Stuti Banerjee | Indian Council of World Affairs (original) (raw)

Papers by Stuti Banerjee

Canada is scheduled to hold its federal elections in October 2019. Canada's three major political... more Canada is scheduled to hold its federal elections in October 2019. Canada's three major political parties are all on the record as being in favour of economic immigration. The Indian diaspora in Canada is much sought after as a support base as they tend to be high income professionals and educated. As a group, the people of Indian origin, especially the Sikh diaspora in Canada have become a powerful group and a prominent voice in domestic political space. In the 2015 elections in Canada, Indian Canadians won a record nineteen seats in the Parliament.

The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) released both the US Indo-Pacific Strategy Rep... more The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) released both the US Indo-Pacific Strategy Report and the Arctic Strategy in June 2019. The two documents outline the United States’ concept of developing interconnected security interests in the respective regions. . For the US DoD, the two theatres of operations are equally important. In fact, some security interests like maintaining freedoms of navigation and over-flight and the challenge posed by Russia and China are common to both. The two strategy documents emphasis the need to build partnerships based on shared views such mutual respect, sovereignty, transparency etc. To ensure that the two regions remain peaceful, prosperous, and secure in the future

Policy Brief, 2019

The year 2018 has been critical in terms of political change in Latin America and the Caribbean r... more The year 2018 has been critical in terms of political change in Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC). Despite the diversity within the region, most of Latin America’s recent elections have more in common with each other than ever before. The elections, fought on a platform against cor-ruption, more transparency, better law and order and strong governance, have resonated with the electorate of the nations of the region. There is a sense of distrust of the political parties in Latin America; however, the peaceful transfer of power in a region largely dominated by authoritarian rule for so long points to political stability and the strength of democracy here.
South Asia is going through a similar process with elections in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Pakistan in 2018 and Nepal in 2017. Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka will hold elections in 2019.

The elections in Brazil have generated much debate in the international community. The outcomes ... more The elections in Brazil have generated much debate in the international community. The outcomes may change the political landscape of the largest nations of the Continent.

President Trump spent his campaign denouncing the multilateral trade agreements that the United S... more President Trump spent his campaign denouncing the multilateral trade agreements that the United States has entered into over the past few years and insisted that he would negotiate fair trade deals that will benefit the United States, started his first visit to Asia as President with a focus on strengthening economic relations, promoting fair and reciprocal trade agreements, building a free and open Indo-pacific and building pressure on North Korea to denuclearise. On issues of security, he had been criticised during his Europe trip for not reiterate the United States promise to fulfil its security commitments to its allies. His statements during the Asia visit clearly stated the United States commitments towards its alliance partners.. The president in his post visit address, hailed the visit a success. He stated that through the visit, the world is once again seeing the strength of the United States. Nonetheless, critics point out that, President Trump failed to denounce the human rights violations or the extra judicial killings in some of the nations he visited. Others point to the more practical aspect that no nation has announced new trade deals with the United States or provided a time-line to start negotiations/rework old trade agreements. It is also being pointed out that by trying to maintain the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference, and the subsequent East Asia Summit, two organisations that working towards multilateral trade partnership, President Trump has realised that in Asia he would have to balance his desire for bilateral trade with the region's need for a multilateral approach. In these forums also he has been unable to express the relationship that the United States would like to build with the nations of the Indo-Pacific. Nonetheless, all countries support the idea of free and open Indo-Pacific. 1 On North Korea denuclearisation, he has found support among all nations in the region. However, his repeated hints at the possibility of use of force have similarly alarmed countries who prefer a negotiated end to the impass. Thus, one can say that the visit was successful in some measure. President Trump articulated the focus areas of the United States policy in the region for the near future. In keeping with his method of working he has not stated how he will achieve these goals.

The paper is coauthored with Dr. Jojin V. John, Dr. Avinash Godbole, Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee, Dr. Temjenmeren Ao and Ms. Asmita Chandra.

President Donald Trump published his first National Security Strategy (NSS) document on 18 Decem... more President Donald Trump published his first National Security Strategy (NSS) document on 18 December 2017. The document has been used by the Administrations over the years to explain not just to the American people but also to the international community the security priorities for the United States, issues that would be of importance and affect national security and the means through which they will be realised. Close to a year into his inaugural, President Trump has made public his administration’s views on how it will achieve United States’ national security goals.This paper is an attempt to understand the NSS of President Trump and compare it to the NSS presented by President Obama in 2015 and 2010 to find continuations and additions to the current strategy document.

