Global briefing: two to watch, two to read

[davidbfpo]

Three IISS offers, two podcasts and a presentation released two weeks ago when their annual Strategic Survey was published.

Cold wars, hot wars is described as:

looking at the interplay between geopolitics and business... In the first panel, IISS experts analysed the changing dynamics of power in three strategically crucial regions – the Asia-Pacific, the Gulf and wider Middle East, and Russia/Europe – providing their own assessments on the drivers, direction and cross-linkages of three regional ‘cold’ wars.... The second panel looked at the changing nature of conflict, from the use of proxies to the use of sanctions and other economic tools to pursue geopolitical goals – the latter being a clear example where inter-state rivalry can affect commerce and investments.

Link:http://www.iiss.org/en/events/events...-hot-wars-2c19

The third is a shorter presentation 'Drivers of Strategic Change':

IISS experts seek to highlight developments and themes that have the potential to drive strategic change in individual regions, and in the world as a whole. They do not offer forecasts of specific future events: this annual book remains a review of international affairs covering a 12-month period, in this case from mid-2014 to mid-2015. However, regional experts use their analysis of developments in this and recent years to identify strategic risk factors. This section is not a comprehensive list of risks facing the world, nor does it attempt to assess or quantify threats. World events will remain unpredictable. But we hope our analysis is useful for the identification of key drivers of strategic change.

Link:https://www.iiss.org/publications/st...c-drivers-642e

[davidbfpo]

The briefing paper for the annual Munich Security Conference is available free. Its purpose:

Entitled "Boundless Crises, Reckless Spoilers, Helpless Guardians," the new MSR compiles data, analyses and maps which illuminate major developments and critical challenges to international security.

Via:https://www.securityconference.de/en...curity-report/

The document (60 pgs) appears to be the product of numerous "establishment" institutions and persons. I expect otherwise similar events in the USA, e.g. Aspen Summit do a similar document.