Diplomacy & Crisis News

Following the third wave of democratization, democracy and its proponents have recently experienced a shift towards autocratization. To date, however, little is known about the impact of this trend on democracy promotion. This article introduces a special issue that examines the complex relationship between autocratization and external democracy promotion. It provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the global trend of autocratization affects democracy promotion efforts. We identify two ways in which this is the case: first, autocratization requires democracy promoters to adapt to increasingly resistant environments in target countries where they seek to promote democracy or prevent autocratization; second, autocratization reduces the global leverage of democracy promoters due to the rise of autocratic competitors. We highlight the evolving strategies and responses of democracy promoters in the face of rising autocratic influence. We then provide an overview of the articles in this special issue, which examine the motives and strategies of traditional democracy promoters and their autocratic competitors and analyse how democracy promoters navigate the challenges of autocratization in target countries of democracy promotion and the strategic competition with autocratic regimes, using case studies from Southeastern Europe, the post-Soviet space, Africa and Latin America.

Indonesia’s mineral riches continue to clash with its green goals. A new law has been passed to regulate mining and protect the environment and local communities, but its enforcement remains weak.

Skilled labor is the missing link in China’s industrial transformation.

Southeast Asia serves as Beijing's operational testing ground for cyberattacks. It’s time the U.S. started paying attention. 

Geography, demographics, religion, technology, and a state’s institutions determined why certain states exercised power and how different regions developed the way that they did.

A common border with India, transport links, and regional connectivity make Delhi an essential ally in maintaining the industrial base of Bangladesh.

Der Begriff „Globaler Süden“ erfreut sich seit Jahren wachsender Beliebtheit. Oft wird er als knappe Referenz für Teile der Welt verwendet, die lange als „Entwicklungsländer“ oder „Dritte Welt“ bezeichnet wurden. Für viele bringt er die gemeinsame historische Erfahrung von Kolonialisierung und Marginalisierung in Afrika, Asien und Lateinamerika auf den Punkt und verweist auf den Anspruch, globale Prozesse proaktiv mitzugestalten.

The United Nations is a multilateral organization with near-universal reach. With few exceptions, United Nations rules and regulations apply to all 193 Member States. The operational activities for development of the United Nations system, however, are organized along a binary logic by which “developed” countries provide funding to United Nations entities and “developing” countries receive United Nations support. Against the backdrop of ongoing discussions under the United Nations Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative, we suggest that the United Nations reform its development work to ensure that it engages all Member States. Universalizing United Nations development functions – i.e., mandating the Organization’s development pillar to engage with countries of all income categories – is a key step towards a more effective multilateral development system.

Only UN infrastructure—and American leverage—can prevent a humanitarian collapse.

Addressing the military's impunity and supporting the emerging "pluralistic state," is the only effective way forward for the bloc.

The collapse of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in East Java on September 29 led to the death of 63 students.

The country has barred Israeli gymnasts from participating in this week's 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta.

Vorapak’s resignation is among the aftershocks of the U.S. government's recent imposition of sanctions against a major alleged Cambodia-based scamming network.

Security cooperation at the military level is a further step down the regional cooperative road.

Alors que le président Donald Trump a lancé une chasse aux sorcières contre ses opposants, un musulman socialiste et propalestinien, évidemment traité d'antisémite par ses adversaires, pourrait être élu maire de la ville qui abrite Wall Street. New York est aussi la cité qui compte le plus grand nombre (...) / Parti politique, États-Unis (affaires intérieures), Ville, Élections - 2025/10

Dans une décennie 1970 marquée par les luttes féministes et la conquête de nouveaux droits pour les femmes, le cinéma français a largement mis en scène la « crise de la masculinité ». Enregistrant les métamorphoses et les bouleversements de l'ordre sexuel, il a souvent servi de vecteur à une (...) / Histoire, Cinéma, Femmes, Société - 2025/10

Takaichi Sanae is hawkish on China, friendly toward Taiwan, and ultraconservative on historical issues. No wonder Beijing isn’t happy.

The travel ban policy specifically states that it does not apply to asylees or refugees, and yet the families of asylee Afghans, who fought alongside Americans, have been consistently denied entry.

A new law passed last week recognized Taiwan’s Pingpu peoples, reigniting debate over who gets to define indigeneity. 

Insights from Winston Ma.