European Peace Institute / News

On Thursday, May 12th, the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM) hosted a Public Consultation on its Discussion Paper: “The Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security, and Development.” This Public Consultation provided an opportunity for representatives from member states, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the United Nations to comment on the Discussion Paper’s recommendations, and to exchange perspectives on the larger trends and challenges.

A new wave of technology is driving rapid global change. This change has created new opportunities for multilateral cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, state-society relations, peace and conflict, international security, and global governance.  Yet with these opportunities comes the challenge of keeping up; the UN and other multilateral institutions must determine where they can play a useful role in addressing and integrating new technologies into their work and where existing mechanisms and other actors may be better placed.

On sustainable development, for example, the UN has arguably come farthest in integrating new technologies into its work. The ten-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+10) drew a strong link between technologies and sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Looking to peace and conflict, new technologies can help prevent conflict by reducing the gap between warning and response, facilitate peacekeeping through new tools relevant to increasingly complex environments, and help support peacebuilding by empowering local actors.  New technologies and governance of the internet, on the other hand, is an arena where the future role of multilateral actors is subject to greater debate. Whether in sustainable development, peace and conflict, state-society relations, international security, or cyberspace, new technologies have transformed how the UN and multilateral institutions operate in a 21st century world. Based on these opportunities, challenges, and multilateral responses, this Discussion Paper provides recommendations for the UN System.

This Public Consultation focused on the findings and recommendations of the Discussion Paper, which can be accessed at this link.

Discussants:
H.E. Mr. Vladimir Drobnjak, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations
Mr. Robert Kirkpatrick, Director, United Nations Global Pulse, Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Véronique Pepin-Hallé, Senior Adviser, Independent Commission on Multilateralism
Dr. Patrick Vinck, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Moderator:
H.E. Ms. Barbara Gibson, Deputy Secretary-General, Independent Commission on Multilateralism

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IPI MENA this afternoon held its first Future Global Leaders Series by hosting possibly the youngest writer devoting his current and future writings to peace.

In a presentation attended by school principals, teachers, parents, and media representatives, nine-year-old Adam Jade Kadia presented his first book Hakeem the Adventurer to an audience of more than one hundred school children from different nationalities.

Adam elaborated on the adventures of Hakeem, the hero of his book, who took a fictional trip from Libya to different MENA and European countries, returning finally to a peaceful Libya. Adam’s tale highlighted Hakeem’s gains from the adventures he had and the friendships he built with the people he met in different countries.

“Today was an amazing day; different schools from Bahrain were invited by IPI MENA, with students from different background, cultures, nationalities, religions… but one goal, which is to spread peace around the world through children, as they are the future leaders,” the young author said.

“The role of adults, parents, and teachers is to educate and guide children to make the world a better place by being kind, respectful and spreading peace,” Adam said. “We hope that children from different parts of the world have learned a lot from today’s event, and we hope we could have more educative events like the one hosted by IPI MENA today.”

School children from New Horizon School, Al Bayan School, New Millennium School, New Indian School, Al Noor International School, Asian School, St Christopher’s School, British School, Royal Charity Organization’s School, and others interacted in an impressively lively way with Adam on the writing exercise, his future projects, and how he would serve peace.

To a last question about peace, Adam replied, “This would start by conciliating two of your school colleagues having an argument in the school playground.”

Adam is about to finalize a new 100-page book, Upid Hack. Shaikha Mai al-Otaibi, IPI MENA Advisory Council member, pledged to translate Adam’s books. She announced she would organize, in cooperation with IPI MENA, an all-Bahrain school convention at her Al Bayan School to introduce Adam and his books in order to inspire the thousands of children from Bahrain, the region, and other parts of the world.

In a statement, al-Otaibi said, “As a member of the IPI MENA Advisory Council from day one of its inception, I am a peace messenger, believer, and worker. I am glad to be here with Adam and all of you at IPI MENA. We all believe in you as the future leaders of this world that needs peace and security as an adequate environment, not only for your future, but also for the future generations.”

“I congratulate Adam for having embarked into the noble path of writing and for devoting his writings to peace, friendship and other values. I call on all of you to devote parts of your creativity and innovation to serve the universal values topped by peace,” she said.

Gloria Belendez-Ramirez, Mexican Ambassador of Happiness, also attended the meeting and encouraged youth to serve peace. Media representatives interviewed Adam and several other children on the event.

On Tuesday, May 3rd at 1:00pm EST, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the UN will cohost a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Mr. Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia.

