Dion van den Berg | Authors | IPI Global Observatory

Delivering Services to Respond to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Fragile Contexts

November 24, 2021by Phyu Phyu Oo and Sara E Davies

Access to services and supports for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence is becoming more constrained in a growing number of situations across the world.

Is the Global Climate Governance System Working?

November 23, 2021by Jimena Leiva Roesch, Julia Almeida Nobre, and Eimer Curtin

In the wake of COP26, there is a need to examine the current structures and dynamics of global climate governance.

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.

Immobility: The Neglected Flipside of the Climate Displacement Crisis

November 16, 2021by Kira Walker

The tendency to focus on climate displacement has obscured an equally important question: why people don’t move.

Why Peace Should Matter for the COP, and Why COP26 is Important for Peace

November 12, 2021by Cedric de Coning and Florian Krampe

How we choose to adapt to and mitigate climate change can either cause harm, including potentially triggering conflict, or it can contribute to sustaining peace.

Can the UN Help Wean Us Off Our Fossil Fuel Addiction?

November 10, 2021by Adam Day

The political leadership of the world’s most powerful, polluting states should seize the opportunity to act on their promises today, not only accelerating their action on climate, but seeing the value of the proposals in the secretary-general’s Our Common Agenda initiative.

Key Global Events to Watch in November

November 2, 2021by the Global Observatory

A list of key upcoming meetings and events in November 2021 that have implications for global affairs compiled by the Global Observatory.

How to Know if a Country is Serious About Net Zero: Look at Its Plans for Extracting Fossil Fuels

October 29, 2021by Fergus Green

Scientists have a clear picture of how badly off-track the world is with tackling the climate crisis. But the complexities concerning sources and carbon sinks make it easy for governments and corporations to obfuscate their real contributions to climate change.

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.

Beyond Triple Invisibility: Do Submarine Data Cables Require Better Security?

September 15, 2021by Christian Bueger and Tobias Liebetrau

The global submarine cable network needs to be governed and protected, but it also has risks and vulnerabilities, and the potential to spur new forms of tensions and conflicts.

Should the UN Deploy a Peacekeeping Operation in Afghanistan? Wrong Question.

September 3, 2021by Adam Day

Rather than start with the supply side (what the UN can offer) the initial question should start with the demand side (what does Afghanistan need).

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.

Preventing Violence or Harming Peace and Rights? What the UN Can Learn from Counterterrorism in the Philippines

June 10, 2021by Aries Arugay, Marc Batac, and Jordan Street

The roll-out of counterterrorism and P/CVE policies, plans, and projects in the Philippines is having a significant negative impact on peace, security, and the fulfillment of human rights in the country.

The Legal Black Hole in United Nations Counterterrorism

June 2, 2021by Ben Saul

It is remarkable that two decades of extensive global counterterrorism law and cooperation have proceeded from a normative black hole: the absence of a common definition of terrorism.

Reflecting on the UN’s Role in Counterterrorism Twenty Years After 9/11

June 1, 2021by Jake Sherman and Agathe Sarfati

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, there is value in assessing the emergence of counterterrorism as the “fourth pillar” of the UN, its effectiveness to date, and the way ahead.

Impunity and Police Brutality Characterize Rise in Femicides in Mexico

April 7, 2021by Gema Kloppe-Santamaría

The recent murder of a woman refugee in Mexico sheds light on the violence experienced by women, undocumented migrants, and the economically disenfranchised.

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.

The Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: Post-War Ramifications and International Response

January 25, 2021by Jon Abbink

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government are wary of the interference, complaints, and demands made by the international community.

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Peace and Conflict

October 23, 2020by Katariina Mustasilta

What happened to the pandemic being a catalyst for peaceful processes?

Author: Dion van den Berg

Acting Local: How Decentralized Government Can Help Build States

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