Growing trends of unilateralism are encouraging violence and threatening a systemic breakdown of international law and order. Change must come, and soon
What does the advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice tell us and why is it important?
At its root, genocide is committed through a lack of empathy, and it has failed to be prevented by a lack of political will. It is time to reverse those failings by rethinking our systems and challenging our assumptions.
The discussion about a one-state or two-state solution must be preceded by efforts to facilitate exercise of the right to self-determination by the Palestinian people. Only then can a realistic solution be genuinely pursued.
The growing rate of refugees across the globe constitutes an international crisis. Supporting these displaced people requires acknowledging the consequences of conflict and building resilient frameworks to protect refugee rights
UNRWA’s future cannot be considered in isolation—a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach, with displacement issues at its center, is now necessary.
International law scholar Richard Falk discusses international law and politics as they pertain to the ongoing genocide committed by Israel in Gaza and the wider Palestinian plight, in addition to UN reform.
Why has international law failed to hold Israel responsible for its destruction of Gaza? It was built to enable the colonizer, not to protect the colonized, explains legal expert Jason Beckett.
The recent attacks on Gaza have raised important questions regarding the effectiveness of international law in preventing violence
The idea that states are responsible for the protection of their own people is a powerful normative and transformative one, but is far from complete or conclusive
Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali deserves to be remembered for his defense of the application of democratic principles to the international order. Today, the multipolarity of the contemporary world can help further Botrous-Ghali’s vision
Journalist Dahr Jamail stresses the severity of the climate crisis—and asks everyone to start acting like it.
Resolving the Syrian conflict offers an opportunity to bring stability to the Middle East, but only if compromises can be made, starting with UN resolution 2254.
A Global Green New Deal would equitably prevent dangerous levels of warming, but it must be implemented soon.
Egypt and Sudan continue to insist on a tripartite agreement to manage Ethiopia’s contentious plan to execute its Renaissance dam on the Nile.
Africa is a continent with six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies, but can it overcome its major challenges?
The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the tourism industry in 2020, but this year a slow vaccine rollout and new variants means it will take a while to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
How humanity can transform from traditional growth-first economic policies to a 21st century vision centered around sustainable development.
There are multiple challenges which need to be confronted in both data collection and public policy so that the SDGs can be attained.
Guest speaker at the 16th Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture, Dutch Minister Sigrid Kaag, presented ideas for geopolitical challenges in the Middle East and North Africa during and after the coronavirus pandemic.
At the root of UN appointments lies a tension between member states’ interests, and a commitment to impartial and effective world leadership. Today, the pendulum has swung too far; a rebalance is in order.
If the UN survived the Cold War and a later unipolarity, shouldn’t it be thriving in a multipolar world?
The United Nations has taken great strides toward increased global justice and equality, but more needs to be done.
Much more needs to be done on the SDGs, how they are reported, and how they are ultimately evaluated.
On the 75th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, President of the International Court of Justice, reflects on the Charter’s world-changing history.
Since its endorsement in 2018, a wealth of challenges have delayed the full implementation of the Global Compact for Migration in the Arab region.
Taking apart the arguments of division that underscore the populist movements emerging in today’s liberal democracies
The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the weaknesses of the international system; to fix the present and prepare for the future, we must pivot to a resilience paradigm.
Are refugees and asylum seekers protected by its strong domestic laws and international commitments?
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted stark deficiencies in the post-World War II international system, and forces us to choose between the status quo and a new world order.
As the world grapples to mitigate a looming economic crisis, a roadmap already exists: the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Government leaders and public policy experts attended the Regional Workshop on Strengthening Migration Governance Across the Rural Urban Continuum.
Understanding how North Korea circumvents sanctions offers key insights into the world of WMD finance—and ways to stop other would-be proliferators
Until now, most of the external actors involved in Libya relied on a Cold-War “zero sum game theory”, based on the dichotomic vision amicus/hostis (friend/enemy) of classical realpolitik. It is time this changes.
The rebuilding process in Libya will be complex and arduous but must be done with a focus on local actors and an acknowledgment of the realities on the ground
How Cairo views efforts at reforming United Nations’ peacekeeping, especially in the Middle East and Africa.
To meet the challenges of massive human displacement in the Middle East and North Africa, civil society actors need a common platform where they can advocate. The MENA Civil Society Network for Displacement or CSND sets out to be that.
The lessons learnt for Egypt from the 2018 United Nations Public Service Awards which were held to recognize nations achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 16.
As the fighting in Syria enters its eighth year, the United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy speaks about efforts to end the conflict.
As conflicts keep erupting worldwide, the UN must seriously consider limiting the P5’s veto power.
Since its inception, the United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by the political agendas of the great powers. If the Council is to achieve its main goal of maintaining peace and security, the international community must reconsider the veto power and its impact on the Council’s effectiveness.
For years, many actors have tried to mediate peace efforts for the Libyan crisis, but instead of an end to hostilities, conflicts remain.
Perceptions of the Islamic State’s attack on the Yazidis focus on the enslavement of women and girls, but the barbarous gender-based assaults on women as well as men are an integral part of the group’s campaign of genocide to eradicate a religious minority.
Danilo Türk, a former president of the Republic of Slovenia, is Slovenia’s candidate to become secretary-general of the United Nations, discusses the UN’s failures, the influence of great powers, and the crises in Europe.
An American-Russian-French-European peace initiative, with the active participation of the moribund Arab League and expressions of support from Iran, Turkey, and other key players, is achievable and worth attempting.
Jordanian Prince Zeid’s powerful cry for the countries of the world to work more seriously to implement existing mechanisms to protect all people from abuse and danger included three important elements.
The main difference between the US and UN approaches is that the UN correctly focuses on addressing the underlying drivers of violent extremism and terrorism, while the US government tends to downplay or ignore those critical underlying causes.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) proclaimed a caliphate in 2014. An in-depth report on how its militants are using severe brutality and radical interpretations of sharia law to govern a large civilian population.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the first Arab and African secretary-general of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996, has donated his library of books and papers to the American University in Cairo, offering a rare glimpse into the elder statesman’s life.
Lakhdar Brahimi is the Middle East’s elder statesman. He speaks about the impact of colonialism, the rise of political Islam, and his life as a United Nations diplomat.
