Navigating the risks of security force assistance

How are climate change, conflict and peace connected? And what happens when responses to the climate crisis are framed through security and military priorities? In this episode of Warpod, Charlie Linney and Natalia Chan speak with climate justice activist Mitzi Jonelle Tan and Ellie Kinney from the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS). Their conversation spotlights reflections from the first international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April 2026. They discuss the links between fossil fuel dependency, conflict and environmental harm, and explore why some activists and policymakers see a fossil fuel phase-out as part of a wider peacebuilding and conflict prevention project. The conversation examines questions of justice, international cooperation and multilateralism, alongside concerns about rising military spending, the role of armed forces in global emissions, and climate insecurity. The episode also looks at who is represented in international climate decision-making, how climate impacts are experienced by communities on the front lines, and what a people-centred approach to environmental change could look like in an increasingly unstable world. Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation. 

In this episode we explore how the United Nations (UN) counter-terrorism architecture has expanded – and what it means for peace, human rights and multilateral action. Over the past two decades, counter-terrorism has become one of the UN’s fastest-growing areas of work. From a small footprint with very limited capacity, to a dedicated UN Office of Counterterrorism with 200 staff, the counterterrorism agenda at the UN has seen dramatic growth. Yet despite UN Member State consensus on this agenda, many stakeholders have expressed concern that these developments run contrary to the founding ideals of the UN system. Given the clear harms that abusive counterterrorism measures have produced – for human rights, fundamental freedoms, civic space, peacebuilding and humanitarian action – is it time for the UN system to rethink its approach? As states prepare for major UN reforms and the 20-year review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the decisions UN Member States take in 2026 will likely shape the multilateral system for years to come. Ambika Satkunanathan and Ali Altiok join Jordan Street and Charlie Linney to discuss why multilateral counter-terrorism policy matters, why concerns about transparency and accountability are increasing, and what these shifts mean for civil society, local peace efforts and people living in conflict-affected contexts. They also explore how coalitions across peacebuilding, rights and security actors can work together to defend principled, prevention-focused approaches. This conversation offers clear insights into the big questions facing the UN counterterrorism system – and why a more balanced, rights-affirming direction is essential for the UN’s credibility with people around the world. 

In July 2025, the UK government released three major policy reviews that will shape its approach to security and defence for years to come: the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Comprehensive Spending Review. Together, these documents set the tone for the UK’s defence and foreign policy — but how well do they respond to the threats and challenges that people in the UK and beyond are actually facing? In this episode of Warpod, Saferworld’s Charlie Linney and Lewis Brooks are joined by Eva Tabbasam, Director of Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS), and Richard Reeve, Coordinator of the Rethinking Security network, to explore the politics, assumptions and gaps in the government’s vision. They highlight the risks of preparing society for conflict rather than building peace, and argue for a more sustainable, rights-based, cooperative approach that puts people’s real needs at the centre of national and global policy. 

Training and equipping police, military, and border forces is a common part of international security policy. But how can this kind of support affect communities in conflict-affected countries? In this episode, we speak to Hamsatu Allamin, a peacebuilder from northeast Nigeria, and Major George Ashton of the British Army’s Royal Military Police, about the practice known as security force assistance (SFA). We explore the risks of SFA when it’s not carefully designed – and how this support might be used in ways that improve relationships between security actors and civilians. 

The tenth anniversary of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) coming into force provides a unique opportunity for reflection on the impact and challenges of the Treaty to date.  We took some time to talk with Roy Isbister and Elizabeth Kirkham from Saferworld’s Arms Unit and to reflect on their experience of working on the global treaty to regulate the international arms trade. The discussion explores Saferworld’s involvement in bringing the Treaty into existence, the main successes and challenges of the ATT since its adoption, and the progress they hope to see from states in the future.  The next decade will bring new challenges for arms control. Saferworld, alongside civil society partners, will continue working to ensure the ATT does ultimately fulfil the promise of its object and purpose. Strategic funding partnerships are crucial for innovation, rapid response to crises, and for building the networks that create high-impact initiatives like the ATT. 