The India–Canada relationship has witnessed a number of highs and lows despite the two nations sh... more The India–Canada relationship has witnessed a number of highs and lows despite the two nations sharing common political views. This is perhaps best seen in the civil nuclear cooperation shared between the two. It is interesting to note that the relation between the two nations fractured twice due to nuclear issues

The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) represent not just States that together... more The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) represent not just States that together account for large territory, population, economy or military strength, but they together represent the voice of the countries that are increasingly finding their place in the new international order. This paper would be an attempt to understand the BRICS outlook towards terrorism. In an effort to do so, the paper will compare the BRICS Summit declarations (2009 to 2016) and try to understand if the BRICS has evolved its views on terrorism from the first summit held in Russia in 2009 to the latest summit that was held in Goa in 2017. Leaders of the five nations are due to meet for a summit in Xiamen, China in September 2017 to continue to further enhance the role of BRICS in counter- terrorism.

In the close to seven decades, the Alliance has changed and so has the international environment ... more In the close to seven decades, the Alliance has changed and so has the international environment in which it operates. It is unlikely that America or Europe would face a traditional armed forces attack. In the contemporary times the challenges before the alliance range from both traditional and non-traditional threats such as conflicts within different factions of a State, terrorism, piracy, cyber-attacks, and nuclear proliferation.President Trump’s stress on “America First’ during the campaign and critique of NATO had brought uncertainty to the Euro-Atlantic relationship. Alliance members have adopted a wait and watch approach in trying to understand if the United States is committed to leading the international order or not under the present Administration.

The United States and Canada share a relationship based on geographic proximity. The relationship... more The United States and Canada share a relationship based on geographic proximity. The relationship encompasses economic, trade, security, foreign policy, culture and environmental sectors. For the purposes of this paper, the security relationship between the two being studied from the view of their contribution to the continental defence structure of the North American Aerospace and Defence Command (NORAD), the multi-lateral security partnership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and as credible partners in the Arctic region.

This is a chapter in the book 'The Arab States of the Gulf and BRICS: New Strategic Partnerships ... more This is a chapter in the book 'The Arab States of the Gulf and BRICS: New Strategic Partnerships in Politics and Economics' ( Gerlach Press, Berlin & London) Edited by Tim Niblock, Degang Sun, Alejandra Galindo (Hardcover, 252 pages) ISBN: 978-3-959940-08-5 Publication date: September 2016 EUR 85 / GBP 75

Short Description:
How the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relates to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is, in the light of the growing strength and importance of this organisation and the countries which comprise it, of critical importance. The GCC countries have fast-growing economies, and they share some of the attributes and concerns of BRICS countries.
The issue is not simply how the GCC countries handle their relations with the individual BRICS countries, but more importantly how they relate to an alternative structure of coordination and perhaps power in the global order. Their established links and alliances may no longer be enough to satisfy either their economic needs or their security concerns.
The objective of this book is to examine the commonalities and the differences in economic and political interest between the BRICS countries and the GCC countries, so as to assess the potential for cooperation and collective action. Whether the GCC could itself become a part of BRICS is also worth consideration. While the focus is on the GCC, the GCC's relations with BRICS countries have been, and will continue to be, closely affected by the wider Gulf dimension - the state of their relations with Iran and Iraq, and the manner in which BRICS countries relate to those two countries.

More information on the title and our order form can be downloaded from here:
http://www.gerlach-books.de/books_offers.php

This paper is written with an aim to understanding the work that has been done by the Liberal gov... more This paper is written with an aim to understanding the work that has been done by the Liberal government in the past fifteen months and possible issues likely to develop in the coming months, especially with respect to their larger neighbour to the south.

President Donald Trump, during his campaign and in his speeches as president –elect, had indicate... more President Donald Trump, during his campaign and in his speeches as president –elect, had indicated a few foreign policy issues he and his administration would focus on. The administration stated that its foreign policy would be focused on American interests and American national security. With the new administration having settled in, this paper is an attempt to understand if there have been any perceptible changes in the foreign policy outlined by President Trump before and after he assumed office.

