The fourth UN peacebuilding architecture review (PBAR) takes place this year, providing UN member states, UN entities, civil society, and other stakeholders with an opportunity to strengthen UN peacebuilding institutions. This article looks at what the review entails, and points to the five key issues likely to be debated.
Analysis
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As we enter 2025 at a tumultuous time, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, and of what is required from all of us to create a world that works for all. The UN Declaration on Future Generations encourages present-day decision-makers at the national and international levels to be good ancestors to those that follow. If properly nurtured, good ancestorship could become an overarching framework towards operationalizing some of the principles and commitments of the Declaration.
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In December 2022, the UN Security Council adopted the landmark Resolution 2664, creating a cross-cutting humanitarian carve-out for asset freezes under all UN sanctions regimes. Earlier this month, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2761, extending the application of the carve-out to the 1267 ISIL/al-Qaida counterterrorism regime indefinitely—a resolution that is just as significant.
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There is a strong argument to be made that enduring failures to effectively integrate disarmament into the WPS agenda at the UN Security Council mean that it is now timely to redirect feminist efforts away from the council and toward the General Assembly. In particular, this institutional shift is essential for advancing feminist disarmament objectives through the WPS agenda.
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Based on interviews with UN delegates and independent experts, as well as the analysis of voting patterns and UN meeting records, the authors’ new study examines the G77’s internal decision-making processes and how these shape the group’s contributions to global dialogue or “effective multilateralism.”
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ATMIS will end on December 31, 2024, and be replaced by a new African Union Stabilization and Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). United Nations Security Council approval will have to be given this month to meet the changeover deadline. Yet the new force is unlikely to significantly degrade the long-term threat al-Shabaab poses. al-Shabaab is stronger than generally perceived and may be in a position to achieve significant large-scale success.
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This summer, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2734–a critical step forward for the global campaign to end gender-based violence, and paving the way for greater accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. This article covers the impact of the resolution, the events leading up to it, and how stakeholders can leverage 2734.
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Despite recent achievements, significant gaps remain in UN policies aimed at promoting racial equality. This is not just a matter of appearance; it’s a matter of policy. Many of the issues the UN deals with —such as climate change, development, and security— have disproportionate effects on countries in the Global South and on marginalized and minoritized populations. Racial diversity is a crucial indicator that a multiplicity of experiences, perspectives, and life stories are making their way into discussions, decision making, and actions.
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Rough times are ahead for the United Nations (UN) with the election of Donald Trump to a second term. Although we do not yet know the details of the incoming administration’s UN policy agenda, the experience of the first Trump administration (2017-2021) provides a good starting point.
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The new 2024 Multilateralism Index uses 45 indicators to assess changes in multilateral cooperation over the past decade (2013–2023) across five domains: What does it tell us about recent trends in multilateral cooperation, and how might these trends shift under a second Trump presidency?
