The World Has Changed. So Have We.
IPI is marking its 50th anniversary this year, at a time when international cooperation has never been more necessary. Countries and local communities face complex challenges from climate change, migration, pandemics, new technologies, and armed conflicts that defy national borders and involve an increasing number of actors. Driven by rising nationalism, protectionism, and xenophobia, many countries are turning away from multilateral engagement in the pursuit of narrowly defined national interests. Changes to global and regional power balances are exacerbating political and economic tensions, and fueling anxiety about the erosion of the international rule-based order and established norms—from human rights to free trade.
In this time of rising competition and growing division, there is an increasing need for an independent institution to advance thinking on concrete ways to build and sustain peace, provide opportunities for dialogue, and generate objective, evidence-based research on issues of concern to the multilateral system.
Building on five decades of substantive research and evidence-based analysis to support the international community in building peace, IPI is uniquely positioned to bridge divides and inform and engage decision makers and practitioners in the multilateral arena—in particular the Secretariat and field staff of the UN, regional and sub-regional organizations, and their member states, along with leading scholars, experts, and influential civil society actors.
IPI’s program of work consists of four research areas:
 Revitalizing Multilateral Cooperation |
| Our work on multilateral cooperation analyzes the shifting geopolitical landscape and identifies opportunities for multilateral solutions to transnational challenges, including regional cooperation in the Middle East, nonproliferation and disarmament, water scarcity, and protecting cultural heritage. |
 Peace Operations and Sustaining Peace |
| IPI’s expertise on peace operations strengthens UN efforts to promote durable, inclusive political solutions and to protect civilians, and to more effectively partner with regional organizations to achieve these goals. We work to shift the paradigm from preventing conflict to sustaining peace by emphasizing the importance of building on existing resiliencies, developing inclusive processes, and connecting local solutions to international policymaking. |
 Peace and Sustainable Development |
| Through our work on sustainable development and sustaining peace, IPI works to reframe sustaining peace and prevention as a proactive, nationally owned and driven strategy for averting the outbreak of conflict. Our focus on the SDGs supports a shared, practical understanding of how countries can implement the SDGs from a development and peace perspective. |
Women, Peace and Security
IPI’s research on women, peace and security promotes the meaningful participation of women in peace operations and conflict prevention, humanitarian settings and recovery and promotes women’s leadership for lasting institutional change at the local, regional and international levels.
IPI was founded in 1970 by US philanthropist Ruth Forbes Young and Indian Major General Indar Jit Rikhye, in close consultation with then UN Secretary-General U Thant. They recognized that a thoroughly independent institution, free from official constraints, could make a unique contribution to multilateral efforts to prevent and resolve armed conflict around the world.
Headquartered in New York City across the street from the United Nations, IPI is an international, independent, not-for-profit think tank with the mission to promote peace, security, and sustainable development.
We work to achieve our mission through:
- Research: IPI provides timely, evidence-based analysis, field-driven research, and practical policy recommendations to inform debate and guide decision making on complex and emerging issues.
- Strategic Outreach: As a trusted partner to governments and multilateral institutions in the North and South, IPI provides strategic analysis and advice, drawn from our research and our expertise on UN and other multilateral processes.
- Convening: At its events in New York and around the world, IPI aims to stimulate debate, share cutting-edge research, and increase understanding of key contemporary challenges for peace, security, and sustainable development.
JOIN US
On the occasion of IPI’s 50th anniversary, we invite you to support our work to create a world where sustainable peace is possible. Please follow the link below for more details.
777 United Nations Plaza, New York
President Terje Rød-Larsen inaugurates institutional expansion and sets a new program direction with cross-disciplinary research on “Coping with Crisis.”
International Peace Academy (IPA) is founded to train military officers and diplomats for United Nations peacekeeping operations by Ruth Forbes Young and Indar Jit Rikhye.
IPA changes its name to the International Peace Institute (IPI) to reflect its new identity as a research institution working with and supporting multilateral institutions, governments, civil society, and the private sector on a range of regional and global security challenges.