There are currently fourteen UN sanctions regimes, which member states are legally required to implement. Many of these are implemented in the context of armed conflict, where international humanitarian law outlines obligations to protect the provision of and access to principled humanitarian action. But despite efforts to make sanctions regimes more targeted, they continue to […]
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Can small states at the United Nations serve as the effective champions of the rules-based order and international law at a time when those essential elements of global governance are under challenge?IPI and the Permanent Mission of Estonia to the United Nations convened a policy forum on April 16th to take up that question in […]
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The international rule-based order has come under threat on multiple fronts. If it continues to deteriorate into an older model based on power politics, small states—by definition vulnerable in a world where only might makes right—are most at risk. This makes them natural defenders of the international order that protects them.How can small countries serve […]
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Three experts including IPI Visiting Fellow Alexandra Novosseloff discussed UN Security Council reform in this TRT World segment, touching on the divisive issues the world body faces such as nationalism and a lack of political will.Ms. Novosseloff noted that, “the Security Council is a reflection of the divisions of the world,” but still believes that […]
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During the November 7th UN Security Council ministerial open debate on “peace operations facing asymmetrical threats” under the presidency of His Excellency Mr. Mankeur Ndiaye, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of Senegal, Mr. Arthur Boutellis, Director of IPI Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations briefed the Council.His remarks drew from the publication, “Waging […]
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Hardeep Singh Puri, former ambassador of India and author of Perilous Interventions: The Security Council and the Politics of Chaos, told a book launch event at IPI on October 25th that the stalemate over Syria and the Council’s consequent inaction was the panel’s “most serious failure.”He said there must now be a “Syrian peace process” […]
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an IPI audience that a series of reviews undertaken to mark the UN’s 70th anniversary had revealed that efforts to bring better governance to the world were falling behind evolving threats to political and social stability.
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The UN Security Council confronts a test of its relevance today as it struggles to meet the challenges of a new era, a key theme of the new book, The UN Security Council in the 21st Century. The book follows an earlier volume, The UN Security Council: From the Cold War to the 21st Century, […]
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After grappling for two decades with the realities of the post-Cold War era, the UN Security Council must now meet the challenges of a resurgence of great power rivalry amid a context of rising crises. Reflecting this new environment, The UN Security Council in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive look at the Security Council […]
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As the United Nations celebrates is seventieth anniversary, the organization faces growing systemic stresses placed on it by emerging global challenges and rapidly shifting political and security dynamics. Such challenges have sparked a renewed interest in reform.The latest report by IPI examines past initiatives for change within the UN, as well as obstacles to reforms […]
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.
The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on trends and issues related to global security.
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