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Author: Maureen Quinn

  • Why Do Peace Processes Still Exclude Key Actors?: Q&A with Daisaku Higashi

    March 21, 2016by Maureen Quinn

    Daisaku Higashi, Associate Professor at the University of Sophia, discusses lessons from Afghanistan for the design of peace and political transition processes.

    Interviewscentral-asia, peace-processes
  • “The Multilateral System Wasn’t Created to Be Inclusive”: Q&A with Alaa Murabit

    March 18, 2016by Warren Hoge

    Alaa Murabit, Founding President of the Voice of Libyan Women, discusses the challenges facing youth, and young women in particular, and how the multilateral system can respond.

    Interviewsunited-nations, women-peace-and-security
  • Book Review: Life in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp

    March 17, 2016by James Bowen

    New book City of Thorns details the lives of nine individuals in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee complex.

    Further Readingafrica, refugees
  • Can Secretary-General Seal His Legacy at Humanitarian Summit?

    March 16, 2016by Michael R. Snyder

    With the first ever World Humanitarian Summit approaching in May in Istanbul, can the Secretary-General help shape the global humanitarian agenda?

    Analysishumanitarian, united-nations
  • Health Needs Investment at All Levels: Q&A with Ilona Kickbusch

    March 15, 2016by Els Debuf

    Ilona Kickbusch, Director of the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, discusses the need for a holistic approach to tackling global public health challenges.

    Interviewshealth-and-security, sustainable-development
  • Amid Social Media Blackout, Museveni Fights to Retain Power in Uganda

    February 18, 2016by Ryan Cummings

    While the election will likely serve as a platform for the long-standing rivalry between Museveni and Besigye, the impact of Mbabazi should not be underestimated.

    Analysisafrica, elections
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the US: Recollections of a One-Term Secretary-General

    February 17, 2016by John L. Hirsch

    Boutros-Ghali’s downfall led to the appointment of Kofi Annan as the seventh secretary-general. Annan served two terms and took on a major leadership role, denouncing the international failure to prevent genocide in Rwanda and also the UN’s role in Srebrenica during the Bosnian war.

    Analysisafrica, united-nations
  • Special Report, Part 2: The AU’s Less Coercive Diplomacy on Burundi

    February 16, 2016by Paul D. Williams

    On December 21st, Burundi’s parliament unanimously rejected the proposed AU peacekeeping force.

    Analysisafrica, conflict
  • Anything New in North Korea’s Newest Provocation?

    February 12, 2016by Stephan Haggard

    Already this week, Japan and South Korea have imposed new sanctions, while the United States has now passed “secondary sanctions” legislation, potentially targeting third parties such as Chinese firms doing business with North Korea.

    Analysisasia, nonproliferation
  • Amid Oil Crash, Could Farming Offer Nigeria a Lifeline?

    February 11, 2016by Hilary Matfess

    Historically low oil prices present a challenge to a country that derives more than 70% of revenue from oil, but there could also be an opportunity for Nigeria to achieve its long-sought and much-needed economic diversification.

    Analysisafrica, resources
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This week

  • How Negotiations on Contingent-Owned Equipment Can Help “Green” UN Peacekeeping

    January 20, 2023by Emmanuelle Cousin and Daniel Forti 

    The UN General Assembly’s COE Working Group has a fork-in-the-road opportunity to advance UN Peacekeeping’s environmental goals.

    Analysisclimate-change, peacekeeping
  • How Useful Are the UN’s Broad Protection of Civilian Mandates?

    January 18, 2023by Alexander Gilder

    The UN should consider both the successes of the whole-of-mission approach and the pitfalls of its ever-burgeoning understanding of PoC.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians

Trending

  • Investing in People and Enhancing Resilience for Sustaining Peace with Adaptive Peacebuilding

    January 17, 2023by Cedric de Coning, Rui Saraiva and Ako Muto

    Context-specific approaches to peacebuilding that empower local agency are key to the self-sustainability of peace processes.

    Analysispeacebuilding, sustaining-peace
  • The Multilateralism Index: Measuring Transformation in a Time of Crisis and Uncertainty

    January 9, 2023by Adam Lupel

    A better understanding is needed of where the multilateral system is working, where it is not, and where it is headed.

    Analysismultilateralism
  • Does the UN Need a More Coherent Approach Toward “De Facto” Authorities?

    January 6, 2023by Damian Lilly

    As a result of shifting dynamics in certain conflicts, as well as recent coups, the UN is having to engage with de facto authorities in a growing number of country contexts.

    Analysisunited-nations
  • The Nitty Gritty of Climate Policy: Taking Stock of COP27, Looking Ahead to COP28

    January 5, 2023by Olivia Fielding, Michael Franczak, Masooma Rahmaty, Aparajita Rao, Jimena Leiva Roesch, Michael Weisberg

    The agreement to establish a fund for loss and damage was a historic win for developing countries, but progress on mitigation stalled at COP27.