With a new Labour government in power after the UK’s 2024 General Election, what does the future hold for the UK’s Integrated Security Fund (UK ISF)?   The UK ISF is a cross-government fund designed to address UK national security challenges, with a budget of approx. £1 billion. The idea of such a fund began in 2001 when a previous Labour government introduced the Conflict Pool, which evolved in 2015 to become the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), and evolved again in 2023 to become the UK Integrated Security Fund. It supports a wide range of projects around the world, from training overseas security forces to high-level dialogue between geopolitical rivals; and from supporting women’s rights organisations to tackle gender-based violence, to involvement in de-mining initiatives.   In this episode, we speak to Dr Gaurav Saini, co-founder of the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR), a think tank based in New Delhi, India. We also hear from Lewis Brooks, Saferworld’s UK Policy and Advocacy Advisor. We discuss their respective experiences of engaging with the UK ISF (and its previous iterations), including any gaps or challenges that stem from the national security approach it takes, and hear what they hope to see from the UK ISF moving forwards under a new government.  As Lewis Brooks says in the episode, “If you want to understand UK security and conflict policy around the world, then you need to understand this fund”.  Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.     

With the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) set to withdraw and the al-Shabaab insurgency still posing a very real threat, how can the Somali security sector address some of the challenges facing the region?  In this episode of Warpod, we speak with regional security analyst and Somalia security expert Samira Gaid alongside Saferworld’s Country Director for Somalia Ali Hersi. We discuss the security challenges that Somali citizens and civil society organisations face, we look at some of problems with the coordination between international actors that have been undermining peacebuilding efforts, and at the importance of investing in community reconciliation and dialogue to address security challenges in the long term. 

Our conversation with Olivia O’Sullivan and Christine Cheng was so interesting that it ended up being too long to fit into one episode. This shorter bonus episode focuses on how the next UK government might approach US and EU relationships.  If you haven’t listened to the full episode, you can do by clicking here or searching for Ep#5 How are UK political parties thinking about security policy?  Olivia O'Sullivan is the Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House and contributor to their podcast, Independent Thinking. Christine Cheng is a senior lecturer in War Studies at King's College London.  Saferworld, as a registered charity, is not politically affiliated in any way and is both politically neutral and impartial.  Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation. 

The UK’s place in the world is changing, and so is the nature of the conflict around the world. With new risks and developing dynamics pulling policymakers and politicians in different directions, we spoke to great guests.   Olivia O'Sullivan is the Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House and contributor to their podcast Independent Thinking.   Christine Cheng is senior lecturer in War Studies at King's College London.  Our discussion gives insight into how UK political parties approach security policy making and the various challenges they face. We cover the ways in which the UK’s major parties would respond to current conflicts and crises, the areas of consensus between their approaches, the difficulties in communicating foreign policy and security challenges to domestic populations, and the potential reorientation of the UK’s foreign policy under a prospective Labour government. We also spoke about the role of foreign policy and commentary on it in the upcoming UK election more broadly, and the need for inclusive and constructive debates on security challenges.  Saferworld, as a registered charity, is not politically affiliated in any way and is both politically neutral and impartial.  Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation. 

In this episode, we explore the future of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping and the role of the African Union (AU) in peace operations with three guests:  Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, the representative for California’s 51st District and a member of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa;   David Haeri from the UN Department of Peace Operations, where he leads a division responsible for policy evaluation and training issues;   Dr Linda Darkwa, Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy at the University of Ghana and the coordinator for the Training for Peace Programme, where she works with the AU Commission.  Our guests talk about the challenges involved in the protection of civilians, the importance of due diligence in safeguarding human rights, the threats posed by unconstitutional changes of government and geopolitical security, and the need for flexible ways of addressing emerging challenges. We also speak about the concept of peace enforcement, which the UN Secretary General formally introduced in the New Agenda for Peace, and which differs from traditional peacekeeping in that it involves the use of force against combatants to establish peace. Running throughout all these discussions is a recognition that trust, political consensus and effective coordination between the UN and the AU are central to ensuring the success of peace operations.  Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.