The Mine Ban Convention is weakened due to the development of new types of mines and assymetric conflicts. It is time to revise the treaty to make it fit for the 21st century.
Fragmentation is one of the least understood problems in crisis management. Failure to understand fragmentation means emergency responders are unable to mitigate critical situations in the recent terrorist attacks around Europe.
Whatever the chosen solutions for tackling transboundary crisis management are, aligning crisis management and accountability mechanisms should be a key priority.
Dutch mayors have become more vulnerable to critique on their performances as their crisis management responsibilities have increased. How they communicate during crises is crucial for their reputation and political survival.
Social cohesion is an important factor for the pace and scope of recovery after crises. The diversity of cohesion of neighborhoods in The Hague implies that tailor-made policies at the community level are required.
The recent confession of one of the possible members of the Brabant Killers renewed attention for the case. But, after all these years, what will this information lead to in terms of justice?
During a recent seminar at Leiden University's Institute of Security and Global Affairs, several views on dealing with violent radicalization were presented.
EU external border control has for years produced similar exclusions as American travel bans under the Trump administration. The EU policy hasn't been subject to spontaneous upheavals of protest by European citizens comparable to Trump’s measure.
Migrants might be both the most vulnerable and digitally traceable population on earth. If that is true, then what are the opportunities and costs associated with that combined vulnerability and traceability?
Metropolises, or ‘city-regions’, have become a key focus of comparative social research, as they form the key nodal points or ‘command centres’ in more networked and globally integrated social relations.
A recently published report focuses on priority aspects for Belgium’s heavily criticized counterterrorism approach and provides eight key options to strengthen the country's efforts in fighting terrorism.
In The Netherlands, the implementation of the so-called “bed-bath-bread-arrangement” for illegal immigrants is still contested. This raises the question how countries should deal with illegal immigrants, including refused asylum seekers.
New digital platforms and innovations streamline the coordination services and situational awareness of humanitarian workers in times of crisis, so they may provide the best possible aid to disaster stricken people.
Resilience is one of the hallmarks of the internet as a 'system.' Malfunctioning of the internet - as occurred early September 2016 in the Netherlands - shows vulnerabilities too.
Elke Devroe will present the results of the international research project Policing European Metropolises Project (PEMP), a project comparing 22 cases (city regions) in 10 different countries.
Street protests are omnipresent, but poorly understood. Recent research provides new insights into these events and their core actors (protesters and the police).
To counter the instinct reactions that terror aims to invoke, we need more critical reflection, fact-based systematic analysis and substantiated policy responses.
The so-called 'Brexit' illustrates the European Union (EU) is under pressure. However, from a crisis management perspective, leaving the EU or diminishing its current capacity would be a very unsafe idea.
Are the police still the thin blue line, focused on containing immediate threats and maintaining public order in their jurisdictions? Or can they move beyond that to bigger roles, coordinating global law enforcement and responding to global threats?
We increasingly turn to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to help us impact our environments in meaningful ways and respond to the many challenges we face. One challenge in particular is how we respond to natural and manmade disasters.
The ever growing trend of securitizing local issues has fostered an expansion of Dutch mayor’s formal positions, as well as new actions and roles in daily governance.
Should governments sacrifice a few people to save more? This ethical dilemma is central in the German theatre play 'Terror', in which terrorists threaten to fly a hijacked airplane into a packed football stadium.
World leaders declare 'war' on Islamic State after the Paris attacks of 13 November 2015. The world leader appear to overlook some consequences that declaring 'war' implies.
In 2014 and 2015, the European Union witnessed a steep growth in the numbers of refugees arriving to apply for asylum. Does Europe have to fear radicalisation over refugees?
Reactions in Western Europe towards the current refugee crisis raises the question whether the crisis wil serve as a breeding ground for right-wing extremist violence or even terrorism.
Homicides in the Netherlands are at the lowest point in over twenty years. None of the classic predictors seem to fit the levels and trends of homicide though.
The public sector is buzzing with talk of service design as a promising approach to creating and improving citizen-friendly public services. Emergency services are among many public organizations that could benefit from what service design has to offer.
The EFRIM-initiative for further cooperation presents a promising first step in addressing many of the current challenges the emergency services sector face.
As police departments step into the 21st century, should they adopt the swanky web designs and branding campaigns of the private sector or stay within their humble, public service means?
Emprirical data suggest a completely different situation regarding plural policing than universally accepted theories which are based upon the situation in Great-Britain
As with other dual-use technologies, non-lethal drone applications are increasingly becoming both a cause for concern and an exciting area of development.
In February 2015, Al Shabaab produced a video in which it calls for an attack on malls in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.This call for violent action spurred many worried reactions around the globe, especially in the three mentioned count
Whether terrorists or would-be terrorists succeed in terrifying society and changing ways of living depends mostly on how resilient societies and political leadership are when the shit hits the fan.
With the world’s urban population predicted only to rise, how public safety can be provided more efficiently in these booming, bustling cities is an important question.
Football is often overlooked as a factor in social sciences. Still it is a massive source of (political) mobilization, that causes - and might solve - conflict, both domestically and international.
Many people have questioned the relevance of NATO in the post-Cold War era. However, the recent crisis in Ukraine seemed to have turned the picture upside down. Can Russia be credited for solving the legitimacy problem of NATO?
With respect to couterterrorism there is no lack of knowledge or a lack of opportunities to share ideas among academics and practitioners. If there is a problem, it is the slow implementation of ideas and policies.
Tsunamis, Hurricanes or other large natural hazards form textbook examples of a combination of interdisciplinarity and valorization. NITIM conducts research in this field.