Member states support the idea of a more preventive approach to conflict, but they have different understandings of what it means in practice. Many equate it with crisis management and political solutions to escalating conflicts, whereas others see it in light of long-term approaches to address conflict risks and strengthen natural resilience at national level. This briefing, which is the first in a series on prevention at the UN, unpacks the most common visions for prevention among member states, highlighting how each has implications for UN practice.
The UN General Assembly, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have set out to develop mediation norms, procedures, and capacities. The assets and motivations of international actors, including foremost nation states, to provide mediation services as part of their foreign policy have been widely studied. However, the actual role played by specific leading nations in the promotion of mediation at international forums lacks a framework of analysis. This essay aims to fill this gap by employing the concept of “policy entrepreneurship” to explain the role of individual actors in transforming the politics, norms, and capacities that pertain to mediation. In this regard, the article discusses Turkey’s activities in the field of mediation and their transformative outcomes in a bid to test the proposed framework.
Pundits who urge the US to stay in Afghanistan argue national security interests and point out to threats emanating from Afghanistan. Indeed, 17 years ago, it was national security that took the US military to Afghanistan. To date, the presence of more than 20 transnational terrorist groups in the region continues to justify the American military involvement in the country. However, a broader question that is rarely asked is whether counterterrorism is the only issue that brings the two nations together?
The infrastructure, technology, and resources that a United Nations peacekeeping operation brings can open up new opportunities in key conflict-affected areas of the world. This finding is the subject of an ongoing, multidisciplinary project spearheaded by Malkit Shoshan of the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory, with Leah Zamore at the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC). The project has thus far focused on the evolution and drawdown of the UN Mission in Liberia. On November 30, 2018, the Missions of Australia, Liberia, and the United Kingdom co-hosted a launch event to discuss these findings in Peacekeeping MIssions in Urban Environments: The Legacy of UNMIL.
The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies are motivated by the centrality of justice and inclusion to all aspects of sustainable development. Senior Advisor Karina Gerlach, who played a crucial role in the process of adopting the sustainable development goals (SDGs), contextualizes SDG16 with regards to this process and justifies its importance to critical topics such as crisis prevention and social development. This paper is based on Ms. Gerlach's lecture at the "Violencias, víctimas y sociedades justas" conference in Buenos Aires in
