Most countries that host UN peacekeeping operations face an impunity gap. Their national courts often lack the capacity to prosecute international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and grave violations of human rights. As a result, special or hybrid courts and international courts, like the International Criminal Court (ICC), often have to […]
Read more
Since first deployed in 1960, United Nations police (UNPOL) have consistently been present in UN missions and have become increasingly important to achieving mission objectives. Since 1999, these objectives have often included the protection of civilians (POC), especially in places like the Central African Republic, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and South […]
Read more
Establishing rule of law is as much a political project as a technical one, experts agreed at an IPI policy forum on June 30, 2016. Through national case studies, experts explored ways and means of combining political engagement with technical expertise to establish effective and rights-based rule of law.Sima Sami Bahous, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations […]
Read more
One of the main threats to the current world order is the erosion of the rule-of-law based international system. Due to the advent of new technologies and hybrid warfare, the laws of war have also become blurred. A major cause of both of these trends is the emergence of armed non-state actors. This meeting note […]
Read more
Despite newly promised constitutional protections, there are many challenges facing the human rights community in Zimbabwe, according to Beatrice Mtetwa, a prominent Zimbabwean human rights lawyer. She spoke on advancing the rule of law in Zimbabwe during an African Leaders Series event at the International Peace Institute on December 19th.Highly contested, Zimbabwe’s national elections on […]
Read more
The rule of law is a fundamental building block for realizing rights, holding perpetrators accountable, and ensuring long-term peace and development, though more international support is needed to re-establish the rule of law in crisis-affected states. These were the key takeaways from a policy forum held at the International Peace Institute on October 25th. Organized […]
Read more
The rule of law has been gaining significant attention in the United Nations since 2004. Now, in 2012, the UN General Assembly will devote its opening high-level event to the topic for the first time.
Read more
“In the rule of law, there is no “big bang”… rule of law very much is something bit by bit, you learn bit by bit, and that is how it develops,” Sam Muller, Director of the Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL), told an IPI lunchtime policy forum on June 26, 2012. The […]
Read more
“In my understanding of the rule of law, fundamentally, what the rule of law means is that it embraces the principle of equality before the law,” Louise Arbour, president of the International Crisis Group (ICG), told an IPI audience on May 10, 2012. Ms. Arbour outlined that this means that no one is above the […]
Read more
Addressing a large gathering at IPI, Dr. Denis Mukwege, the renowned founder of a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that treats victims of sexual violence, spoke feelingly of the thousands of young women who, having been raped, are condemned to lives of being shunned by their families and seeing their rapists move […]
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…
United Nations
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.
The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on trends and issues related to global security.
777 United Nations Plaza, New York