The Republic of Estonia—ranked among the most transparent democracies in the world—has become a global leader in digital governance, exemplifying ways governments can more effectively and efficiently engage with citizens. Its thriving technology sector has made Estonia one of the most wired counties in the world. At this event, Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas will discuss Estonia’s path to e-governance—from establishing necessary legal frameworks to building infrastructure—and the important role of political leadership in making such innovations possible.

As countries strive to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, what lessons does Estonia have to share regarding how to harness the power of information technology to bridge digital divides, improve the public sector’s information and service delivery, and promote greater civil society engagement?

At this event on May 3rd, Mr. Rõivas will share insights into Estonia’s digital rise and governance. He will discuss how developing information technology can improve governance in the context of promoting political legitimacy and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On Monday, April 25th at 6:00pm EST, IPI will host a Distinguished Author Series event featuring Tarek Osman, author of Islamism: What It Means for theMiddle East and the World. The conversation will be moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations Warren Hoge.

A political, social, and cultural battle is currently raging across the Middle East. On one side are the Islamists, those who believe Islam should be the region’s primary identity. In opposition are the nationalists, secularists, royal families, military establishments, and others who view Islamism as a serious threat to national security, historical identify, and a cohesive society. Writing in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings, the author addresses frontally the crucial question of whether Islamism can ever become compatible with modernity. Informed by his deep knowledge of Arab culture and history, Mr. Osman points toward what the Islamists’ future prospects will entail for the region, the West, and the rest of the world.

Tarek Osman published his prescient, best-selling book Egypt on the Brink just weeks before Egypt’s 2011 uprising. He has appeared as a commentator on most major international news networks and is a regular contributor on the Arab world and Islamism for many leading newspapers and magazines worldwide. He wrote and presented the BBC documentary series “The Making of the Modern Arab World” (2013) and “Sands of Times: A History of Saudi Arabia” (2015) and is the political counsellor for the Arab world at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He has longtime experience in strategy consulting, political economy, and investment banking and management. He studied at the American University in Cairo and at Bocconi University in Milan.

On Friday, April 29th at 8:30am EST, IPI will host a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Ms. Astrid Thors, High Commissioner on National Minorities for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Established in 1992 as a conflict prevention instrument, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities provides early warning and intervention to prevent tensions related to national minorities from escalating into conflicts. The OSCE region is facing increasingly complex security challenges, from border management issues to the recent influx of migrants, resulting in societal tensions.

In the current security context, what measures can be taken to protect national minorities and promote stability in the region? Acting in line with the Secretary-General’s “Human Rights Up Front” agenda, how can the OSCE improve its ability to detect early warning signs and take more effective measures to prevent violations of minority rights and inter-state disputes over minority issues?

At this event, Ms. Thors will address obstacles to achieving greater cohesion and stability in the OSCE region, including the tendency to securitize minority issues, nationalist movements, states’ unilateral support of their ethnic “kin” abroad, and simmering interethnic disputes in post-conflict societies. She will also discuss key aspects of her conflict prevention work, such as her promotion of robust integration policies and the protection of minority rights.

The event will be moderated by IPI Senior Adviser Warren Hoge.

On Wednesday, April 20th, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, and Security Council Report cohosted a policy forum to discuss the impact of climate change in international peace and security, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement provides an increasingly solid basis for comprehensively addressing the impact of climate change. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon heralded the Paris Agreement as marking “a decisive turning point in the global quest for a safer, more sustainable, and prosperous future.”

Building on the growing international commitment to address the impacts of climate change, the purpose of this event was to discuss the peace and security implications of climate change for SIDS and to consider concrete ways in which the UN system, its member states, and other stakeholders can do more to enable SIDS to address this threat and its effects.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations
Mr. Ian Martin, Executive Director, Security Council Report

Speakers:
Dr. David Nabarro, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change
H.E. Mr. Gerard Van Bohemen, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations
Professor Michael B. Gerrard, Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School
Ms. Shyla Raghav, Director of Climate Change Policy, Conservation International (CI)

Moderator:
Mr. Warren Hoge, Senior Adviser for External Relations, International Peace Institute

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On April 18-20th, the Arab League Education, Cultural & Science Organisation (ALECSO); the Islamic Cooperation Conference  Education, Cultural & Science Organisation (ISESCO); and the Tunisian Education Ministry held an international forum on reinforcing the values of peace and dialogue.

