On January 20th, IPI together with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, cohosted a virtual panel discussion on “Reflections and Lessons on UN Support to Local Mediation Efforts.”Track 1 mediation processes involving national political and military leaders have increasingly struggled to deliver comprehensive peace […]
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Track-1 mediation processes have increasingly struggled to deliver comprehensive peace agreements that address fragmented conflict dynamics and include local communities’ needs. As a result, local mediation has increasingly been a focus for the UN, including for UN peace operations. UN peace operations can play an important role in supporting local mediation initiatives, whether these initiatives […]
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IPI was the scene, on September 28th, of a lively discussion among senior United Nations mediators and the author of a new book called Negotiating Peace: A Guide to the Practice, Politics, and Law of International Mediation.The author was Sven M. Koopmans, a past member of UN and European Union mediation teams, international lawyer, academic, […]
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Libya’s overarching statelessness, and the violence and lawlessness that result, permeate the country, which is plagued by local-level conflicts. However, local mediation efforts have flourished over the last few years. As a senior UN official noted, “Local mediation is the best thing that has happened in Libya since the revolution.”This report examines these local mediation […]
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A broad-based mediation plan in South Sudan to try to forge peace after violence devastated the country between 2013 and 2015 unraveled in a year, plunging the country back into conflict. On April 30th, IPI and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations held a policy forum to discuss the subject and launch […]
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In 2013, the world’s newest nation—the Republic of South Sudan—descended into civil war. External actors moved quickly to convene peace talks under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), leading to a comprehensive peace deal in August 2015. But the agreement unraveled just a year later, before it could be implemented, and the […]
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An April 19th policy forum at IPI took up the vexing dilemma that arises when peacemakers face choices between settling an armed conflict and holding to account those responsible for severe human rights violations.“Many think that peace is more important than justice or vice-versa,” said Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, […]
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On March 15, 2018, the Syrian armed conflict entered into its eighth year. Since 2011, attempts to facilitate a political solution to the Syrian conflict have either failed or stalled. Amidst this deadlock, one track that has not stalled is the civil society track. Against the odds, progress can be observed at this level as […]
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To prevent civil strife and reinforce social unity, Muslim countries need to engage in a culture of mediation at the domestic level, Nejib Friji, Director, IPI Middle East & North Africa, told an audience at the first Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States Conference on Mediation in Istanbul, November 23rd.The conference, organized by the […]
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On November 6th, Marie-Joëlle Zahar, IPI Senior Fellow, and Delphine Mechoulan, IPI Policy Analyst, presented the main findings of their report “Peace by Pieces? Local Mediation Initiatives and Sustainable Peace in the Central African Republic.”The report, which by can be found here, describes and analyzes the impact of local mediation activities in the Central African […]
Read moreAs negotiators and climate leaders around the world process the outcomes of COP30, there is widespread disappointment that the parties did not agree on a roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels (TAFF). This omission reflected the complexity of the…
In February 2025, African heads of state gathered in Addis Ababa to announce a bold challenge to the global financial order: the continent will launch its own credit rating agency. The move follows years of mounting frustration over the…
Since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city of El Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region…
Armed conflict no longer unfolds solely on the battlefield. It is fought fiercely along digital frontlines—from…
President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and the New York Declaration on a two-state solution have created an opening for peace in Gaza—though one that is fragile and fraught with danger. These blueprints are wide in scope but light on detail where it matters, including on stabilization…
In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed the escalating…
This December, the mandate of the UN…
Around 1.3 billion people experience significant disability—around 16% of the world’s population.…
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of Resolution 1325, which launched the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda. This resolution…
Never has the cliché that we are at a pivotal moment in Middle East diplomacy been more…
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The International Peace Institute is an independent, non-profit organization working to strengthen inclusive multilateralism for a more peaceful and sustainable planet. Through its research, convening, and strategic advising, IPI provides innovative recommendations for the United Nations System, member states, regional organizations, civil society, and the private sector. With staff from around the world and a broad range of academic fields, IPI has offices facing United Nations headquarters in New York.
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