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Report of the Second Stockholm Forum on Himalaya: Climate Crisis in Tibet — Report of the Second Stockholm Forum on Himalaya: Climate Crisis in Tibet

The Second Stockholm Forum on Himalaya: Climate Crisis in Tibet, held on October 16, 2025, at Sjöfartshuset in Stockholm, gathered scholars, policymakers, and experts from Europe, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific to spotlight Tibet’s worsening ecological and geopolitical challenges. The Forum’s central message was: the Tibetan Plateau, the “Third Pole” that regulates monsoons, river systems, and global weather patterns, must be placed at the center of international climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil to be held next week. Download and read the outcome of the event in this report.

Trot to Canter: India-Japan Relations Under the New Japanese PM — Trot to Canter: India-Japan Relations Under the New Japanese PM

This piece by Varuna Shankar covers how, under the new Japanese PM Takaichi’s leadership, India–Japan ties are expected to flourish across areas ranging from infrastructure and human capital to accelerated defence integration and regional engagement across the Indo-Pacific and Africa. The author argues that the bilateral relationship appears poised to enter a more strategic phase, blending existing cooperation with emerging areas of collaboration in digital and space cooperation. Flagship initiatives such as the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail, defence co-production, and human resource partnerships reflect a comprehensive vision for regional integration. However, the resilience of the India-Japan partnership will ultimately depend on ideological respect, mutual adaptability, and a shared commitment to a rules-based regional order, testing the true strength of their partnership, writes Shankar. Read this piece here.

How BIMSTEC Can Deliver a Regional HADR Framework by Learning from SAARC’s Failures — How BIMSTEC Can Deliver a Regional HADR Framework by Learning from SAARC’s Failures

Fiona Raval and Bantirani Patro write that streamlining the HADR is crucial for BIMSTEC to remain relevant and avoid sharing the fate of SAARC. Given the pressing nature of climate change in the Bay, HADR remains a convenient, politically safe vertical for cooperation, offering even countries with divergences a reliable channel of communication. The authors argue that as BIMSTEC wrestles to throw off the yoke of inertia, a credible HADR architecture could provide the means to chart a more hopeful trajectory for itself. Read this blog piece here.

Archipelago in the Crossfire: Indonesia Between Washington and Beijing — Archipelago in the Crossfire: Indonesia Between Washington and Beijing

Positioned at the center of this contest is Indonesia, one of the region’s most politically influential countries and a leading member of ASEAN. Given its strategic importance, Jakarta is likely to become a central focus for both Beijing and Washington as they vie to advance their competing interests in the region. Examining Indonesia’s past political relationships with the two leading powers of the Indo-Pacific offers valuable insight into how past interactions may shape Jakarta’s political decision-making in the event of a major regional crisis that might threaten the existing balance of power. This paper by Alexandre Brans argues that China faces greater challenges than the United States in its bilateral relationship with Indonesia due to a more problematic historical legacy. Recognizing this asymmetry is crucial when considering possible scenarios for future regional developments.

NATO Engagement in the Indo-Pacific? A Three-Country Case Study: India, Indonesia & the Philippines — NATO Engagement in the Indo-Pacific? A Three-Country Case Study: India, Indonesia & the Philippines

Notwithstanding some overlap in NATO’s core interests with India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, particularly deterrence and crisis prevention, in its current incarnation, direct NATO cooperation with these three pivotal countries in the Indo-Pacific is difficult to reconcile. This policy paper by Richard Ghiasy and Jagannath Panda examines NATO’s potential partnership with the three countries as case studies. It looks at their prospects for engagement with NATO, mainly through their current disposition in security matters, strategic priorities, autonomy, and relationship with China and the US/allies. We commence alphabetically with India. This study was sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Read and download the study here.

The Dragon in the North: On China’s Arctic Push — The Dragon in the North: On China’s Arctic Push

China’s self-proclamation as a “near-Arctic state” and its recent deployment of icebreakers near Alaska illustrate its growing Arctic push. The deepening Sino-Russian partnership, from joint air patrols to energy cooperation, has prompted Washington to recalibrate its Arctic posture. India, a key player in Arctic affairs, has maintained strategic autonomy. It prioritizes research and sustainability, even as it expands energy and shipping links with Russia and pursues a guarded rapprochement with Beijing. This issue brief by J. Jeganaathan and Bharath P. H. examines the evolving dynamics of this volatile frontier, focusing on China’s operational maneuvers and their geopolitical implications for the Arctic region. Read and download the issue brief here.

North Korea’s Ascension as a Global Player: Security Implications and Diplomatic Challenges — North Korea’s Ascension as a Global Player: Security Implications and Diplomatic Challenges

This issue brief by Gabriela Bernal covers how the structural shift in North Korea’s global position carries profound implications. The brief analyses how DPRK's global stature is impacting the geopolitical issues around the globe including accelerated North Korean military modernization through Russian support; diminished South Korean leverage in inter-Korean relations; heightened risks of multi-theater great-power conflict involving the U.S., China, and Russia; and increased European exposure to DPRK military activity. The author writes that to tackle an increasingly emboldened Kim Jong Un, Washington must urgently prioritize getting the North Koreans back to the negotiating table to prevent deeper DPRK-Russia military cooperation and further enhancement of North Korea’s nuclear and conventional military capabilities. While this may require the U.S. to “acknowledge” the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state, continuing down the current path could prove far more risky to the U.S. and its allies in the long term, writes Gabriela Bernal.

