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Author: Alex Fielding

  • Corruption, Violence Threaten Congo’s Foreign Aid and Investment

    July 27, 2017by Alex Fielding

    With little faith in the DRC’s democratic process, Western donors are loath to fund activities around an election scheduled for some time this year, which the government estimates will cost around $1.8 billion.

    Analysisdemocratic-republic-of-the-congo, development
  • How Nigeria’s Buhari Is Turning the Tide Against Boko Haram

    October 26, 2016by Alex Fielding

    More effective cooperation with local vigilante groups known as the Civilian Joint Task Forces has increased the army’s intelligence gathering capabilities, operational reach, and overall momentum.

    Analysisafrica, extremism
  • Advantage Kabila as Electoral Delays Elicit Muted Response

    April 7, 2016by Alex Fielding

    Kabila’s strategy has taken a number of active and passive forms. On the latter front, no concrete steps have been taken to update voter lists since the 2011 election, making “technical delays” increasingly inevitable.

    Analysisdemocratic-republic-of-the-congo, elections
  • Rearming CAR’s Forces: A Way out of the Abyss?

    November 30, 2015by Alex Fielding and Elisha Sidoun

    While an enhanced security presence is undoubtedly needed to bolster international forces and keep the militias in check, rearming CAR’s armed forces is laden with risk.

    Analysiscentral-african-republic, peace-and-security
  • Could the DRC Be Africa’s Next Third Term Battleground?

    October 27, 2015by Alex Fielding

    After months of relative calm following these outbreaks, Kinshasa recently witnessed the renewal of anti-Kabila protests on September 15.

    Analysisdemocratic-republic-of-the-congo, elections
  • Could South Sudan Push Provide Blueprint for China’s African Security Policy?

    June 24, 2015by Alex Fielding

    South Sudan’s civil war, and the threat it poses to China’s growing economic and political interests in the country, has now tested the limits of China’s policy—espoused in 1955 by then-premier Zhou Enlai—of not interfering in the “internal” affairs of other states.

    Analysisafrica, china

This week

  • Climate Change in the Security Council: What New Council Members Can Achieve in 2023

    January 30, 2023by Adam Day, Janani Vivekananda, and Grazia Pacillo

    2023 could be a good year for advancing climate-related issues in the United Nations Security Council.

    Analysisclimate-change, peace-and-security, security-council
  • 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

Trending

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Legal Avenues to Fight Climate Change

    November 18, 2022by Julia Almeida Nobre

    Climate change litigation is on the rise. More legal clarity will bring more action.

    Analysisclimate2022
  • The Many, Varied Violences Behind the Central American Exodus

    November 15, 2022by Nathaniel Morris and Gema Kloppe-Santamaría

    We need to fully recognize the multifaceted character of the “violences” impacting Central American countries and the political, economic, and social precursors that drive them.

    Analysisamericas, migration
  • 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
  • Sanctions and the Costs of Russia’s War in Ukraine

    May 12, 2022by Erica Moret

    The sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine mark a new page in global sanctions practice yet lessons from earlier cases could help increase efficacy and minimize costs.

    Analysisconflict, europe, ukraine
  • 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
  • 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
  • New Name, but Little Sign of Change: The Revised Agreement on the African Union Mission in Somalia

    January 27, 2022by Colin Robinson

    The AU mission’s success relies on the handover of military responsibilities to an effective Somali replacement. But the Somali National Army remains as politicized and clan-divided as it has ever been.

    Analysisafrica, african-union, peacekeeping
  • 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

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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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