ISDP Voices

An old Korean idiom avers that September is the season ‘when horses gain weight and the sky is high (천고마비 天高馬肥)’, meaning a time of ease and relaxation. As autumn weighs in, Koreans often can see a clear sky with no clouds. However, September is also the season of terror for many: the 9/11 attack […]

On May 19-21 next year, the Japanese government will host the G7 Hiroshima Summit. It is assumed that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to express a strong diplomatic message for peace and nuclear disarmament by announcing a so-called “Hiroshima Action Plan” at the summit. Global issues, such as world economy, food deficiency, and the energy […]

The international coalition that banded together in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrates democracies’ ability to endure national discomfort to confront authoritarian challenges to territorial integrity, sovereignty, and self-determination. Six months into the invasion, support for sanction packages on Russia remains high across the U.S. (80 percent) and allies in Europe (78 percent in […]

Last month, Indonesia celebrated the 77th anniversary of its independence. During the annual state of the nation address on August 16, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo spoke briefly yet strongly on Indonesia’s position in the global constellation. Jokowi listed out Indonesia’s current high-profile global engagements, such as it being a “champion” of the United Nations’ […]

The first in-person ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was concluded in Los Angeles last week (Sept 8-9, 2022). Ministers from 14 countries got together in Los Angeles (LA) for a two-day meeting, co-hosted by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Representing around 40 percent of the global […]

While responding to questions after delivering a lecture on “India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific” at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on August 18, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, emphasized that the “Asian Century would not happen if the two neighbors could not join hands.” He also reiterated these remarks on August 29 at the launch […]

Much to the lament of the international community, the recent Tenth Review Conference (RevCon) of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ended inconclusively, in no small part owing to the action of one particular state. It is telling that four days after this RevCon’s unsatisfactory conclusion, the world would lose […]

The Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Women, Children and Adolescents is a multi-stakeholder global partnership that aims to improve health and nutrition of women, children and adolescents in developing countries. According to statistical data reported by the GFF in December 2021, undernutrition is related to about 45 percent of child mortality, and anemia leads to […]

With the rapidly intensifying geopolitical environment of the Indo-Pacific, India has been steady and mindful in treading the shifts and churns in the region. As the Indo-Pacific continues to sustain as the center of global geopolitical, geo-strategic and geo-economic competition for regional as well as extra-regional powers, India is likely to emerge as a critical […]

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) isn’t quite as lucrative as often advertised. Ten projects found in six nations – Vanuatu, Indonesia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Hungary – could not generate sufficient revenue to justify the cost. Projects in Mongolia and Azerbaijan face the same problem, despite gross gains. It falls on these countries to […]