Tibet at the Edge of a Tipping Point: Stockholm Forum Calls on COP30 to Confront the Mounting Climate Emergency — Tibet at the Edge of a Tipping Point: Stockholm Forum Calls on COP30 to Confront the Mounting Climate Emergency

Stockholm, October 16, 2025: The Second Stockholm Forum on Himalaya, held at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), delivered an urgent and resonant message to the international community: the climate crisis unfolding in Tibet can no longer remain absent from global climate diplomacy. Bringing together scholars, policy practitioners, and analysts from Europe, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific, the forum made a compelling case that the Tibetan Plateau-often referred to as the ‘Third Pole’- must be recognised as a central pillar in any serious discussion of global climate governance. As preparations intensify for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Forum’s proceedings echoed with a shared conviction that Tibet must be placed firmly on the UNFCCC agenda.

Whither Tibet in the Climate Crisis Agenda? — Whither Tibet in the Climate Crisis Agenda?

The Tibetan Plateau is undergoing one of the most dramatic and least scrutinized ecological transformations in the world today. It is warming at more than twice the global average: glaciers are retreating, permafrost is thawing, grasslands are degrading, and the rhythms of water flow that support life across much of Asia are being disrupted. These are not abstract shifts—they are crisis conditions. This Stockholm paper emerges from a growing recognition that Tibet lies at the nexus of some of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, regional security, and the politics of development. It draws on a wide range of scholarly, policy, and civil society perspectives to provide a consolidated set of recommendations across 10 thematic areas— from transboundary water governance to climate accountability and rights-based environmental protection. At its core is a call for greater international engagement in ensuring that the Tibetan Plateau is not rendered invisible in global climate discourse. Read and download this Stockholm paper here.

Events »

25 Nov

Korea Strategic Talks Webinar VIII: Re-Engagement with the DPRK & A New Playing Field
2 Dec

Nordic-Korea Cooperation in the Arctic – A Necessity to Continue the Green Energy Transition

Publications »

Report of the Second Stockholm Forum on Himalaya: Climate Crisis in Tibet

Jagannath Panda, Niklas Swanström, Eerishika Pankaj, Charles Parton, Jiayi Zhou, Linus Zhang, Ute Wallenböck, Sriparna Pathak, Richard Ghiasy, Dattesh D. Parulekar, Tsering Topgyal, Astha Chadha, Rahul Karan Reddy and Shruti Kapil

Archipelago in the Crossfire: Indonesia Between Washington and Beijing

Alexandre Brans

NATO Engagement in the Indo-Pacific? A Three-Country Case Study: India, Indonesia & the Philippines

Richard Ghiasy and Jagannath Panda

The Dragon in the North: On China’s Arctic Push

J. Jeganaathan and Bharath P. H.

North Korea’s Ascension as a Global Player: Security Implications and Diplomatic Challenges

Gabriela Bernal

Tibet at the Edge of a Tipping Point: Stockholm Forum Calls on COP30 to Confront the Mounting Climate Emergency

Jagannath Panda, Niklas Swanström, Eerishika Pankaj, Charles Parton, Jiayi Zhou, Linus Zhang, Ute Wallenböck, Sriparna Pathak, Richard Ghiasy, Dattesh D. Parulekar, Tsering Topgyal, Astha Chadha, Rahul Karan Reddy and Shruti Kapil

ISDP Spotlight

ISDP met with visiting experts and scholars from New Zealand, hosted by the New Zealand Embassy in Sweden — ISDP met with visiting experts and scholars from New Zealand, hosted by the New Zealand Embassy in Sweden

ISDP experts attended a meeting with the visiting experts and scholars from New Zealand, hosted by the New Zealand Embassy in Sweden. The meeting was presided over by H.E. David Taylor, Ambassador of New Zealand in Sweden. The discussion covered a wide range of topics from Arctic politics to Sino-Russian alliance, China-EU engagement to China-India and India-USA Ties, among others.

Maud Descamps attended the workshop “Between Promises and Performance: Tracking China’s Green Paradox” held by Heidelberg University as part of the EuroHub4Sino project — Maud Descamps attended the workshop “Between Promises and Performance: Tracking China’s Green Paradox” held by Heidelberg University as part of the EuroHub4Sino project

Maud Descamps attended the workshop “Between Promises and Performance: Tracking China’s Green Paradox” in Brussels held by Heidelberg University as part of the EuroHub4Sino (EH4S) project. The program focused on China’s position in global climate action ahead of COP 30 in Belém, looking at its growing impact as a climate leader, its technocentric strategy, and the contradiction between coal expansion and green technology exports.

Ethical Challenges in Research & Cooperation: ISDP welcomed Alicia Hennig for a fireside discussion — Ethical Challenges in Research & Cooperation: ISDP welcomed Alicia Hennig for a fireside discussion

On October 13, the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) team had the pleasure of hosting a fireside discussion with Dr. Alicia Hennig, Associated Senior Research Fellow, who shared her first-hand insights into China’s academic environment, government structure, and ethical challenges in research and cooperation.

Q&A with ISDP Associated Fellow Dr. Martina Klimes on the new Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy — Q&A with ISDP Associated Fellow Dr. Martina Klimes on the new Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy

As global water challenges grow more complex, the need for cooperation has never been greater. Ahead of the online release of the Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy, SIWI spoke with Dr Martina Klimes, one of the book’s editors, about how water can serve as a bridge for peace, what makes this publication a game-changer for practitioners worldwide.

Meet ISDP’s Fall 2025–26 Intern Cohort — Meet ISDP’s Fall 2025–26 Intern Cohort

Every semester, the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) provides an internship opportunity open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates. Our current interns are reflecting on their first impressions of the institute and sharing what they’re most looking forward to as their internships progress.