Ayodele Odusola, UNDP’s Chief Economist for Africa, made this observation at an IPI policy forum, co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United Nations, on March 15th, 2017 on “Peace and the Gender Gap: Women’s Economic Empowerment in Fragile Communities.”“Africa loses $95 billion a year by not fully engaging women […]
Read more
Despite their size and limited resources, small states have an important and crucial role to play in the multilateral system and can leverage their power through cooperation.This was the main message of a roundtable discussion held at IPI on December 9th on the topic of “Size and Influence: How Small States Influence Policymaking in Multilateral […]
Read more
The Gulf of Guinea has become notorious for violence, conflict, and political instability, which often have origins in bad governance, corruption, and failures of social and economic development. How can national governments and multilateral organizations best respond?
Read more
To counter the pervasive insecurity and violence in the Sahel and Maghreb regions, and address the political, social, and economic marginalization that have been driving them, it is urgent to devise strategies that send reassuring messages to the beleaguered populations living in these regions. This was the key message that emerged from a regional seminar […]
Read more
Lebanon has exceeded expectations in dealing with the continuing fallout from the crisis in neighboring Syria, said Derek Plumbly, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, on March 26th. Speaking at the International Peace Institute, Mr. Plumbly praised the Lebanese people for “actually sustaining a measure of stability in their country.”Since civil war broke out three […]
Read more
This meeting note addresses current and emerging threats in the Gulf of Guinea, including piracy, and the conditions that contribute to their rise, such as economic inequality and poor governance. The report summarizes key themes from a roundtable discussion held at IPI last June on the security challenges in the region.
Read more
The International Peace Institute organized a discussion on October 10, 2013 that looked at how to strengthen the resilience of communities in Sudan to ensure that humanitarian assistance is more sustainable and to avoid the aid dependency trap.Ten years after the beginning of the conflict in Darfur and more than $10 billion in humanitarian aid […]
Read more
On June 6, 2013, an expert roundtable meeting at the International Peace Institute examined the underlying causes of instability in the Gulf of Guinea region. Participants said that insecurity, transnational organized crime, border disputes, and people and drug trafficking are on the rise in the Gulf of Guinea, and that these multidimensional challenges have emerged […]
Read more
In his briefing to the Security Council the day before appearing at IPI on May 10th, José Ramos-Horta, Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Guinea-Bissau, told the Council that the beleaguered country “exists in name only.”
Read more
It will be difficult for fragile states to achieve peace, stability, and sustainable development unless institutional silos containing security, diplomacy, and development are broken down. This was the key conclusion at a policy forum held at the International Peace Institute on April 22, 2013, organized by the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to the UN, the […]
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