While the importance of good governance to sustaining peace is widely recognized, the focus tends to be on national governance. This overlooks the crucial role of local governance actors, particularly when the central government is fragmented or lacks broad legitimacy. These actors include not only formal institutions like municipal governments but also a mix of […]
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The head of the United Nations’ mission in Somalia told an IPI audience on January 24th that there was now a “massive political mobilization” in the long fractured country that might produce its first national government in 26 years.“Even though the process has been very messy, the outcomes of it have been very positive and […]
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“Sustaining Peace in an Urban World” was the subject of a series of four panels ranging across challenges that urban environments present for UN activities, on December 14, 2016, at the UN Headquarters in New York.Explaining the sessions’ purpose, Jimena Leiva-Roesch, Policy Analyst at the International Peace Institute (IPI)—one of the organizations co-sponsoring the event—said […]
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How can open societies cope with threats that do not respect borders, from terrorist attacks, to cyber threats, to pandemics, to refugees and migrants? Is the fear caused by their “openness” fueling a rise in ideology and intolerance, and will this cause open societies to become more closed? And with open societies under attack, what […]
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Hilde Johnson, the former United Nations mission head in South Sudan and author of a new book on the country’s descent into violence since its founding in 2011, came to IPI on October 5 to describe in harrowing detail the circumstances of the fledging state’s convulsive first five years and to lay responsibility on the […]
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The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa from 2014 to 2015 underscored the fragility of public health services in countries emerging from protracted conflict, as well as the link between governance and health. In both Sierra Leone and Liberia, war had seriously undermined the health sector. Ebola arrived as the large-scale postwar […]
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This expert seminar on environmental governance and peacebuilding was held in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 20, at the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA)’s Headquarters. Researchers from multiple institutions including the Environmental Law Institute, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Stockholm University, University of Maryland, and Uppsala University, presented their most recent findings in the field of environmental […]
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Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, explained the extraordinary gains the digital landscape is bringing to Estonia to an IPI audience, May 3, 2016.“Estonia saves two percent of GDP by signing things digitally,” he said. “Imagine if it could go global.”Since regaining its independence in 1991, Estonia has achieved significant economic growth. […]
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On November 18th, the Independent Commission on Multilateralism hosted its second Public Consultation on its Discussion Paper on “Social Inclusion, Political Participation, and Effective Governance in Challenging Environments.”Click here to view the event video on YouTube>>Governance systems globally are facing a growing crisis of legitimacy vis-à-vis their constituents at state and multilateral levels. Local challenges […]
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A panel of academics, experts, and policy-makers considered the next generation of peace and security challenges at this year’s International Expert Forum (IEF) on governance, peacebuilding, and state-society relations, part of IEF’s series on 21st-century peacebuilding.Gert Rosenthal, Chair of the UN Advisory Group of Experts on Review of Peacebuilding Architecture, said UN reform would be […]
Read moreThe UN is struggling to stay relevant amid increased competition from a multitude of more informal and less inclusive actors. Informal coalitions and clubs are increasingly important tools for security, trade agreements, regulation…
When it comes to the narrative war, Russia is winning, evidenced by its successful domestic repression framed as national protection and its international portrayal of the conflict as an ideological battle against Western imperialism. The price to pay may be a fractured, more dangerous multipolar world…
Research by the ENACT organized crime project at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) shows how AI can do some of the resource-heavy and complex aspects of investigating…
In this interview, Deqa Yasin recounts her experiences as a Somali Minister and a survivor of…
It is an especially dangerous time for civilians in conflict. Hichem Khadhraoui, Executive…
Around the world, states are using UN resolutions, policy guidance, and technical assistance to justify mounting human rights violations, frequently targeting activists and civil society groups. While there is a common desire to see the UN correct its course, for many in civil society, the risks and costs of such engagement currently may not be worth the benefits on offer. The post Independent Engagement on Counterterrorism with the United Nations: Is the Risk Worth the Reward for Civil Society? appeared first on IPI…
While it may seem paradoxical for the UN to simultaneously have a record budget and face a liquidity crisis, this speaks to the long-standing complexities of UN funding dynamics. A closer look at UN financing provides…
In this interview around this year's PoC week, Dirk Druet, a researcher, policy adviser and former official in international peace…
There is an urgent need to pursue coherent policies to support…
Banditry now joins Nigeria’s list of problematic non-state armed groups which includes Boko Haram factions, Niger Delta militants in Nigeria’s south, and separatist groups in the…
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