Mr. Trump used his social media account during the campaign to undermine his rivals. Post his ele... more Mr. Trump used his social media account during the campaign to undermine his rivals. Post his election he used has used the platform, to denounce reports of problems in his transition team as well as proving a glimpse into his thoughts on international events. While the popularity of the medium and the reach that it provides the President Elect is large, critics point out, 140 characters is not enough to express views on critical issues.

The death of Fidel Castro is being viewed by some policy makers as the opportunity for Cuba under... more The death of Fidel Castro is being viewed by some policy makers as the opportunity for Cuba under President Raul Castro to push for more reforms and expand on the restructuring that is underway in Cuba. Ten years after President Raul Castro took over power and with the death of his brother the former President of Cuba; it is a good time to highlight the reforms that have been undertaken by the current president and to understand the possible direction of future efforts of reform in Cuba.

The current crisis in Venezuela has turned the once economically stable and regional power into a... more The current crisis in Venezuela has turned the once economically stable and regional power into a country with a stalled economy, high inflation and unemployment rates, facing shortage of food, medical provisions, electricity and other necessities causing small riots. The question that is being asked by the international community is how did a prosperous nation with one of the largest reserves of oil in the world face such dire situation. The paper is an attempt to find out the answer to this question.

Regions have gained centrality in the post-September 11 international system. As a result, the ro... more Regions have gained centrality in the post-September 11 international system. As a result, the role of emerging regional powers, such as Russia, China, India, and Brazil, in the face of the alleged decline in American power, has grown. Nonetheless, there remains speculation on the role of these regional powers and emerging global players in the construction and maintenance of international and regional orders and to what extent and in what ways will they change international politics.

It is with this view in mind that this paper attempts to study the Union of South American Nations or UNASUR. The aim of the paper is to examine the accomplishments and challenges that are faced by the organisation.

An overview of Eu-China relations in the year 2015

Understanding the political, security and economic reasons for the deal.

The India-US relationship has to be developed in the broader context of international politics. B... more The India-US relationship has to be developed in the broader context of international politics. Both nations have realised that their interests on issues, from terrorism to non-proliferation, from development to economic growth, and increasing understanding of the aspirations of the other converge. This diverse agenda ranging from terrorism and defence cooperation to trade and investment, from climate change and nuclear energy to higher education and building smart cities, is a reflection of both the depth of India-US relations and the scope of cooperation between the two countries.

Canada is scheduled to hold its federal elections in October 2019. Canada's three major political... more Canada is scheduled to hold its federal elections in October 2019. Canada's three major political parties are all on the record as being in favour of economic immigration. The Indian diaspora in Canada is much sought after as a support base as they tend to be high income professionals and educated. As a group, the people of Indian origin, especially the Sikh diaspora in Canada have become a powerful group and a prominent voice in domestic political space. In the 2015 elections in Canada, Indian Canadians won a record nineteen seats in the Parliament.

The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) released both the US Indo-Pacific Strategy Rep... more The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) released both the US Indo-Pacific Strategy Report and the Arctic Strategy in June 2019. The two documents outline the United States’ concept of developing interconnected security interests in the respective regions. . For the US DoD, the two theatres of operations are equally important. In fact, some security interests like maintaining freedoms of navigation and over-flight and the challenge posed by Russia and China are common to both. The two strategy documents emphasis the need to build partnerships based on shared views such mutual respect, sovereignty, transparency etc. To ensure that the two regions remain peaceful, prosperous, and secure in the future

Policy Brief, 2019

The year 2018 has been critical in terms of political change in Latin America and the Caribbean r... more The year 2018 has been critical in terms of political change in Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC). Despite the diversity within the region, most of Latin America’s recent elections have more in common with each other than ever before. The elections, fought on a platform against cor-ruption, more transparency, better law and order and strong governance, have resonated with the electorate of the nations of the region. There is a sense of distrust of the political parties in Latin America; however, the peaceful transfer of power in a region largely dominated by authoritarian rule for so long points to political stability and the strength of democracy here.
South Asia is going through a similar process with elections in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Pakistan in 2018 and Nepal in 2017. Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka will hold elections in 2019.

The elections in Brazil have generated much debate in the international community. The outcomes ... more The elections in Brazil have generated much debate in the international community. The outcomes may change the political landscape of the largest nations of the Continent.

