Nesta dissertação são abordados os antecedentes, as realizações, as perspectivas e os desafios para a consolidação do Conselho Sul Americano de Defesa (CSD). O trabalho é um estudo de caso, de natureza descritiva, baseado na Teoria dos Complexos Regionais de Segurança. Com o fim da bipolaridade houve um movimento para a atualização e a ampliação dos estudos de segurança internacional, pois as teorias e métodos vigentes se revelaram inábeis para explicar a nova realidade. Esse movimento também aconteceu na América do Sul. Diante da perda de legitimidade das instituições de defesa e de segurança continentais, como o Tratado Interamericano de Defesa Recíproca (TIAR) e a Junta Interamericana de Defesa (JID); e da progressiva diminuição do engajamento dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA) em assuntos de outras regiões, em dezembro de 2008, foi criado o CSD, para tratar dos temas de defesa da região. Durante os seus dois primeiros anos de funcionamento, o CSD logrou diversas realizações como o estabelecimento de um mecanismo de confiança mútua e a criação de um centro de estudos estratégicos em defesa e segurança. Entretanto, a estratégia de se integrar por um mínimo denominador comum pode comprometer o futuro da integração. Para se consolidar o CSD enfrentará diversos desafios. Nesse trabalho são analisados dois deles: o aumento substancial dos gastos em defesa pelos países da região e a relação assimétrica entre os EUA e os países da América do Sul e seus reflexos na integração em defesa. / This dissertation examines the history, achievements, prospects and challenges for the consolidation of South American Defense Council (CSD). This work is a case study, descriptive in nature, based on the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT). With the end of bipolarity it began a movement for the upgrade and expansion of international security studies, because the existing theories and methods have proved inappropriate to explain the new reality. This movement also happened in South America. Due to the loss of legitimacy of the institutions of continental defense and security, as the Rio Treaty and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), and the gradual reduction of United States of America (USA) engagement in the affairs of other regions in December 2008 was created the CSD, to deal with defense issues in the region. During its first two years of operation, the CSD has managed several accomplishments such as establishing a mechanism of mutual trust and creating a center of strategic studies in defense and security. However, the strategy to integrate for a minimum common denominator may jeopardize the future of integration. In its consolidation, the CSD will face many challenges. This work analyzes two of them: the substantial increase in defense spending by countries in the region and the asymmetric relationship between the USA and the countries of South America and its impacts on integration in defense.

Nesta dissertação são abordados os antecedentes, as realizações, as perspectivas e os desafios para a consolidação do Conselho Sul Americano de Defesa (CSD). O trabalho é um estudo de caso, de natureza descritiva, baseado na Teoria dos Complexos Regionais de Segurança. Com o fim da bipolaridade houve um movimento para a atualização e a ampliação dos estudos de segurança internacional, pois as teorias e métodos vigentes se revelaram inábeis para explicar a nova realidade. Esse movimento também aconteceu na América do Sul. Diante da perda de legitimidade das instituições de defesa e de segurança continentais, como o Tratado Interamericano de Defesa Recíproca (TIAR) e a Junta Interamericana de Defesa (JID); e da progressiva diminuição do engajamento dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA) em assuntos de outras regiões, em dezembro de 2008, foi criado o CSD, para tratar dos temas de defesa da região. Durante os seus dois primeiros anos de funcionamento, o CSD logrou diversas realizações como o estabelecimento de um mecanismo de confiança mútua e a criação de um centro de estudos estratégicos em defesa e segurança. Entretanto, a estratégia de se integrar por um mínimo denominador comum pode comprometer o futuro da integração. Para se consolidar o CSD enfrentará diversos desafios. Nesse trabalho são analisados dois deles: o aumento substancial dos gastos em defesa pelos países da região e a relação assimétrica entre os EUA e os países da América do Sul e seus reflexos na integração em defesa. / This dissertation examines the history, achievements, prospects and challenges for the consolidation of South American Defense Council (CSD). This work is a case study, descriptive in nature, based on the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT). With the end of bipolarity it began a movement for the upgrade and expansion of international security studies, because the existing theories and methods have proved inappropriate to explain the new reality. This movement also happened in South America. Due to the loss of legitimacy of the institutions of continental defense and security, as the Rio Treaty and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), and the gradual reduction of United States of America (USA) engagement in the affairs of other regions in December 2008 was created the CSD, to deal with defense issues in the region. During its first two years of operation, the CSD has managed several accomplishments such as establishing a mechanism of mutual trust and creating a center of strategic studies in defense and security. However, the strategy to integrate for a minimum common denominator may jeopardize the future of integration. In its consolidation, the CSD will face many challenges. This work analyzes two of them: the substantial increase in defense spending by countries in the region and the asymmetric relationship between the USA and the countries of South America and its impacts on integration in defense.

