- DETERRENCE: A Northeast Asian nuclear weapon free zone and the Korean problem
- DPRK: North Korea agrees to curb nuclear work; U.S. offers aid
- CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: The role of regulation in facilitating or constraining adaptation to climate change for Australian…
- ENERGY SECURITY: Roundtable: Japan’s energy security, outlook and implications
- GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: MB pushes through Jeju naval base
DETERRENCE: A Northeast Asian nuclear weapon free zone and the Korean problem, Thomas Graham, NAPSNet Special Report (28 February 2012)
Graham assesses how a Northeast Asian nuclear weapons free zone could lessen North Korea’s nuclear threat. Such a zone “could be a large step forward for peace. All avenues toward this laudable but seemingly very distant objective should be examined. The Treaty of Tlatelolco is a possible model that could be considered.”
- Nuclear and conventional extended deterrence in a Northeast Asian nuclear weapons-free zone, summary report, East Asia Nuclear Security Workshop, International House of Japan, Tokyo (18 January 2012) [PDF, 0.5 MB]
- US vs China vs UN positions on NWFZs, P. Hayes, East Asia Nuclear Security Workshop, Tokyo, November 11, 2011 [PDF, 0.2 MB]
- DPRK Vice FM states DPRK’s stance on denuclearization at UN session, KCNA (30 September 2011)
DPRK: North Korea agrees to curb nuclear work; U.S. offers aid, Steven Lee Myers and Choe Sang-Hun, The New York Times (29 February 2011)
North Korea declared a moratorium on “nuclear tests, long-range missile launches, and uranium enrichment activity” and agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to monitor the Yongbyon facility. The US pledged to give North Korea 240,000 tons of food aid. The US government called the progress “important, if limited.” North Korea called for a resumption of the six party talks with a priority on lifting sanctions and the provision of Light Water Reactors.
- U.S.-DPRK bilateral discussions, Victoria Nuland, US Department of State (29 February 2012)
- DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman on result of DPRK-U.S. talks, KCNA News (29 February 2012)
- Engaging the DPRK enrichment and small LWR program: What would it take?, David von Hippel and Peter Hayes, Nautilus Institute Special Report (23 December 2010)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: The role of regulation in facilitating or constraining adaptation to climate change for Australian infrastructure, Report for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Canberra, Australia (2012) [PDF, 1.36 MB]
The challenge that climate change presents for Australia’s infrastructure and associated services cannot be overstated. There is a risk that existing regulatory frameworks might ‘lock in’ maladaptive action, which could compromise the short, medium and long-term resilience of Australian infrastructure. A new approach is needed to ensure that effective responses to climate change are embedded in relevant regulatory frameworks.
- Barriers to effective climate change adaptation, Issue paper, Productivity Commission, Australia (October 2011) [PDF, 170 KB]
- Incorporating climate change impacts and adaptation in environmental impact assessments: Opportunities and challenges, Shardul Agrawala et al., Environmental working paper No. 24, OECD (November 2011) [PDF, 723 KB]
ENERGY SECURITY: Roundtable: Japan’s energy security, outlook and implications, National Bureau of Asian Research (25 January 2012) [PDF, 6.68 MB]
This summary of a discussion by Mikkal Herberg, Edward Lincoln, and Michael Wallace identifies key impacts of possible shifts in Japan’s energy policies. How, for example, do Japan and the US maintain strong voices in nuclear safety/security while other nations lead nuclear power development? Will Japan’s need for replacement power force it to compete with China for LNG supplies? Will behavioral changes yield lasting energy efficiency savings?
- The new nuclear agenda: Prospects for US-Japan cooperation, Yuki Tatsumi (editor), Stimson Center (February 2012) [PDF, 703 kB]
- Current status of renewable energy in Japan, Japan for Sustainability (15 February 2012)
- Japan’s energy security predicament in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, Vlado Vivoda, Journal of Energy Security (14 December 2011)
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: MB pushes through Jeju naval base, Ser Myo-ja, Joongang Ilbo (1 March 2012)
Seoul is pushing forward with construction on a Jeju Island naval base despite ongoing protests and disagreements between government and local groups regarding the base’s environmental and civilian impact. Critics argue it will lead to increased US military presence and militarization of the region. Similar objections face the US marine base relocation in Okinawa, with the Okinawa governor disputing Tokyo’s environmental impact report’s findings.
- Anti-base campaigners flock to World Heritage Jeju Island, Environment News Service (24 February 2012)
- Rocky seas around Jeju naval base, Huh Ho-joon, Hankyoreh (18 February 2012)
- Okinawa governor: Plan to relocate Futenma to Henoko ‘impossible’, Asahi Shimbun (21 February 2012)
Note: We regret that the Austral Security section is not included in this week’s NAPSNet report and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
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Editor
Contributors
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- Governance and Civil Society: Yi Kiho, Dyana Mardon
- Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
- DPRK: Scott Bruce
- Energy Security: David von Hippel