Category: Peacekeeping & Conflict Prevention
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R2P: A UN Norm For Mass Atrocity Prevention
1. What is R2P and its challenges/controversies? 2. It is a UN norm that establishes a responsibility to protect one’s own citizens and imposes a condition on sovereignty. If a state fails to meet that, the international community may intervene. 3. Rooted in western legal tradition and without a clear legal framework, R2P has seen…
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Shadows of Hope
Ahmad Shah Mohibi reflects on his experiences of peacekeeping in the Afghan war. Deriving lessons learned, he takes us through a historical journey with a strong forward-oriented tone.
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Elmar Brok: A Voice for European Security
How has Elmar Brok shaped the EU’s external action and crisis response? As one of the longest-serving MEPs, Brok played a key role in defining the EU’s foreign policy, fostering transatlantic relations, and advancing the EU’s global influence. His experience highlights the EU’s need for stronger strategic cohesion to meet today’s geopolitical challenges.
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Israel’s Use of Force: Legal or Dangerous Shift?
Is Israel redrawing the boundaries of international law by force? This article examines Israel’s justification of pre-emptive self-defence against Iran and argues it lacks legal basis under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Without evidence of an actual or imminent armed attack, such actions violate international law and risk eroding global legal norms, setting a…
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From Keeping Peace to Deterring Threats
The European military mentality has shifted for a large part away from peacekeeping obligations in the recent years. Of course, the European NATO members will increase their defence spending gradually in the coming years, which will give the European military the resources to better achieve their goals. Once these goals concerning peacekeeping have been defined,…
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UN Liquidity Crisis
1.The UN faces a severe liquidity crisis. 2.Political fragmentation and selective funding have eroded the UN’s financial stability and legitimacy, with wealthy states like the U.S. withholding funds over policy disputes, challenging the system’s neutrality and effectiveness. 3.Europe faces a strategic crossroads: continue sustaining a strained UN, push for reform using its financial leverage, or…
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Operationalizing Deterrence
How is NATO translating its strategic realignment since the 2022 Madrid Summit into an effective military posture in its command structures, particularly at the operational level? Three factors seem to be particularly important: clear guidelines and a strategic vision, people who know how to implement change, and time. People are and remain the critical factor:…
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Editorial: EPIS Report on Peacekeeping & Conflict Prevention Issue I
The global order is destabilizing as alliances weaken, conflicts rise, and multilateralism erodes. Peace and security are increasingly intertwined but must be treated as distinct yet interdependent goals. Despite global upheaval, new actors, technologies, and ideas offer promising paths to sustainable peace.
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Beyond the Battlefield
What impact does the WPS Agenda have on NATO’s Peace Operations and strategies? The enhanced operational effectiveness through the integration of the WPS agenda helps strengthening gender-transformative processes at NATO. Openness to restructuring and improvement is beneficial for everyone and thus contributes to NATO’s overall goal: security for all.
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Trump and and the American Unilateralism
How does the Trump doctrine influence the U.S.’ unilateral engagement? The Trump doctrine follows that America’s needs are of primary concern, and multilateral aid, support, and institutions with heavy reliance on U.S. funding and engagement, should be reduced, minimized, or eradicated. The Trump era is demonstrating the risks of American disengagement but also the limits…