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Interviews

  • COVID-19, Public Health, and Climate Change: Q&A with Aaron Bernstein

    Coronavirus Pandemic
    March 20, 2020by Neela Banerjee

    Questions have arisen about whether climate change contributed to the outbreak of COVID-19.

    Interviewscoronavirus
  • Ending the War in Yemen: Q&A with Abdulghani al-Iryani

    Anti-war exhibition
    March 10, 2020by Samir Ashraf

    Abdulghani al-Iryani, a senior researcher at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, on why the war in Yemen continues and whether there is a way for it to end.

    Interviewsmiddle-east
  • Reflections on UN Peacekeeping: Q&A with Alan Doss

    Alan Doss
    February 25, 2020by Jake Sherman

    Alan Doss on his book, what he sees as the contributions and limitations of peacekeeping operations, and lessons for the future of UN peacekeeping.

    Interviews
  • The Role of Women in Northern Ireland’s Peace Process: Q&A with Monica McWilliams

    1998 Good Friday Agreement
    October 31, 2019by Samir Ashraf

    Monica McWilliams, an academic and peace activist, was part of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, a grassroots political party that helped negotiate peace in Northern Island.

    Interviewswomen-peace-and-security, wps19
  • Climate Change, Water, and Conflict: Q&A with Danilo Türk and Hamish Young

    Yemen-Conflict-Water
    September 26, 2019Renata Bolotova and Samir Ashraf

    The impacts of climate change on water are particularly acute in areas of the world experiencing conflict. As water supplies become more strained in conflict contexts, they are increasingly being exploited and weaponized as strategic targets.

    Interviewsclimate-change, water
  • The Climate-Security Nexus: Interview with Louise Van Schaik

    September 12, 2019by Sweta Chakraborty

    Dr. Sweta Chakraborty is the host of the Climate and Security podcast and here she interviews Louise Van Schaik, whose research has extensively analyzed the EU’s performance in multilateral bodies, including in the fields of climate change, health, and food standards.

    Interviewsclimate-change, climatepeacesecurity
  • A Pacific Perspective on Climate Security Risks and the UN Security Council 

    September 9, 2019by Anna Maria Link, adelphi

    As the debate over climate-related security risks grows, many Pacific Island states are calling for more action by the international community to better address the links between climate change and global security. Baron Waqa, who was President of Nauru at the time of this interview, highlighted some of these calls while speaking to Anna Maria Link of adelphi in April; he also outlined the challenges in getting the climate-security issue on the UN’s agenda.

    Interviewsclimate-change, climatepeacesecurity
  • Navigating the Paradox and Complexity of Humanitarian Relief: Q&A with Fiona Terry

    December 14, 2018by Annie Rubin

    Dr. Terry discusses the complexities of humanitarian relief and key findings from her research on when, why, and how individuals and groups choose not to use violence.

    Interviewshumanitarian
  • Peacebuilding, Prevention, and Sustaining Peace: Q&A with Susanna Campbell

    October 16, 2018by Lesley Connolly

    Susanna Campbell discusses her new book and how international peacebuilding organizations can learn from the experience of those in Burundi and implement and support more effective peacebuilding initiatives on the ground.

    Interviewspeacebuilding, sustaining-peace
  • Is Nicaragua Headed Back to Its Violent Past? Q&A with Felix Maradiaga

    October 3, 2018by Jill Stoddard

    Felix Maradiaga, Executive Director the Managua-based Institute for Strategic Studies on Public Policy, discusses the current climate in Nicaragua and what has transpired in the country in recent months.

    Interviewsamericas
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This week

  • 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.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • 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

Trending

  • 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
  • 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.

    Analysisa4p, peacekeeping, women-peace-and-security
  • 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.

    Analysisafrica, mali, peacekeeping
  • 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.

    Analysisafghanistan, humanitarian
  • 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?

    Analysismali, peacekeeping, sahel
  • 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.

    Interviewsconflict, europe
  • 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.

    Analysisclimate-change, united-nations
  • 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.

    Analysissecurity-council, women-peace-and-security
  • 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
  • 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.

    Analysiswomen-peace-and-security
  • Africa, Ukraine, and the New Geopolitics

    March 10, 2022by Rita Abrahamsen

    When the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the African vote split right down the middle. The vote must have sent shivers down the African Union’s spine.

    Analysisconflict, europe, united-nations
  • 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.

    Analysisconflict, europe
  • 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
  • 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.

    Further Readingclimate-change, climate2021
  • 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.

    Analysisclimate-change, climate2021
  • 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.

    Analysisclimate-change, climate2021
  • 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.

    Analysisafghanistan, peacekeeping
  • 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.

    Analysisctat20, terrorism
  • Rising Politicization Risks Splitting Somali National Army

    March 17, 2021by Colin Robinson

    The developing electoral crisis over the past few months has led to greater misuse of forces.

    Analysis

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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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