Annabelle Bonnefont | Authors | IPI Global Observatory

The Role of Peacekeepers in Protecting Civilians from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

May 25, 2022by Jenna Russo

There are a number of reasons why it is difficult for peacekeepers to protect civilians from sexual and gender-based violence, particularly those forms that fall outside of conflict-related sexual violence.

Protecting Peace? How the Protection of Civilians Contributes to Peace Processes

May 23, 2022by Jenna Russo

Without a corresponding political process, UN protection activities are an ineffective bandaid in situations of widespread violence.

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.

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.

A4P+ and Uniformed Women’s Participation in Peacekeeping

April 26, 2022by Gretchen Baldwin and Jake Sherman

The UN, in its implementation of A4P+, must address the heavily masculine, exclusionary, and militarized structures which often preclude women (and anyone outside of a very particular gendered profile) from deploying.

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?

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.

The Role of Sanctions in Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis

October 14, 2021by Erica Moret

As the international community grapples with how to approach the crisis in Afghanistan, many are questioning the role that international sanctions should play in seeking to encourage or pressure the Taliban not to revert to its ways of the past.

AI is Often Biased. Will UN Member States Acknowledge This in Discussions of Autonomous Weapon Systems?

September 20, 2021by Katherine Chandler

Machine algorithms may amplify existing humanitarian violations.

The Pitfalls of UN Peacekeeping in Afghanistan

September 1, 2021by Paul D. Williams

Neither local nor international politics are currently right for a UN peacekeeping deployment in Afghanistan.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Counterterrorism and Peacekeeping in the Sahel

July 20, 2021by Naureen Chowdhury Fink and Arthur Boutellis

The end of Operation Barkhane will leave MINUSMA with a heavier burden in countering terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel.

Emerging Lessons from Implementing Climate-Related Peace and Security Mandates

April 20, 2021Cedric de Coning, Florian Krampe, and Jake Sherman

Efforts to translate climate and environmental-related mandates into policies and practices are a work in progress, and can benefit from ongoing learning, monitoring, and adaptation.

Climate Change Must Be Tackled as a Global Security Risk

March 10, 2021Joshua Busby, Morgan Bazilian, and Florian Krampe

We live in an age where challenges to peace and security come not only from agents intentionally trying to do us harm, but also from climate change and pandemics.

Identifying and Neutralizing Afghan Peace Spoilers

March 5, 2021Annie Pforzheimer, Andrew Hyde, and Jason Criss Howk

Afghanistan’s future is at stake and the vital importance of containing spoilers while encouraging a broad and productive debate on peace cannot be overstated.

Myanmar’s Military Coup and the “Age of Impunity”

February 24, 2021Damian Lilly and Richard Bennett

There is an urgent need to rethink how to hold to account those responsible for human rights violations not only in Myanmar, but also in other countries.

Regional Special Forces Pose Threat to Peace and Security in Ethiopia

February 22, 2021by Bereket Tsegay

The peace and security arrangement between federal and regional states has allowed special forces to instigate conflicts in unique ways.

Ensuring the UN’s Duty of Care for the Mental Health of Field Personnel

February 4, 2021by Namie Di Razza

The UN system and member states urgently need to prioritize their duty of care to troops, police officers, and civilians.

Addressing the Development System’s Blindspot on Modern Slavery

January 27, 2021by James Cockayne

Modern slavery is more likely to be seen as a project management risk to be safeguarded against, rather than a target for strategic programming, lending, or policy advice.

Author: Annabelle Bonnefont

Engagement With Civil Society: The Missing Piece in UN Counterterrorism Efforts

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