The diploma thesis captures the contemporary security situation of Slovakia, identifies security problems by which it feels threatened, then goes on to point out whom and what Slovakia wants to protect and which strategy it plans to use in order to do that. At the same time it identifies the main insecurities of EU as a whole and those of Russia. These two powers are seen to play a major role in formation of relationships of amity and enmity, of cooperation and hostility in European regional security supercomplex of which, Slovakia is inseparable part. To describe and conduct analysis, author applies theories and analytical tools formulated by Copenhagen School. Most used were analytical frameworks and concepts of securitization, regional security complexes and sectoral approach to security.

This work will try to analyse, if a project of Nort-South gas corridor is a really effective solution for EU and if this project really supports an effort to achieve a common energy security of EU. Work is based on hypothesis that natural gas and significant difference between member states of EU in dependence on Russian gas are the main problems which complicate efforts to achieve a common energy security of EU. Project, which could support efforts to achieve a common energy security of EU must be a project which could assure a diversification of gas routes and diversification of gas sources without weakening of energy security of any of EU member states. This work will try to analyse if existing gas projects (North Stream, South Stream, Nabucco and North- South gas corridor are really realistic projects which meet energy needs of member states of EU and long-term policy of EU. This work will try to prove, that North- South gas corridor is f the project, which really brings diversification of gas sources and gas routes and existence of this project will have also positive influence on efforts to achieve a common energy security of EU.

[pt] Constatou-se que os atos piratas no Golfo da Guiné, especialmente em Nigéria, estão fortemente associados ao roubo de cargas de petróleo e à pilhagem das instalações de exploração do produto. As ações dos perpetradores de tais atos, como é o caso da Nigéria que se debruçou mais, visam atingir o Estado Federal e as multinacionais exploradoras do petróleo bruto nacional. Com base na Teoria dos Complexos Regionais de Segurança e nos conceitos teóricos sobre a securitização, procurou-se analisar a pirataria na região estudada como uma ameaça existencial socialmente construída e como um objeto securitizado por uma variedade de atores políticos (regionais e internacionais). O objetivo cabal é mostrar que, no atual contexto da corrida pelo petróleo no Golfo da Guiné, a securitização da pirataria provoca a despolitização de questões econômicas e sociais inerentes aos Estados locais e a ameaça suas soberanias e integridades territoriais. / [en] It was found that pirates acts in the Gulf of Guinea, especially in Nigeria, are strongly associated with the theft of oil cargo and the pillaging of the product exploration installations. The actions of the perpetrators of such acts, as is the case of Nigeria which leaned more, aim to achieve the Federal State and the multinationals exploiting the national crude oil. Based on the Theory of Regional Security Complex and on the theoretical concepts of securitization, we tried to analyze piracy in the region studied as a socially constructed existential threat and a securitized object by a variety of political actors (regional and international). The full goal is to show that, in the current context of the race for oil in the Gulf of Guinea, the securitization of piracy causes the depoliticization of economic and social issues related to local states and threatens their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Interstate threat perception plays a vital role in peace and conflict, having the potential to lead to pre-emptive war.  Despite the significance of the theme, little is known about the elements and mechanisms at play guiding threat perception at the state level. This study contributes to said gap by focusing on values as the driver of threat perception. The argument explores the regional constraints of threat perception, focusing on regional military interventions and their effects on the threat perception of the states within said region. Thus, the paper addresses the question of what role value congruence plays in interstate threat perception following a regional military intervention. The paper hypothesises that a higher perceived value congruence between the perceiving state and the intervening state lowers the degree of threat perception. Noting data limitations and isolation challenges, the study finds support for this hypothesis by exploring the case of 2014 Russian intervention in Ukraine and its effects on Belarus, Poland, and Sweden.