President Trump spent his campaign denouncing the multilateral trade agreements that the United S... more President Trump spent his campaign denouncing the multilateral trade agreements that the United States has entered into over the past few years and insisted that he would negotiate fair trade deals that will benefit the United States, started his first visit to Asia as President with a focus on strengthening economic relations, promoting fair and reciprocal trade agreements, building a free and open Indo-pacific and building pressure on North Korea to denuclearise. On issues of security, he had been criticised during his Europe trip for not reiterate the United States promise to fulfil its security commitments to its allies. His statements during the Asia visit clearly stated the United States commitments towards its alliance partners.. The president in his post visit address, hailed the visit a success. He stated that through the visit, the world is once again seeing the strength of the United States. Nonetheless, critics point out that, President Trump failed to denounce the human rights violations or the extra judicial killings in some of the nations he visited. Others point to the more practical aspect that no nation has announced new trade deals with the United States or provided a time-line to start negotiations/rework old trade agreements. It is also being pointed out that by trying to maintain the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference, and the subsequent East Asia Summit, two organisations that working towards multilateral trade partnership, President Trump has realised that in Asia he would have to balance his desire for bilateral trade with the region's need for a multilateral approach. In these forums also he has been unable to express the relationship that the United States would like to build with the nations of the Indo-Pacific. Nonetheless, all countries support the idea of free and open Indo-Pacific. 1 On North Korea denuclearisation, he has found support among all nations in the region. However, his repeated hints at the possibility of use of force have similarly alarmed countries who prefer a negotiated end to the impass. Thus, one can say that the visit was successful in some measure. President Trump articulated the focus areas of the United States policy in the region for the near future. In keeping with his method of working he has not stated how he will achieve these goals.

The paper is coauthored with Dr. Jojin V. John, Dr. Avinash Godbole, Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee, Dr. Temjenmeren Ao and Ms. Asmita Chandra.

President Donald Trump published his first National Security Strategy (NSS) document on 18 Decem... more President Donald Trump published his first National Security Strategy (NSS) document on 18 December 2017. The document has been used by the Administrations over the years to explain not just to the American people but also to the international community the security priorities for the United States, issues that would be of importance and affect national security and the means through which they will be realised. Close to a year into his inaugural, President Trump has made public his administration’s views on how it will achieve United States’ national security goals.This paper is an attempt to understand the NSS of President Trump and compare it to the NSS presented by President Obama in 2015 and 2010 to find continuations and additions to the current strategy document.

The India–Canada relationship has witnessed a number of highs and lows despite the two nations sh... more The India–Canada relationship has witnessed a number of highs and lows despite the two nations sharing common political views. This is perhaps best seen in the civil nuclear cooperation shared between the two. It is interesting to note that the relation between the two nations fractured twice due to nuclear issues

The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) represent not just States that together... more The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) represent not just States that together account for large territory, population, economy or military strength, but they together represent the voice of the countries that are increasingly finding their place in the new international order. This paper would be an attempt to understand the BRICS outlook towards terrorism. In an effort to do so, the paper will compare the BRICS Summit declarations (2009 to 2016) and try to understand if the BRICS has evolved its views on terrorism from the first summit held in Russia in 2009 to the latest summit that was held in Goa in 2017. Leaders of the five nations are due to meet for a summit in Xiamen, China in September 2017 to continue to further enhance the role of BRICS in counter- terrorism.

In the close to seven decades, the Alliance has changed and so has the international environment ... more In the close to seven decades, the Alliance has changed and so has the international environment in which it operates. It is unlikely that America or Europe would face a traditional armed forces attack. In the contemporary times the challenges before the alliance range from both traditional and non-traditional threats such as conflicts within different factions of a State, terrorism, piracy, cyber-attacks, and nuclear proliferation.President Trump’s stress on “America First’ during the campaign and critique of NATO had brought uncertainty to the Euro-Atlantic relationship. Alliance members have adopted a wait and watch approach in trying to understand if the United States is committed to leading the international order or not under the present Administration.

The United States and Canada share a relationship based on geographic proximity. The relationship... more The United States and Canada share a relationship based on geographic proximity. The relationship encompasses economic, trade, security, foreign policy, culture and environmental sectors. For the purposes of this paper, the security relationship between the two being studied from the view of their contribution to the continental defence structure of the North American Aerospace and Defence Command (NORAD), the multi-lateral security partnership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and as credible partners in the Arctic region.