Held in Sousse, the tourist resort city where an al-Qaeda-linked group perpetrated a terrorist attack last June that left dozens of foreign tourists dead and several others wounded, the event was under the patronage of Tunisian Premier Habib Essid. The President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, was present.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI MENA, chaired a session devoted to the role of regional and international organizations in reinforcing the values of peace and dialogue. Representatives of ALECSO , ISESCO, UNESCO, the Arab Parliament, the International Organization of the Francophonie, KAICIID, and the Tunisian Scout Organization were among members of the panel.

The event was also attended by local and regional artists serving as goodwill envoys for several organizations.

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On Friday, April 15, IPI hosted Natalia Gherman of Moldova at a lunchtime Global Leaders Series event featuring official candidates vying to become the new UN secretary-general. After making a presentation, she participated in a wide-ranging question-and-answer format with members of the audience and those following via video.

Ms. Gherman is the former Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, and has represented her country in several ambassadorships, including as Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Vienna and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

This event is part of IPI’s Global Leaders Series featuring UN Secretary-General candidates. Click here to read more.

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Humanitarian experts discussed the international community’s response to the increased frequency and severity of attacks on healthcare infrastructure, transport, personnel, and patients in situations of armed conflict, at an IPI panel April 14, 2016. The discussion was especially timely, as the UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution on healthcare in armed conflict.

The resolution is sponsored by Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Uruguay. Rallying such a diverse group of states around the topic was no easy feat, said Román Oyarzun Marchesi, Permanent Representative of Spain to the UN. “Those of you that are familiar with the Council dynamics will probably agree with me if I call it a small miracle,” he said. “So far we have made it work combining imagination, enthusiasm, and flexibility.”

Encouraged by the Security Council’s work on the subject, Jason Cone, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières, USA, said he hoped that member states will seize this moment to make “public reaffirmations that health facilities must never be a target.” He concluded this call to action to UN members saying, “We cannot accept any criminalization of the medical act.”

He went on to illustrate the spike in violence against even healthcare workers, traditionally understood to be neutral and not legitimate targets. “During the month of October 2015 alone, an MSF trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan was bombed, killing 42 staff and patients,” he said. “Twelve hospitals in Syria, including six supported by MSF, were attacked. And an MSF health center in Haydan, Yemen was destroyed.”

“These incidents have a direct and indirect consequence on MSF’s operational capacities and choices, and most importantly our ability to access and treat patients,” he said, lamenting the “unacceptable” choice to cease providing health services as a result of attacks, thereby increasing a conflict’s death toll by depriving many of life-saving medical care.

Stéphane Ojeda, Deputy Permanent Observer to the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross, provided some historical context about the protection of the medical mission—the oldest aspect of the laws of war.

“The protection of the wounded and sick has been at the heart of international humanitarian law (IHL) from the start,” he said. This was the first protected category of the Geneva Conventions, he said, which constituted the norm of treating all sick and wounded, without discrimination or interference, as a keystone of civilized warfare.

Logically, it is impossible to protect the combatant without first protecting medical personnel, he said. “The IHL protection of the wounded and sick would be meaningless without its corollary protection of those taking care of the wounded and sick.”

Ojeda proposed we improve respect for existing international humanitarian law. “We do not need new rules,” he said. “What we need is a better implementation of the existing ones.”

Cone shared concerns about basic protections of international law being overruled by domestic legislation, often written with counter-terrorism as its impetus. “We observe states pushing national counter-terrorism laws or domestic laws, which contradict and often overrule IHL provisions on the protection of the medical mission; we need to see public reaffirmations that health facilities must never be a target.”

He called for improved transparency and accountability in the aftermath of attacks on healthcare facilities. At present, there is often little more than an internal review by the military of the perpetrator, he said. “Whenever an attack occurs, an impartial and independent mechanism should establish the facts,” he said. “States should commit to upholding these standards of fact-finding measures.”

Nata Menabde, Executive Director of the New York Office, World Health Organization (WHO), brought the perspective of the UN to the panel. She explained that a policy prescription must recognize there are both direct and indirect attacks on the healthcare infrastructure, transport, personnel, and patients.

Warfare tactics include obstructing access to health care services for ethnic or political minorities, and intimidating patients from seeking care. “These patients are shot in their beds, medical facilities are looted,” she explained. “That is again, sometimes a part of warfare tactics, not happening by chance, but a tactic.”

Patients are not the only ones intentionally targeted. She also highlighted the punishment of healthcare personnel for the performance of medical duties, such as attacks during the Ebola outbreak, and on polio vaccinators in Nigeria and Pakistan.

