Discussing her new book The Lonely War: One Woman’s Account of the Struggle for Modern Iran at IPI on December 15th, author Nazila Fathi said that 35 years after the revolution, Iran is divided between hardliners and a large moderate middle class, but admitted that it is still unclear which of the two sides will […]
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As two rival parliaments and administrations in Tripoli and Tobruk currently vie for control of the government in Libya, a new UN-brokered initiative is attempting to renew a national dialogue process.How and why did the previous UN mediation effort to support the Libyan-devised political transition lose legitimacy, with Libya now on the brink of civil […]
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Yemen remains the only site of an Arab Spring uprising that ended in a negotiated agreement and an internationally supported transition process. In light of the recent conflict in the North of Yemen and Sana’a, with a constitution-drafting process underway, a referendum to approve a draft constitution, and coming elections all within the next year, […]
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This issue brief examines the current state of women’s involvement in formal peace processes, focusing on the role of lead mediators. While traditional approaches to international conflict mediation are falling short in the face of 21st-century violence, one possible source of fresh perspectives and alternative approaches remains largely untapped: women.
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has festered for decades, with periodic outbursts of violence, as negotiations mediated by the United States have produced no viable solutions. In Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East, author Rashid Khalidi examines what he calls the failure of the U.S.’s role as the impartial broker […]
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The UN Secretary-General’s good offices on Myanmar, now in their twentieth year, have been one of the longest such diplomatic efforts in the history of the organization. With Myanmar now in the midst of major political, economic, and social reforms, and questions invariably being raised about the future of those “offices,” it is an opportune […]
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Mozambicans’ focus on local ownership, aided by the Community of Sant’Egidio’s facilitation efforts, transformed Mozambique from a country ravaged by civil war into a possible model for sustainable peace. This was the main reflection of an IPI roundtable discussion on October 23rd, which was co-organized with George Mason University. Download this as a meeting brief
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In July 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey hosted an informal retreat for members of the UN Security Council in Istanbul, organized by IPI. This report, “Strengthening Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation: Istanbul Retreat of the UN Security Council,” captures the discussions that took place during this meeting.
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While the United Nations has extensive experience in helping to mediate the end to civil wars and implement peace agreements, its experience with non-civil-war transition crises is comparatively limited. This study examines the UN experience in five cases of unconstitutional changes in government between 2008-2011: Kenya, Mauritania, Guinea, Madagascar, and Kyrgyzstan.The study examines some of […]
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“There is no other way. The United States, or NATO, or anybody else international, cannot make peace in Afghanistan,” Kai Eide, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan from March 2008-2010, told an IPI policy forum on January 26, 2012. “We can address some of the components perhaps, but peace in Afghanistan can only […]
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…
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