General Announcements - August 17, 2010
We Should Not Wait For Bad News, Ed Luck Says At UN General Assembly Meeting
"Early warning should not be the beginning of the UN’s engagement in a situation of concern," said Dr. Edward C. Luck, IPI Senior Vice President for Research and Programs, while addressing the UN General Assembly during an informal meeting on early warning, assessment, and the responsibility to protect on August 9th. "We should not wait for the bad news, when options are limited and unattractive and the human toll is rising, before crafting a system-wide response. As you will recall, the Secretary-General has called for 'an early and flexible response, tailored to the circumstances of each case.' That requires early engagement and early understanding."
"My core message today is simple: we should avoid an overly mechanical, simplistic, or sequenced approach to early warning, assessment, and action," he said.
In September 2009, the General Assembly adopted by consensus its first resolution on the responsibility to protect, agreeing to hold further discussions on the international understanding to intervene to stop atrocities from taking place.
Read Dr. Luck's full statement
Read the Secretary-General's July 14th report on early warning, assessment and the responsibility to protect
The Global Observatory
Interview with Patricia Flor, European Union Special Representative for Central Asia
Ambassador Flor said the European Union is engaging with Central Asian governments that have a long-term view of transformation and thus have a slower pace of reform.
Key Global Events to Watch in May
A list of key upcoming meetings and events with implications for global affairs.
Top 10 Issues to Watch in 2013: The Multilateral Arena
Ten key issues that are likely to impact global affairs in international peace, security, and development.
The Global Observatory, produced by IPI, provides timely analysis on peace and security issues, interviews with leading policymakers, interactive maps, and more.
Recent Events
May 14, 2013
2013 Vienna Seminar: The Dangerous Nexus of Crime, Conflict, and Terrorism
On May 14-15, the IPI Vienna Seminar took place, focusing on the dangerous nexus between crime, conflict and terrorism, particularly in failing states. This 43rd session of the Vienna Seminar–which was held in the historic Marble Hall of the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs–was attended by over one hundred participants from around the world,
May 10, 2013
SRSG Ramos-Horta Optimistic for Stability in Guinea-Bissau
In his briefing to the Security Council the day before appearing at IPI on May 10th, José Ramos-Horta, Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau, told the Council that the beleaguered country “exists in name only.”
May 08, 2013
Holmes on the Reality of Relief Aid
“People fail to understand that what we’re saying is something intensely practical and down-to-earth and not something rather theoretical and ivory tower,” said John Holmes, author of the book, The Politics of Humanity: the Reality of Relief Aid, at an IPI Beyond the Headlines event on May 8th.