After more than 30 years of operation, the International Peace Academy (IPA) has changed its name to the International Peace Institute (IPI). The change took effect on Monday, March 24, 2008.

While not a radical departure, the new name better reflects the evolution of the institute’s work over the years. IPI originally served as a training academy for military officers preparing for peacekeeping missions. Even as this training continued through annual seminars in Vienna and New York, IPA’s primary focus gradually shifted to providing innovative, policy-driven research and analysis while serving as an independent forum for the United Nations community. In short, IPI is an institute for best thinking and practice across the UN’s broad peace and security agenda.

Although the name has changed, the institute’s work will not; indeed, the present state of the world makes that work more critical than ever. IPI will continue to convene key parties and to produce cutting-edge analysis and fresh policy proposals on a range of pressing issues, from longstanding regional conflict to peacebuilding and the responsibility to protect. And IPI will continue to publish and disseminate IPI-sponsored research, findings, and discourse to the UN community and beyond.

IPI’s convening role will also be greatly enhanced with the opening this April of the Trygve Lie Center for Peace, Security & Development, housed at its home office at 777 United Nations Plaza.