Missing the good old days? When there were only two large powers having a global ideological war? Recent events in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, among others, make clear that it has become harder to predict the driving force of international politics and security. There are many debates about the multipolar post-Cold War global order of rising BRICSs, comparative decline of the “West,” and a festering and erratic Middle East, with the events of the Arab Spring forcing us to make new evaluations.

The 10th International Security Forum, Facing a World of Transitions, specifically addressed the multiple transitions in the international security environment. Whether political or military in nature – such as nuclear threats and disarmament or the question of geopolitical shifts, or issues regarding human security, such as peace-building or dignity – they pose unprecedented challenges to states. While it is impossible to do justice to the large range of issues which were covered during these three days, a few overarching themes arise.