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17041. Drugs in Afghanistan—A Forgotten Issue?

Author:
William Byrd and David Mansfield
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
Opium will continue to be an important part of the Afghan landscape—with political and security as well as economic ramifications. The ongoing security transition (2011-2014) will be accompanied by greater risks to Afghani­stan's polity, security and economy from the illicit drug industry—including through likely further increases in opium production.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Corruption, Crime, Terrorism, War on Drugs, and Narcotics Trafficking
Political Geography:
Afghanistan

17042. What Is Boko Haram?

Author:
Andrew Walker
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
Boko Haram is an Islamic sect that believes politics in northern Nigeria has been seized by a group of corrupt, false Muslims. It wants to wage a war against them, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria generally, to create a “pure” Islamic state ruled by sharia law. Since August 2011 Boko Haram has planted bombs almost weekly in public or in churches in Nigeria's northeast. The group has also broadened its targets to include setting fire to schools. In March 2012, some twelve public schools in Maiduguri were burned down during the night, and as many as 10,000 pupils were forced out of education. Boko Haram is not in the same global jihadist bracket as Algeria's al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or Somalia's al Shabab. Despite its successful attack on the UN compound in Abuja in August 2011, Boko Haram is not bent on attacking Western interests. There have been no further attacks on international interests since that time. Following the failed rescue of hostages Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara in north¬eastern Nigeria in March 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan played up the connections between the group and international terrorism. However, links between Boko Haram and the kidnappers are questionable. It is difficult to see how there can be meaningful dialogue between the government and the group. The group's cell-like structure is open for factions and splits, and there would be no guarantee that someone speaking for the group is speaking for all of the members. Tactics employed by government security agencies against Boko Haram have been consis-tently brutal and counterproductive. Their reliance on extrajudicial execution as a tactic in “dealing” with any problem in Nigeria not only created Boko Haram as it is known today, but also sustains it and gives it fuel to expand. The group will continue to attack softer targets in the northeast rather than international targets inside or outside Nigeria. It is also likely to become increasingly involved in the Jos crisis, where it will attack Christian indigenes of the north and try to push them out. Such a move would further threaten to destabilize the country's stability and unity.Now that the group has expanded beyond a small number of mosques, radical reforms in policing strategy are necessary if there is to be any progress in countering the group. Wide¬spread radical reform of the police is also long overdue throughout Nigeria. As a first step, jailing a number of police officers responsible for ordering human rights abuses might go some way to removing a key objection of the group.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Security, Islam, Religion, United Nations, Armed Struggle, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:
Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, and Somalia

17043. Afghanistan's Civil Order Police

Author:
Robert M. Perito
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
In 2006, a day of deadly riots in Kabul dramatized the need for an Afghan constabulary force capable of controlling outbreaks of urban violence. In response, the U.S. military and Afghan authorities created an elite gendarmerie, the Afghanistan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP). Although ANCOP was conceived of as a riot control force, it was assigned to the Focused District Development Program to replace district-level Afghan Uniformed Police who were away for training. The high demand and constant transfers required by this duty resulted in rates of attrition among ANCOP units of 75 to 80 percent. In 2010, ANCOP's superior training, firepower, and mobility were recognized in its assignment, along with a “surge” of U.S. military forces, to reverse the Taliban's hold on key areas in southern Afghanistan. In heavy fighting in Marja, Helmand province, ANCOP was demonstrably unprepared to serve as a counterinsurgency force, particularly in areas that had not been cleared by coalition and Afghan military forces. Subsequent improvements in training and partnering with U.S. forces improved ANCOP's performance in Kandahar, where ANCOP was used to hold areas that had been cleared by the military. By 2011, ANCOP had firmly established its place as an elite rapid reaction and counterinsurgency force with a positive reputation among coalition troops and Afghan citizens.
Topic:
Security, NATO, and Law Enforcement
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, United States, and Taliban

17044. Moving Forward with the Legal Empowerment of Women in Pakistan

Author:
Anita M. Weiss
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
The history of laws affecting women's rights and empowerment in Pakistan involves a com¬plex pattern of advances and setbacks, with the state's efforts to articulate a definition of women's rights complicated by the need to balance divergent views on the place of women in Pakistani society. After General Pervez Musharraf's 1999 coup, a number of factors, including international perceptions of Pakistan, brought women's rights, greatly curtailed by General Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization project, to the fore. Most critical among the changes to women's rights dur¬ing this period was the 2006 revision to the Hudood Laws, resulting in the Protection of Women Act. The incumbent Pakistan People's Party government has passed several important pieces of legislation continuing the progress for women's empowerment made under Musharraf. These new laws focus on sexual harassment at the workplace, antiwomen practices, and acid throwing. Additionally, the National Commission on the Status of Women has recently achieved elevated status. Despite these advancements, new legislation is needed to address ongoing challenges such as women's ability to control inherited land and human trafficking. If the Pakistani state is to make lasting improvements on these and other challenges facing the legal status of Pakistani women, it must find solutions that will not only benefit women in the country but create consensus among Pakistanis on the best and most achievable way to prioritize global rights for women while adhering to Islamic precepts.
Topic:
Gender Issues, Human Rights, Islam, Poverty, and Law
Political Geography:
Pakistan and Asia

