Revitalizing Multilateral Cooperation

Our work on revitalizing multilateral cooperation analyzes the shifting geopolitical landscape and identifies opportunities for multilateral solutions to transnational challenges, including pandemics, water scarcity, and threats to cultural heritage.

The Index of Multilateralism

An empirical basis is needed to better understand the state of the multilateral system and to inform decision making on where to focus political and other efforts to advance collective action. The Index of Multilateralism, co-developed by IPI and the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), will provide an evidence-based assessment of several questions: What areas of international cooperation are resilient, and which are at risk? What are the trends over time? Which multilateral mechanisms are best suited to address different traditional and emerging challenges? Which provide opportunities for local or non-state stakeholders such as cities, the private sector, and civil society?

The index will measure international engagement in areas including international peace and security, human rights and humanitarian affairs, economic cooperation and development, climate, and public health. It will draw from available data sets on, inter alia, institutional membership, diplomatic presence, public perceptions of international institutions, multilateral voting patterns, financial contributions to international organizations, and compliance with international treaties, compacts, decisions, and rulings.

Protecting Cultural Heritage during Armed Conflict

The Role of Local Communities

One important factor enabling durable peace is a shared sense of ownership and understanding of our heritage, which can help bind people together and contribute to their common understanding of history. Yet despite efforts by some states, our cultural heritage remains under threat from armed conflicts and increasingly complex global challenges such as climate change. How can we ensure that the social, economic, and cultural value of our heritage is acknowledged, protected, and utilized to help local communities achieve social cohesion and sustainable peace? Urgent collective action is needed at the local, regional, and multilateral levels.

Through a combination of research, convening (virtually, as necessary), and strategic outreach, this two-year project aims to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage in situations of armed conflict (with special focus on Mali, Iraq, and Syria) by connecting local level efforts with those of governments and multilateral organizations. In addition, the project will take stock of recent normative and operational developments in the protection of cultural heritage from destruction during armed conflict, assess the effectiveness of these developments, identify areas where further strengthening is required, and propose realistic recommendations on how to advance this agenda.

The Middle East and North Africa Region and the Role of Youth

Building on conferences held in 2015 and 2016 on violent extremist attacks on cultural heritage sites, IPI’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) office is further bolstering its partnerships with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), UNESCO, and the Government of Bahrain to identify practical next steps to raise regional and global awareness of the threat of violent extremism to cultural heritage. The goal is to increase cooperation and coordination on protecting the world’s heritage in conflict zones.

Water and Peace in the 21st Century

MENA World Water Day 2021

World Water Day was first proposed at the Rio Summit in 1992, and first held the following year. IPI MENA’s second annual World Water Day event, originally scheduled for 2020, will be moved to 2021 due to the ramifications of COVID-19. This event will address questions including: How can cooperation on water management become an entry point for regional dialogue and cooperation? Are water-related risks being properly recognized and mitigated by countries in the MENA region? How can the international community capitalize on water cooperation frameworks to mitigate the outbreak of conflict? How is climate change affecting water resources? And what are the most effective tools for greater cooperation considering the regional context?

Safe Spaces for Water, Peace, and Security

IPI is planning a series of meetings on the water, peace, and security nexus in cooperation with the Geneva Water Hub. The events will build upon the “safe space” experience and procedures developed by the Geneva Water Hub, which entails thematic meetings gathering experts to discuss challenges and solutions in a closed-door format with the support of academic inputs prior to the discussion.

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