2012-05-25T23:42:59Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/international-organizations.html http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/25/AT.html May 25, 2012 May 25, 2012

The relocation of the Marines is a first step toward a more sustainable US military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Yet policymakers in Washington and Tokyo should not expect this move to eliminate an enduring source of tension in US-Japanese relations, write Stacie L. Pettyjohn and Alan J. Vick.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/24/RAND.html May 24, 2012 May 24, 2012

Three challenges still await NATO: containing fallout from France's new policy, re-opening the Pakistan supply lines, and the need for Russian cooperation, writes Christopher S. Chivvis.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/17/CT.html May 17, 2012 May 17, 2012

The decision by Putin not to attend the NATO summit and the G-8 summit is a blow to the Obama administration's hopes of building closer ties to Russia and underscores that the effort to "reset" relations with Russia is likely to be slow and fraught with difficulties, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/17/IHT.html May 16, 2012 May 16, 2012

At a time when the European Union faces mounting economic and political challenges, maintaining a strong, vibrant Atlantic alliance is more important than ever, write F. Stephen Larrabee and Peter A. Wilson.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1198.html May 9, 2012 May 9, 2012

Past efforts to resolve ethno-territorial conflicts in Brčko, Mostar, Northern Ireland, and Jerusalem provide insights that could facilitate a negotiated settlement regarding the disputed Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The case studies show that Arabs, Kurds, and Turkomen must emphasize governance over symbols of sovereignty, develop adaptable power-sharing mechanisms, marginalize spoilers, empower local leaders, and create multi-ethnic security forces.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP363.html Apr 23, 2012 Apr 23, 2012

The authors look at four trade policy options for Japan and the United States. They evaluate each option for each country based on its impact on international relations and economic growth and its political and practical feasibility and conclude that the best option for both nations is to move forward cooperatively with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1228.html Apr 9, 2012 Apr 9, 2012

Illicit drug use continues to be an important public health and safety concern in Europe. An evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005–12 and Action Plans examines the implementation, relevance, and influence of the Strategy and its added value for Member States and at EU level.

http://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/asean-governance.html Apr 5, 2012 Apr 5, 2012

Efforts to improve human development outcomes in Southeast Asia are often hindered by problems with the governance of social assistance programs. The World Bank commissioned RAND Europe to develop a toolkit on how to improve governance in ASEAN countries.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1218.html Mar 28, 2012 Mar 28, 2012

After visiting EU high tech crime units, conducting interviews with stakeholders, and holding a scenario-based workshop, RAND Europe researchers determined that a European Cybercrime Centre hosted by Europol would bring together input from several different entities and drive a common approach to tackling cybercrime.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2011/winter/europe.html Jan 13, 2012 Jan 13, 2012

Recent snapshots of fertility indicators across Europe look less depressing than they did a decade ago. Still, the fertility rate remains below the replacement rate in all 27 EU countries.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1119.html Oct 11, 2011 Oct 11, 2011

Governments intervening in post-conflict states face challenges and dilemmas regarding stabilization and reconstruction, where measures that may improve conditions in one respect may undermine them in another. A review of relevant literature seeks to inform strategic planning at the whole-of-government level.

http://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/illicit-drug-market-in-europe.html Sep 19, 2011 Sep 19, 2011

To further analyze Europe's illicit drug market and the EU's responses to it, DPRC and RAND Europe are teaming with European partners to expand their original 2009 research on the global drug market.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/09/13/GS.html Sep 13, 2011 Sep 13, 2011

By June 2002 the EU and its 15 member states had passed into law its first Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism. It set out legally binding actions to facilitate and harmonize counterterrorism efforts across the EU, writes Lindsay Clutterbuck.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR822.html Sep 8, 2011 Sep 8, 2011

The EC Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General commissioned RAND Europe to provide support in developing a comprehensive data strategy for DG SANCO that meets the needs of increasingly evidence-based policymaking in the future.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR936.html Aug 2, 2011 Aug 2, 2011

The European Commission seeks to develop a European Crime Report (ECR) to improve understanding of the EU crime and justice situation. RAND Europe researched the analytical and operational challenges and opportunities to developing an ECR.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/08/01/TE.html Aug 1, 2011 Aug 1, 2011

While Europeans dislike a ubiquitous America which is always ready to prove its power, they seem to dislike an isolationist America even more, writes Jeremy Ghez.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP339.html Jul 25, 2011 Jul 25, 2011

Continuing tensions between Arab and Kurdish communities in Iraq could lead to inadvertent armed conflict unless Iraqi leaders resolve outstanding disputes regarding federalism, the legal and political status of disputed territories, and the management of northern Iraq's oil and gas resources.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/06/30/PS.html Jun 30, 2011 Jun 30, 2011

The EU should conclude the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with Ukraine only if the Yanukovych administration demonstrates clear commitment to European values, write F. Stephen Larrabee and Taras Kuzio.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP340.html Jun 28, 2011 Jun 28, 2011

This paper presents a theory of natural alliances in which commonalities in political culture are a strategic asset for better coordination and greater predictability among partners. It applies this theory to the case of the US-European alliance.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100112.html May 1, 2011 May 1, 2011

This article examines ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) operations in Afghanistan as a way to get at the strategic disconnects in ends, ways, and means that the author believes are endemic to large-scale protracted stability and COIN (counterinsurgency) operations against adversaries who do not pose palpable existential threats to the members of an alliance.