Amber Bel | Authors | IPI Global Observatory

Despite Constraints, MINUSMA Remains the Legitimate International Partner to Mali

April 21, 2022by Rida Lyammouri

Facing its most difficult period since its inception in April 2013, MINUSMA, and the Security Council, now need to acknowledge that their biggest problems in Mali are political.

While Afghans Wait, States and Banks Decrypt the Humanitarian Exception in the Taliban Sanctions Regime

April 14, 2022by Agathe Sarfati

Amid mounting pressure to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, the United Nations Security Council took the rare step of creating a humanitarian exception for the 1988 Taliban sanctions regime.

What Are the International Military Options for the Sahel?

April 12, 2022by Nina Wilén and Paul D. Williams

The complex, and not always coordinated, ecosystem of military operations across the Sahel has been aptly labeled a security traffic jam. Why are external forces in the Sahel? Can they help resolve any of the region’s crises? And, if so, what configuration of external forces makes the most sense?

NATO, the EU, and the War in Ukraine: Interview with Paul Poast

April 8, 2022by Eimer Curtin

It has been six weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine and the conflict is devolving into a stalemate. Paul Poast discusses the responses of NATO, the shifts in EU defense policies, and how this war might end.

Climate Governance, Reform or Perish—The Future of the UNFCCC

April 6, 2022Jimena Leiva Roesch and Eimer Curtin

As the need for stronger commitments toward the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees grows, the voices and interests of the most vulnerable people and countries are not being given precedence in global climate talks.

By Invitation Only: Including Women Briefers at the UN Security Council

April 1, 2022by Louise Olsson and Anna Marie Obermeier

While briefing the Security Council has always been a male-dominated affair, more women have been included over the years, a development which came at the same time as an overall increase in the number of briefers.

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.

How Weapons and Ammunition Management Can Enhance Women, Peace and Security

March 17, 2022by Hana Salama and Emma Bjertén-Günther

The proliferation of weapons and ammunition presents a major obstacle in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How Permafrost Thaw Puts the Russian Arctic at Risk

November 22, 2021by Katarina Kertysova and Akash Ramnath

Permafrost thaw presents a major challenge to Arctic communities and ecosystems and has enormous potential to accelerate climate change and its global impacts.