This paper (April 6) provides the Biden Administration's views on the decisions and challenges surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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This report (March 20) is issued periodically by United Nations in advance of global climate discussions. The report provides a status on progress towards meeting international climate goals.

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This is an update report (March 2023) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concerning its latest findings and conclusions on seemingly-related health incidents that have been labled as "Havana Syndrome," as they are first reported with diplomatic staff stationed in Havana, Cuba.

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This draft paper (November 2022) summarizes the draft outcomes of the 27th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27). The UN indicates this draft will undergo revision in the coming months.

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This Issue Brief (October 2022) summarizes China's efforts to export its surveillance technology as a means gain influence in other nations, expand the adoption of the tools in support of more authoritarian rule, and advance more broadly with the international community the  cyberspace management concept that the each country has a right to delimit and control data flows given domestic security interests.

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This private sector study (September 2022) claims it has documented China’s ongoing efforts to send promising scientists to U.S. national laboratories for training at the same time recruiting scientists back to China to advance the country’s military programs. The study says that many of the scientists are making “considerable” contributions to hypersonic, missile, and submarine programs that present an array of security risks for the United States and the free world.

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This report (September 2022) provides the results of a review by the staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on foreign intelligence threats. Among the findings: foreign intelligence entities are targeting the public and private sectors alike, including the financial sector, the U.S. industrial base, academic entities, U.S. government departments and agencies that are not part of the intelligence community, and national laboratories; and that today’s adversaries have access to a much wider variety of tools for stealing information, influencing U.S. officials or inflaming social and political tensions than in the past, including nontraditional human, cyber, advanced technical, and open source intelligence operations to collect against U.S. plans and policies, sensitive technology, personally identifiable information, and intellectual property, as well as to influence U.S. decision-making and public opinion.

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This annual report of the State Department highlights efforts of the United States to prevent and respond to atrocities occuring in the world.

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This study examined the links between illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and labor abuse, and poor government oversight. The study found that 57% of assessed ports were tied to labor abuse or IUU fishing, and were higher for fishing trips that ended at assessed ports (82%)

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This CRS report provides the latest summary background and status of U.S. policy towards Afghanistan and considerations for Congress going forward.

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This report (February 2022) provides the results of a review conducted by the DOD Inspector General of the security screening of evacuated Afghans after the United States left Afghanistan. The report found that some Afghans permitted to enter the United States were found, after the fact, to have derogatory background security information. And, only some of those persons have subsequently been located.

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This report provides a set of recommendations for improving the U.S. refugee resettlement program covering adjudication capacity, vetting and interviewing, due process, and transparency.

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This Blue Paper details the impact of plastics and other pollution in the ocean and offers seven key recommendations for comprehensively addressing the problem.

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This report synthesizes world-wide government policy and regulatory responses to plastic pollution.

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This web report presents data and analysis behind internet outages, in particular purposeful actions by state actor governments around the world to shut down the internet to restrict the flow of information.

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This Treasury website provides a curtrent list of active sanctions by country.

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This GAO article provides a summary of the 2019 SolarWinds cyberattack perpetrated by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. 

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This report (February 2021) summarizes the scope and types of U.S. international food assistance, as well as food assistance program reforms proposed by the Obama and Trump Administration.

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This is the initial study of Havana Syndrome conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The study was limited to employees and families located in Havana, Cuba, and Guangzhou, China, some of whom experienced symptoms such as a perceived loud noise, ear pain, intense head pressure or vibration, dizziness, visual problems, and cognitive difficulties.

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This article outlines a proposal for reforming U.S. security assistance (i.e., military assistance) to other countries that centers on consolidating assistance into the diplomatic realm of the State Department and out of DOD.

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This CRS report summarizes the legal basis, and implications of, a designation of a country as a state sponsor of terrorism. Four countries designated -- North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and Iran.

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This website provides current information on the background and current status of international terrorist groups.

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This website provides all current international treaties and principles associated with space and space related laws and activities. Negotiated long ago, the last set of principles were agreed to in 1996.

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This article recommends a guiding space security framework for the United States to advance in the coming decades to meet national security needs, advance economic interests, and address the needs of humanity. Example action elements include updating the legal and regulatory framework governing space, creating a space security alliance, enhancing US investment in space technology, and emphasize cislunar space.

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This CRS report (October 2021) provides the current status of illegal drug operations via Mexico based on publicly-available information. 

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This report (March 2021) describes the efforts of key countries to address the international drug trade during 2020, to include drug and chemical control activities, as well as money laundering and financial crimes.

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This CRS report (November 2021) describes the origin, progression, and status of the U.S.-Mexico Merida Initiative.

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This Annual Report (November 2021) provides the results of a comprehensive review of the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The report provides 32 recommendations for consideration by the Congress.

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This USAID plan (November 2021) describes how the U.S. government will strengthen the focus of, and coordination among, seven Federal Government agencies to help guide improvements in world nutrition outcomes. 

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This CRS report provides a summary of the status of U.S.-Israel relations, particularly as related to current issues in the region.

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