17045. Maritime Security Sector Reform

Author:
John F. Sandoz
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
Maritime security sector reform (MSSR) is a component of security sector reform (SSR). SSR is the complex task of transforming the institutions and organizations that deal directly with security threats to the state and its citizens. MSSR applies the same concepts to the maritime domain. It consists of comprehensive actions taken by littoral countries and a range of partners to improve the security, safety, and economic viability of maritime spaces by improving governance, infrastructure, and law enforcement capacity, creating a broader approach to SSR on the global stage. The globally connected economy relies on the oceans and adjoining littorals for fishing, access to natural resources, and the movement of much of the world's commerce. Effective governance of maritime spaces has become essential for both economic growth and regional security. Continued population growth in the coastal regions, or littorals, strains the maritime infrastructure and the capacity to govern, resulting in unmet security challenges from competing countries, transnational criminal organizations, and insurgent and terrorist groups that exploit instability in the maritime domain. MSSR may be undertaken to strengthen existing maritime governance, respond to specific instability or threats, or restore governance following conflict or natural disasters. MSSR involves a whole-of-government process to identify and address specific problems through collaborative approaches that coordinate the contributions of internal and external organizations. The MSSR process begins with a multidisciplinary assessment, ideally performed by representatives from private and public institutions. It must take into account a country's history, culture, and the aspirations of its citizens and government. MSSR is not the imposition of external organizations, plans, or processes. The U.S. government's role in MSSR, while often significant, must be closely coordinated with efforts by the United Nations, donor nations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. Achieving this level of coordination may be the most challenging aspect of successful MSSR.
Topic:
Security, International Trade and Finance, Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Maritime Commerce
Political Geography:
United States and United Nations

17046. Protecting Malaysia's Marine Biodiversity for Future Generations: Issues, Challenges and The Way Forward

Author:
Cheryl Rita Kaur
Publication Date:
06-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Maritime Institute of Malaysia
Abstract:
International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated on 22 May 2012 with the theme Marine Biodiversity. The IDB provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to raise awareness of the issues and increase practical actions towards protecting and promoting biodiversity. This article describes the status of marine biodiversity conservation, achievements, and major challenges involved in safeguarding Malaysia's marine ecosystems and environment.
Topic:
Development, Environment, International Trade and Finance, and Maritime Commerce
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia

17047. Malaysia's got talent: Developing a 21st century maritime workforce

Author:
Nazery Khalid
Publication Date:
05-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Maritime Institute of Malaysia
Abstract:
Working hard behind the scenes amid the dazzling array of behemoth ships, towering port cranes, stacks of containers and huge cargo loads, workers in the maritime sector and along the maritime supply chain play a key role in ensuring good and raw materials are transported from producers to consumers smoothly and in a cost competitive manner.
Topic:
Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Natural Resources
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia

17048. Much ado about rocks

Author:
Melda Malek
Publication Date:
04-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Maritime Institute of Malaysia
Abstract:
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) was the culmination of almost a decade of active negotiations between states on how the oceans should be navigated, explored, exploited and governed. Naturally, as in any negotiations, compromises were often sought when parties could not quite see eye to eye on certain issues.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, United Nations, Maritime Commerce, Natural Resources, and Governance

17049. Global Warming's Unfinished Debate: The Post-Kyoto (2008-2012) Era

Author:
Cheryl Rita Kaur
Publication Date:
03-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Maritime Institute of Malaysia
Abstract:
The Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009 was aimed at building on an international agreement through a new environmental accord for the post-Kyoto period (2008-2012), including new targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Although various options have been suggested since then, no definite agreement has yet been achieved. The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa further negotiated the implementation of the Convention visa- vis the Kyoto Protocol, the Bali Action Plan, and the Cancun Agreements. The main outcome included the decision to adopt a universal legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible and no later than 2015. This commentary looks at the strengths and problems faced with the Protocol and what will constitute a fair differentiation of commitments among countries to address the issue more effectively post-Kyoto.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, and Maritime Commerce
Political Geography:
New Delhi and United Nations

17050. Propelling Malaysia's OSV sector ahead

Author:
Nazery Khalid
Publication Date:
03-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Maritime Institute of Malaysia
Abstract:
The launching of the Malaysian Offshore Support Vessels Owners Association (OSV Malaysia) in February 2012 brings to attention the issues and challenges faced by the local offshore support vessels (OSV) sector. The contribution and importance of this sector in facilitating the offshore oil and gas industry cannot be overemphasized. These vessels enable a host of activities such as prospecting, exploring, commercializing, producing, storing, offloading and transporting of oil and gas and construction and decommissioning of offshore structures to be carried out.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, Oil, Maritime Commerce, and Natural Resources
Political Geography:
Malaysia