Drawing on the examples of current concerns in the field brought to light by her fellow panelists, she said the UN would aim to respond by improving data collection to enable the emergence of evidence-driven solutions. “WHO is committed to improve the standardization of data collection of attacks on healthcare in emergencies, and particularly to better understand consequences of those attacks longer term.”

The event was co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Uruguay to the UN.

Els Debuf, IPI Senior Adviser for Humanitarian Affairs, moderated the conversation.

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On April 12-13, IPI, together with George Mason University, hosted a meeting in Vienna to discuss the costs of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict and see what practical steps could be taken to enjoy the benefits of peace. As one participant asked, “Has enough time passed since the 2008 conflict to restore people to people contacts?” Another welcomed the opportunity “to meet and talk, instead of shooting.”

The meeting, which took place in the Palais Niederösterreich, brought together an eclectic group of Georgian and South Ossetian participants including local officials, political scientists, journalists, ombudsmen, students, economists, sociologists, archeologists, and representatives of civil society. They were joined by international experts from the Russian Federation, the United States, International Crisis Group, and Conciliation Resources, as well the European Union Monitoring Mission, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Representatives of donors from Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States also took part.

Discussions centered on a publication, launched at the meeting, entitled Cost of Conflict: Core Dimensions of the Georgian-South Ossetian Context, published by George Mason University. The report presents diverse views on the social, institutional, and economic costs of the conflict. These themes were raised in an open, frank, and constructive dialogue among the participants.

A particular focus was placed on the human costs of the conflict. This was illustrated by reading out interviews that had been made, particularly in rural communities, from people who had lived through the conflict and were struggling to cope in its aftermath.

The meeting also looked at the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict in the context of broader geo-political tensions, including between Russia and Georgia, Russia and the West, Turkey and Russia, as well as the recent outbreak of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

At the meeting, an archaeologist from Georgia presented results from a project designed to make digital archive materials of archaeological and ethnographic expeditions to North and South Ossetia accessible to South Ossetian colleagues. The maps, drawings, paintings, and photos show the way of life of the peoples of the Caucasus over a period of more than a century. To applause from the participants, he handed a copy of the collection to a representative from South Ossetia.

In addition to assessing the costs of conflict, the participants tried to identify small, meaningful steps to improve the lives of people in the affected region. A positive example cited by many participants was the recent exchange of Abkhaz, Ossetian and Georgian prisoners.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps in Vienna were briefed on the main conclusions of the meeting at a wrap-up session.

The meeting was held under the Chatham House rule of non-attribution.

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“We can’t address today’s challenges with yesterday’s mindset,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, while calling for continued member state support for peace operations at an IPI co-organized conference on the 2015 UN peace & security reviews.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General reminded that change did not come overnight and that the sustained support and ownership of all recommendations by member states was required to move from rhetoric to the coordinated action needed to deal with the logistical, financial, and most importantly, strategic challenges UN peace operations are facing today. He urged for greater investments in order to improve responses and increase the UN’s efficiency.

Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly, also gave opening remarks at the conference, held at the United Nations headquarters April 11. Representatives of more than 60 UN member states were in attendance, along with UN personnel and members of civil society. The discussion was convened in support of the May 10–11 General Assembly High-Level Thematic Debate on Peace and Security.

The intent of the conference, “UN Peace Operations Review: Taking Stock, Leveraging Opportunities, and Charting the Way Forward,” was to take stock of the status of implementation of the recommendations put forward by June 2015 report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) to date, keeping in mind that this year marks the final year for the current Secretary-General’s term. It gave member states and other relevant stakeholders a forum to reflect on the present proceedings of the relevant UN mechanisms, including the C34 and the Peacebuilding Commission, and identify areas for further intensive efforts to be made in the remainder of the year 2016, aiming to build and sustain the political momentum to champion the strengthening of peace operations during and beyond 2016.

As highlighted by the conclusions in the IPI meeting brief that was published the following day, the discussion highlighted that the completion of the three major reviews, namely the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO), the review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, and the review of the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, had brought forward many recommendations and gathered much attention. However, translating ideas into action still requires the championship by member states on a number of areas, particularly on issues related to gender, enhanced field support, and regional partnerships. Further, this collective commitment should focus on the concepts of sustaining peace and of prevention, and base itself of both formal and informal discussions, in particular with local and regional entities and actors.

Panelists and participants also stressed the need to embrace the suggested changes in a holistic manner, and to tackle long-lasting issues impeding the flexibility of the world organization – including in the area of funding and that of the sequencing of mandates. Finally, the need to sustain commitment during the transition to the next secretary-general and to build on the momentum of the three reviews, were deemed critical to operationalize the changes foreseen.

