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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.
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“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 […]
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“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 […]
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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 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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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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