To see the full list of Policy Briefs, click here.
Latest Policy Briefs and Reports
Cooperative Security, Arms Control and Disarmament
Reconstituting or Replacing the International Liberal Order?
Summary Report No.161 - June, 2023 • By Hugh Miall
This Policy Brief summarises the main themes which emerged at a Toda Peace Institute policy retreat held in May 2023. The retreat aimed to identify new research directions for institutes concerned with world affairs and global governance. As the centre of gravity of world affairs shifts to the Asia Pacific, and as both China and India rise as great powers, Western liberal democracies, free market economies and the Anglosphere may lose their dominance. These developments coincide with the crumbling of the international arms control order and the partial eclipse of global and regional institutions. International institutions appear to lack sufficient capacity to manage pandemics, climate change, and the new global security challenges. What new norms and policy measures and institutional changes can bend the arc of history away from confrontation and towards a more desirable future?
Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding
Exploring Disinformation in Fragile States: Iraq as a Case Study of Influence of International Political Actors
Policy Brief No.160 - June, 2023 • By Rawand Faeq
This Policy Brief examines the influence of international political actors in perpetuating disinformation in fragile states. The study delves into the history of disinformation in Iraq, particularly during and after the fall of the Baathist regime, and investigates how national and international actors utilise disinformation as a political tool. Three case studies focus on the overlapping interests of regional, international, and local actors. The findings contribute to a better understanding of disinformation dynamics, enabling more effective strategies to combat disinformation and foster informed and democratic societies.
Cooperative Security, Arms Control and Disarmament
Australia and the Post-Ukraine Nuclear Disarmament Agenda
Policy Brief No.159 - May, 2023 • By Ramesh Thakur
This Policy Brief describes the global strategic landscape in a world which is at a nuclear inflection point, with intensifying and multiplying nuclear threats. It sketches the Indo-Pacific nuclear situation against the global backdrop, and assesses possible pathways for Australia to once again make a difference in reducing nuclear risks, as a credible candidate to lead the push for a global convention to enshrine a universal no first use (NFU) policy.
Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding
Digital Warfare and Peace: Learning from Ukraine’s response to the Russian invasion
Policy Brief No.158 - May, 2023 • By Anna Romandash
This Policy Brief explores the ongoing infowars in the Russia–Ukraine war which began in February 2022. Since 2014, due to the Kremlin’s propaganda channels, troll armies, and “useful idiots” in the West and beyond, Russia was able to control the narrative on the situation in Donbas and Crimea and significantly diminish both support and interest toward Ukraine. However, after the start of the full-scale war in 2022, Ukraine shifted international views on the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s efforts significantly contributed to Russia’s digital isolation and mainstreamed Ukraine’s counter-narratives using open-source data, digital allies, and successful communication campaigns.
Pacific Community Relocations: Comparing Relocation Efforts in Alaska and Pacific
Policy Brief No.157 - April, 2023 • By Barrett Ristroph
This Policy Brief compares communities in Alaska and the Pacific Islands, which are worlds apart in many ways, yet share cascading impacts from climate change. Communities in both geographies that may want to relocate have limited resources to do so without external assistance. Each country should have policies in place to provide assistance for community-led relocation based on the preferences, knowledge, and values of the affected communities. The private sector and churches could also play an important role. In many ways, relocation processes on Pacific Islands are more sophisticated than those in Alaska, and the United States could learn from the Pacific experience.