This is a chapter in the book 'The Arab States of the Gulf and BRICS: New Strategic Partnerships ... more This is a chapter in the book 'The Arab States of the Gulf and BRICS: New Strategic Partnerships in Politics and Economics' ( Gerlach Press, Berlin & London) Edited by Tim Niblock, Degang Sun, Alejandra Galindo (Hardcover, 252 pages) ISBN: 978-3-959940-08-5 Publication date: September 2016 EUR 85 / GBP 75

Short Description:
How the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relates to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is, in the light of the growing strength and importance of this organisation and the countries which comprise it, of critical importance. The GCC countries have fast-growing economies, and they share some of the attributes and concerns of BRICS countries.
The issue is not simply how the GCC countries handle their relations with the individual BRICS countries, but more importantly how they relate to an alternative structure of coordination and perhaps power in the global order. Their established links and alliances may no longer be enough to satisfy either their economic needs or their security concerns.
The objective of this book is to examine the commonalities and the differences in economic and political interest between the BRICS countries and the GCC countries, so as to assess the potential for cooperation and collective action. Whether the GCC could itself become a part of BRICS is also worth consideration. While the focus is on the GCC, the GCC's relations with BRICS countries have been, and will continue to be, closely affected by the wider Gulf dimension - the state of their relations with Iran and Iraq, and the manner in which BRICS countries relate to those two countries.

More information on the title and our order form can be downloaded from here:
http://www.gerlach-books.de/books_offers.php

This paper is written with an aim to understanding the work that has been done by the Liberal gov... more This paper is written with an aim to understanding the work that has been done by the Liberal government in the past fifteen months and possible issues likely to develop in the coming months, especially with respect to their larger neighbour to the south.

President Donald Trump, during his campaign and in his speeches as president –elect, had indicate... more President Donald Trump, during his campaign and in his speeches as president –elect, had indicated a few foreign policy issues he and his administration would focus on. The administration stated that its foreign policy would be focused on American interests and American national security. With the new administration having settled in, this paper is an attempt to understand if there have been any perceptible changes in the foreign policy outlined by President Trump before and after he assumed office.

Mr. Trump used his social media account during the campaign to undermine his rivals. Post his ele... more Mr. Trump used his social media account during the campaign to undermine his rivals. Post his election he used has used the platform, to denounce reports of problems in his transition team as well as proving a glimpse into his thoughts on international events. While the popularity of the medium and the reach that it provides the President Elect is large, critics point out, 140 characters is not enough to express views on critical issues.

The death of Fidel Castro is being viewed by some policy makers as the opportunity for Cuba under... more The death of Fidel Castro is being viewed by some policy makers as the opportunity for Cuba under President Raul Castro to push for more reforms and expand on the restructuring that is underway in Cuba. Ten years after President Raul Castro took over power and with the death of his brother the former President of Cuba; it is a good time to highlight the reforms that have been undertaken by the current president and to understand the possible direction of future efforts of reform in Cuba.

The current crisis in Venezuela has turned the once economically stable and regional power into a... more The current crisis in Venezuela has turned the once economically stable and regional power into a country with a stalled economy, high inflation and unemployment rates, facing shortage of food, medical provisions, electricity and other necessities causing small riots. The question that is being asked by the international community is how did a prosperous nation with one of the largest reserves of oil in the world face such dire situation. The paper is an attempt to find out the answer to this question.

Regions have gained centrality in the post-September 11 international system. As a result, the ro... more Regions have gained centrality in the post-September 11 international system. As a result, the role of emerging regional powers, such as Russia, China, India, and Brazil, in the face of the alleged decline in American power, has grown. Nonetheless, there remains speculation on the role of these regional powers and emerging global players in the construction and maintenance of international and regional orders and to what extent and in what ways will they change international politics.

It is with this view in mind that this paper attempts to study the Union of South American Nations or UNASUR. The aim of the paper is to examine the accomplishments and challenges that are faced by the organisation.

An overview of Eu-China relations in the year 2015

Understanding the political, security and economic reasons for the deal.

The India-US relationship has to be developed in the broader context of international politics. B... more The India-US relationship has to be developed in the broader context of international politics. Both nations have realised that their interests on issues, from terrorism to non-proliferation, from development to economic growth, and increasing understanding of the aspirations of the other converge. This diverse agenda ranging from terrorism and defence cooperation to trade and investment, from climate change and nuclear energy to higher education and building smart cities, is a reflection of both the depth of India-US relations and the scope of cooperation between the two countries.