Peace Operations & Sustaining Peace

IPI’s Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations (CPO) strives to be a center of expertise for independent research, analysis, and debate on multilateral peace operations. CPO provides timely analysis and actionable recommendations for member states, the UN system, and external partners to help missions better implement their mandates and build the foundation for sustainable peace. While the work of CPO is anchored in UN-led peace operations, it also examines broader critical trends in international peace and security.

  • Action for Peacekeeping +
    In 2018, the UN Secretary-General launched his Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative to strengthen peacekeeping by promoting collective action by all peacekeeping stakeholders. This was accompanied by the Declaration of Shared Commitments, endorsed by more than 150 member states. In 2021, to accelerate progress on implementation of the Shared Commitments, the Secretary-General launched Action for Peacekeeping + (A4P+), which consists of seven priority areas and two cross-cutting themes. Read more
  • Prioritization and Sequencing of Security Council Mandates
    IPI’s “Prioritization and Sequencing of Security Council Mandates” project aims to make UN peace operations more effective by strengthening the linkages between independent conflict analyses and the UN’s political strategies for countries where a peace operation is present. It also supports engagement by member states in the negotiation of realistic, effective, and achievable peace operations mandates. This initiative aims to help member states, UN actors, and independent experts, including from the field, analyze how country-specific peace operations mandates can be adapted to prioritize tasks based on evolving political and security developments. Read more
  • Protection of Civilians
    IPI’s protection of civilians (POC) program, launched in December 2017, focuses on issues related to the protection of civilians in the context of UN peace operations. Through this program, IPI supports the UN Secretariat in analyzing the challenges facing peace operations mandated to protect civilians and adapting policy and practice to improve the delivery of POC mandates. Since 2021, IPI has been examining protection efforts beyond the Department for Peace Operations (DPO), including the role of special political missions in protection and priorities for the UN Agenda for Protection. Read more
  • Peacekeeping Observatory
    The Peacekeeping Observatory is a multi-year project that has been supported by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces’ Department for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) since 2014. Under this project, IPI has produced a series of research papers and convened roundtable meetings examining emerging issues and challenges in peace operations. The observatory has focused on new technologies for peacekeeping (2015); the challenges of peace operations operating in violent and asymmetric threat environments (2016); field support for peace operations (2017); contemporary challenges to peace operations (2018); non-UN peacekeeping operations (2019); the prevalence of—and UN responses to— post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma, and mental health issues affecting the personnel of UN peace operations (2020); independent strategic reviews of UN peace operations (2021); the role of UN peacekeeping operations in addressing issues related to climate and security (2022); and new technologies in peace operations (2023). Read more
  • Support to C-34 Committee Annual Field Visit
    The UN General Assembly’s Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) comprises 155 member states representing all major stakeholders that support UN peacekeeping operations. To help familiarize member-state delegates with the issues and challenges facing contemporary peacekeeping operations, Canada, in its role as vice-chair of C-34 and chair of the committee’s Working Group of the Whole, has in recent years organized an annual field visit. This visit enables participating delegates to see missions firsthand and to directly engage with peacekeeping leadership, personnel, and other stakeholders. The costs of participating in the annual field visit are borne by participants’ respective governments. IPI is currently working with the Government of Canada to establish a travel fund to increase the participation of delegates from all parts of the world in the field visit. IPI has assisted by selecting delegates for the financial award, managing the travel fund, participating in the annual field visit, and preparing a summary report following its conclusion. As part of this project, IPI will follow the work of the C-34 Committee during its annual substantive session. Read more

Staff

, Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations

Jenna Russo is the Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations. Dr. Russo completed her PhD in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, with a focus on the...

, Senior Adviser

Dr. Youssef Mahmoud is Senior Adviser at the International Peace Institute supporting the sustainable development and peace operations programs and serving as a focal point on mediation and...

, Non-resident Senior Adviser

Arthur Boutellis is a Non-resident Senior Adviser at IPI, where he was Director of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, responsible for developing and managing IPI’s programs and...

, Non-resident Adviser

Ralph Mamiya is currently an independent consultant and is the former team leader of the Protection of Civilians Team in the United Nations Department Peacekeeping Operations and...

, Non-resident Fellow

Sarah-Myriam Martin-Brûlé is a non-resident fellow at IPI. A Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Sarah-Myriam Martin-Brûlé is Associate Professor in the...

, Non-resident Fellow

Dirk Druet is a researcher, policy adviser and strategist with over a decade of experience in the international peace and security pillar of the United Nations. He is a research affiliate at McGill...

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