    Analysisclimate2022, climate-change
  • Milestone in the Security Council: What the New Humanitarian “Carve-out” Means for UN Sanctions Regimes

    December 16, 2022by Naureen Chowdhury Fink and Agathe Sarfati 

    Last week,  the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2664, a cross-cutting humanitarian carve-out for all UN sanctions regimes–including the 1267 ISIL/al-Qaida regime–to safeguard the timely and effective conduct of humanitarian activities.

    Analysishumanitarian, security-council, terrorism
  • 2022 Editor’s Choice: Global Observatory Must Reads

    December 15, 2022by the Global Observatory

    The editors of the Global Observatory have compiled some of 2022’s notable and most-read articles that speak to both global events and new thinking on peace and security, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping, gender and security, and the climate crisis.

    Further Reading
  • Year in Review: Top International Peace Institute Reports of 2022

    December 15, 2022by the Global Observatory

    The International Peace Institute’s 10 most-read reports of 2022.

    Further Reading
  • Disinformation Is a Growing Threat for UN Peacekeepers

    December 14, 2022by Albert Trithart

    UN missions will need to address the root causes of misinformation and disinformation by proactively reshaping narratives about the UN.

    Analysispeacekeeping
  • In a Worsening DRC, How Can the Security Council Keep Focus on Protection of Civilians?

    December 13, 2022by Daniel Levine-Spound and Wendy MacClinchy

    MONUSCO’s mandate renewal is an opportunity for the UNSC to prove its relevance as a protection actor in the DRC.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • The East African Community Steps into the Crisis in the DRC. Will It Help?

    December 12, 2022by Jenna Russo

    While the current crisis is unlikely to be resolved without military force, any hope for success requires that operations remain closely tied to a political process, and that neighboring countries remain accountable to support the security and sovereignty of the DRC.

    Analysisafrica, conflict
  • New Avenues for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict: Addressing Weapons

    December 9, 2022by Hana Salama

    Thus far, few UN frameworks, policies, or guidance documents on conflict-related sexual violence mention arms control and disarmament measures in the context of prevention.

    Analysisconflict, sexual-violence, women-peace-and-security
  • The Humanitarian Exception in the New UNSC Sanctions Regime: Small Steps Toward Bigger Changes

    December 5, 2022by Agathe Sarfati

    The fact that a standing humanitarian exemption was added from the outset in the Haiti sanctions regime signals a shift within the UNSC toward recognizing the need to anticipate and mitigate the adverse impacts of sanctions on humanitarian action.

    Analysishumanitarian, security-council
  • Reflecting the UN’s Core Mission in its Counterterrorism Efforts: Interview with Fionnuala Ní Aoláin

    November 30, 2022by Agathe Sarfati, Eimer Curtin and William Lighthart

    UN Special Rapporteur Fionnuala Ní Aoláin discusses the challenges that emerge as states increasingly frame conflict and violence through a terrorism lens, rather than a peace lens, and the repercussions for local mediation and human rights endeavors.

    Interviewshuman-rights, terrorism, united-nations
  • The Securitization of Gender: A Primer

    October 11, 2022by Gretchen Baldwin and Taylor Hynes

    WPS advocates must not allow gender to be instrumentalized within hypermasculine, hypermilitarized, and over-securitized approaches to security.

    Analysiswomen-peace-and-security, wpsat22
  • Russia, NATO, and International Organizations

    May 23, 2022by Kseniya Oksamytna

    As Finland and Sweden begin the process of applying for NATO membership, misleading narratives about the role of NATO’s so-called eastward expansion in “provoking” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to hold sway.

    Analysisconflict, eastern-europe
  • The Benefits, Challenges, and Limitations of Criminalizing Ecocide

    March 30, 2022by Rachel Killean

    The campaign to introduce a new international crime of “ecocide” at the International Criminal Court is long-standing but has received increased support over the last couple of years.

    Analysisenvironment
  • Putin’s “Peacekeepers”

    February 23, 2022by Paul D. Williams

    Putin has ordered Russian soldiers to conduct what he called “peacekeeping operations” in Donetsk and Luhansk, a clear violation of international law and a perversion of the important international concept of peacekeeping.

    Analysisconflict, europe
  • ECOWAS Sanctions Against Mali Necessary, but May Be Counter-Productive

    February 2, 2022by Festus Kofi Aubyn

    The new sanctions were triggered by months of growing tensions between ECOWAS and the military-dominated transitional government over the timetable for Mali’s return to civilian rule after two successful coups d’état.

    Analysisafrica, sanctions
  • Ugandan and Congolese Troops Are Conducting Joint Operations: What Could that Mean for MONUSCO?

    December 20, 2021by Daniel Levine-Spound

    The joint operations against the Allied Democratic Forces in the Beni territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo raise critical legal, operational, and reputational challenges for MONUSCO.

    Analysisafrica, peacekeeping
  • New Climate Data Visualizations, 2021

    December 15, 2021by Noemi Florea

    Noemi Florea has compiled some key data visualizations from 2021 for the Global Observatory that highlight progress on climate change, from expanded research on the global environment to emerging developments for climate adaptation.

    Further Readingclimate-change, climate2021

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The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on peace and security issues by experts, journalists, and policymakers. It is published by the International Peace Institute. The views expressed here represent those of the contributors and not IPI.

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