Youssef Mahmoud talks about the UN’s upcoming Summit of the Future and its Pact as it relates to people and the planet, the role of civil society, and the question of transformative action versus reform to sustain peace. Youssef also speaks to the ways the global majority is asserting its agency in the multilateral system, and the need to decolonize our thinking so as to make it work for everyone.
Author: Jill Stoddard
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The UN is struggling to stay relevant amid increased competition from a multitude of more informal and less inclusive actors. Informal coalitions and clubs are increasingly important tools for security, trade agreements, regulation of international banking, and the handling of COVID-19. The new order is becoming particularly clear during the next UN General Assembly, when the G20 will, for the first time, arrange a foreign minister’s meeting in the ECOSOC chamber to consult and engage with UN member states.
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When it comes to the narrative war, Russia is winning, evidenced by its successful domestic repression framed as national protection and its international portrayal of the conflict as an ideological battle against Western imperialism. The price to pay may be a fractured, more dangerous multipolar world order with a reduced role for human rights. Whether it feels it doesn’t need to or simply shouldn’t have to, the West needs to better engage in these narrative wars.
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Research by the ENACT organized crime project at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) shows how AI can do some of the resource-heavy and complex aspects of investigating environmental crime in Africa, especially crimes related to poaching, illegal fishing, and illegal mining.
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In this interview, Deqa Yasin recounts her experiences as a Somali Minister and a survivor of online attacks, and talks about the role of the international community in combating online gender-based violence, how women in leadership roles can be supported, and what the future holds for women’s rights in Somalia.
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It is an especially dangerous time for civilians in conflict. Hichem Khadhraoui, Executive Director at Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), details a frank assessment of the topic.
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Around the world, states are using UN resolutions, policy guidance, and technical assistance to justify mounting human rights violations, frequently targeting activists and civil society groups. While there is a common desire to see the UN correct its course, for many in civil society, the risks and costs of such engagement currently may not be worth the benefits on offer.
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While it may seem paradoxical for the UN to simultaneously have a record budget and face a liquidity crisis, this speaks to the long-standing complexities of UN funding dynamics. A closer look at UN financing provides insights into how UN multilateralism works, or fails to work.
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In this interview around this year’s PoC week, Dirk Druet, a researcher, policy adviser and former official in international peace and security pillar of the United Nations, and a non-resident fellow at the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute, answers questions for Global Observatory Editor Jill Stoddard on some topics from this year’s PoC week.
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There is an urgent need to pursue coherent policies to support women and girls in Afghanistan through diplomacy and practical measures. However, to do this, it is important to understand how to navigate the patriarchal practices that inhibit the protection of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
