Diplomacy & Defense Think Tank News

Die am DIW Berlin angesiedelte forschungsbasierte Infrastruktureinrichtung Sozio-oekonomisches

Panel (SOEP) sucht zum 01.10.2024 eine

studentische Hilfskraft (w/m/div)

(für 10 Wochenstunden).

Die Zweifel an der Kandidatur von Joe Biden werden lauter. Doch können die US-Demokraten ihr Pferd im Rennen um die US-Präsidentschaft überhaupt noch wechseln? Und welche Alternativen gibt es?

Am 28. Juli 2024 finden in Venezuela Präsidentschaftswahlen statt, bei denen sich der seit 2013 regierende Staatschef Nicolás Maduro im Amt bestätigen lassen möchte. Mit María Corina Machado ist ihm eine Gegenkandidatin erwachsen, die zwar die Massen mobilisiert, aber nicht antreten darf. An ihrer Stelle tritt jetzt ein »Platzhalterkandidat« an, um sicherzustellen, dass oppositionelle Kräfte bei den Wahlen eine Alter­native haben. Die administrative Gängelung sowie die polizeiliche und justizielle Re­pression der Opposition dauert an, von fairen Wahlbedingungen kann nicht die Rede sein. Nun hat auch der Nationale Wahlrat (CNE) seine Einladung an die Europäische Union zurückgezogen, eine Beobachtermission zur Präsidentschaftswahl zu entsenden. Jen­seits des Wahlgangs dürfte auch der Umgang mit dem Wahlergebnis eine besondere Herausforderung nicht nur für die venezolanische Politik, sondern auch für die internationale Gemeinschaft bereithalten.

Das Immunitätsurteil des Supreme Court ist historisch. Expertin Laura von Daniels erklärt, wie weit der Richterspruch in der Praxis reichen könnte und was er für den Wahlkampf und die amerikanische Demokratie bedeutet.

Kritik an der G7 gibt es mehr als genug. Tatsächlich ist die kleine Gruppe sehr effektiv und ihre Legitimität höher einzustufen als die der anderen Clubs.

US-Präsident bei Duell im Nachteil?

Surprise and jubilation in the United Nation Security Council (UNSC): 2028 begins with a bang. The permanent members of the body declare that they will voluntarily renounce their right of veto in cases of mass atrocities. This self-limitation, achieved after a long struggle, would have been unthinkable without the far-reaching reform of the Security Council that preceded it. The initiative, based on an earlier Franco-Mexican proposal and the Code of Conduct of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group (ACT Group), came from the new members of the enlarged UNSC. Since 2027, it has consisted of 27 instead of 15 members. Germany is among the new members. In her first speech after the enlargement, the German Ambassador to the UN noted with a wink that her country had hoped to be represented in 2027/28 even without the reform. After all, Berlin had already announced in 2023 that it would stand for election as a non-permanent member in 2027/28. However, it was not fore­seeable at the time that Germany would now be one of the six new semi-permanent members of the Security Council.

Event Video 
Photos

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IPI together with the Office of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and Global Citizen, cohosted on July 1st the US launch of “Make a Safety Statement,” a joint United Nations–JCDecaux Global Campaign for Road Safety.

Every year, road traffic deaths claim the lives of a staggering 1.19 million people and leave countless others with severe injuries. In response to this urgent global issue, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, in collaboration with JCDecaux, with the support of Saatchi & Saatchi, launched a worldwide campaign under the motto “Make a Safety Statement.” This initiative is being launched in 80 countries and 1,000 cities and represents a call to action, amplifying the message of the New Decade of Action for Road Safety, aiming to halve the number of road-related victims by 2030.

In the US, road crashes are the second biggest cause of accidental death, after firearms. According to the World Health Organization, the US fatality rate is estimated at 12.7 per 100,000 people, while the rate in Europe is 6.5 per 100,000 people. Pedestrian deaths in the US rose over 40% from 2010 to 2018, more than twice the pace of any other OECD country.

The campaign aims to promote road safety and create secure, inclusive, and sustainable streets worldwide. Through active involvement in the “Making a Safety Statement” campaign, we can decrease risk factors, especially in urban areas, enabling people to safely walk, live, and enjoy their environment. The initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals and safeguard the well-being of our planet and people.

Speakers focused on creating “safe and sustainable mobility in the city, from NYC to Marrakesh.” During the event, Street Art for Mankind artist Dragon76 created an original piece of art that was unveiled at the conclusion of the event.

Street Art for Mankind is a nonprofit organization that strongly believes in the power of art to trigger social change. With the support of over 80 prominent international street artists, the organization curates and produces large murals, interactive exhibitions, and live performances around the world to bond communities and generations around human rights.

Welcoming remarks:
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President and CEO of the International Peace Institute
Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety
Jean-Luc Decaux, President & Co-CEO of JCDecaux North America

Opening remarks:
H.E. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the UN
H.E. Hedda Samson, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN

Speakers:
H.E. Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN
Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation
Lucrecia O’Har, Account Manager – Local Government (NYC), ESRI
Dani Simons, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs – Americas, Alstom

Closing remarks and call to action:
Jean Reno, Actor and Road Safety Advocate
Audrey and Thibault Decker, Co-Founders of Street Art for Mankind
Dragon76, Artist

Moderator:
Esra Sergi Bertani, Communications Officer, UN Office for Partnership

Weniger als einen Monat nach den Europa-Wahlen stimmen auch die Bürgerinnen und Bürger im Vereinigten Königreich (UK) über ein neues Parlament ab. Nach der wechselseitigen Entfremdung durch den Brexit bietet sich damit eine Chance, die Beziehungen zwischen der EU und London zu re-intensivieren. Vor allem in der Außen-, Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik hat die Zusammenarbeit im Zuge des russischen Angriffskrieges ohnehin wieder zugenommen, bislang jedoch auf Ad-hoc-Basis. Mittelfristig geht es nicht um eine Rückabwicklung des Brexits, wohl aber um den Aufbau einer Gemeinsamen Strategischen EU-UK-Initiative – das heißt eines neuen Modells von strukturierten Beziehungen mit einem für die EU und Deutschland sehr wichtigen Partner. Dabei sollte auch die EU mehr Flexibilität zeigen als bisher.

NATO’s 2023 summit in Vilnius was dominated by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The summit in Washington, D.C., in July 2024 will be influenced by an additional major con­flict in NATO’s neighbourhood: the war in Gaza and the related heightened tensions in the Middle East. These have also negatively impacted attitudes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region towards many of the Alliance’s members. The Vilnius summit decision to reflect deeply on NATO’s southern neighbourhood turned out to be timely. An independent expert group appointed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg contributed towards this reflection process. The group, which included the two authors of this paper, found there are shared security interests between NATO and countries in the south, including on counterterrorism and maritime security. Yet, secu­rity perceptions are far from identical, especially when it comes to the role of strategic competition. NATO needs to adapt its mindset to take advantage of opportunities for problem-solving cooperation with partners who may not share its views about inter­national order, and who have concerns about the risk of importing a new Cold War.