The Next Hurricane, and the Next, Editorial, New York Times [23 August 2013] commenting on Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy, report of a Task Force
The Times editorial reports that the US “President’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force … identifies 11 climate-related disasters costing an estimated a $100 billion in damages in the last year alone,” and calls Hurricane Sandy “yet another harbinger of the calamities that await in an era of climate change”. The Task Force report asks for revised building codes, the current ones “making it too easy for homeowners to patch what they have rather than spend extra to prepare for another Sandy”. In Miami, expansion of sewage facilities have to take into account climate – or climate change. But beachfront homes will increase.
- Miami’s decrepit sewage system in desperate need of repair, Greg Allen, National Public Radio [27 August 2013]
- You’re going to get wet: Americans are building beachfront homes even as the oceans rise, The Economist [15 June 2013]
- Dirty water and poor hygiene stunting growth or millions, Sarah Morrison, the Independent [31 July 2013]
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: China VP tells S. Korea he’s ‘very furious’ over Japan’s rightward shift, Ida Torres, Japan Daily Press (21 August 2013)
China’s Vice Premier told ROK lawmakers that China is “very serious” about Japan’s shift to the right and push to revise its Constitution, calling for a coordinated approach with the ROK to address issues with Japan. China and the ROK are both calling for Japan to change its stance and continue to rule out talks in the near future. An Asahi Shimbun poll found that 59% of respondents do not support a revision of Japan’s Constitution.
- S. Korea-Japan relations “locked in tunnel”: Seoul foreign minister, Yonhap (23 August 2013)
- China rules out talks with Japan on disputed Diaoyus, South China Morning Post (28 August 2013)
- Asahi poll: 59% against moves to allow right to collective self-defense, Asahi Shimbun (26 August 2013)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Using Science for Disaster Risk Reduction: Report of the ISDR Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, Southgate RJ et al., The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – UNISDR (2013)
The more widespread integration of science into disaster risk reduction policy will depend on science being ‘useful’, ‘useable’ and ‘used’. The science can: (i) be driven by the need to address the adverse effects of disasters on lives, livelihoods, economies and societies (ii) enable more focused disaster risk assessment (iii) reduce the impact of disasters by better forecasting, and (iv) improve disaster risk mitigation programs.
- Disaster impacts/2000-2012, The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – UNISDR (2013)
- Reducing disaster risks through science: issues and actions, Scientific and Technical Committee, The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – UNISDR (2009)
The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found—North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region.
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Editor
- Saegan Swanson (while Arabella Imhoff is on leave)
Contributors
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- Governance and Civil Society: Dyana Mardon
- Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
- DPRK: Roger Cavazos
- Energy Security: Nikhil Desai
- Climate Change and Security: Richard Tanter