The event was co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Ethiopia, Norway, and the Republic of Korea to the UN.

Download the IPI Meeting Brief
Download the conference agenda

Along with the formal UN process, IPI, in parallel with the UN office of the General Assembly President, is broadcasting personal conversations with each candidate for UN Secretary-General. You can read the list of official candidates here. The candidates are listed below in order of appearance at IPI. All official candidates have been extended an invitation.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is stepping down at year’s end after two five-year terms. His successor takes office on January 1, 2017.

 Follow our event page to be notified when we broadcast, and for updates and behind-the-scenes videos.

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Republic of Moldova

Official GA document/bio IPI Event Q&A
Prof. Dr. sc. Vesna Pusić
Republic of Croatia

Official GA document/bio IPI Event Q&A
GO Interview

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On Wednesday, April 6, IPI hosted Vesna Pusić of Croatia at a lunchtime Global Leaders Series event featuring official candidates vying to become the new UN secretary-general. After making a ten-minute presentation, she participated in a wide-ranging question-and-answer format with members of the audience and those following via video.

Dr. Pusić is Deputy Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is stepping down at year’s end after two five-year terms. His successor takes office on Jan. 1, 2017.

Read more about IPI’s “Meet the Candidates” Series >>

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“We should thank the one million desperate migrants for exposing a few uncomfortable truths,” said migration expert Kilian Kleinschmidt speaking at IPI’s Vienna office on April 5th. “They have exposed the fact that we are not as tolerant as we thought, EU integration has failed, our social systems have failed, and our colonial system of development and humanitarian assistance has failed.” He observed that within just a few years, the vision of constructing a common European community has been replaced by building fences.

Kleinschmidt, who worked for 22 years at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including as director of the massive Zaatari refugee camp on the Syrian-Jordanian border, was speaking at the IPI Vienna Office’s inaugural Peace Café. The event, attended mostly by students and young NGO activists, focused on the issue of “People on the Move” and how to cope with mixed migration and integration.

Kleinschmidt criticized the distinction between “good” refugees and “bad” migrants and said that greater legal protection as well as practical assistance should be offered to all categories of people on the move.

He mentioned that a silver lining of the international community’s mishandling of the refugee crisis was that it demonstrated the massive potential of “we the peoples” when it comes to helping people on the move. He highlighted the work of volunteers and civil society actors who have selflessly worked to help those in need.

IPI’s Senior Vice President, Walter Kemp, who chaired the event, pointed out the importance of also looking at those who have been forcibly displaced but who cannot move, like the millions of internally displaced persons. It was stressed that people in refugee camps for long periods of time need to be addressed in a development and not just a humanitarian perspective in order to empower displaced persons rather than victimizing them.

Participants divided up into two groups: one focused on challenges and implications of mixed migration, the second looked at what fosters or hinders integration.

The group on mixed migration focused on the issue of categorization—for example, the connotation as well as the legal consequences of labelling people as refugees or migrants. Some participants underlined the need for greater protection for migrants (particularly the desperately poor), while others cautioned against the uncontrolled influx of everyone who wants to move. The extension of the United Nations Refugee Convention was hotly debated. Kilian Kleinschmidt gave vivid examples, from his past field experience and current business, on creative solutions from different countries and sectors on how to empower refugees and migrants. He has founded a company called Switxboard which is designed to connect people with needs together with those who have solutions.

The break-out group on integration agreed that language, education, legal aid and jobs are among the priorities for successful inclusion. One recent refugee from Syria and another from Afghanistan shared their personal experiences on the challenges of integration in Austria. They recalled, in particular, the sense of isolation, boredom and legal uncertainty during the first few months in Austria. It was also noted that efforts to acclimatize recent immigrants to their new societies without exposing them to citizens of those societies–for example, having separate schools or language classes only for refugees–did not encourage integration. The group brainstormed on how to change the toxic narrative about asylum seekers and refugees. Views and information were also exchanged on good practices for inclusion from national and municipal experiences.

IPI is carrying out a project called “Desperate Migration” which is looking at the root causes of the current massive movement of people around the world, particularly those fleeing conflict. The project includes a number of case studies on past and present refugee situations. IPI is also preparing a number of events in the build up to a High-Level meeting that will take place in New York on September 19 on Managing Large-scale Movements of Migrants and Refugees. Furthermore, the Independent Commission on Multilateralism recently issued a discussion paper on Forced Displacement, Refugees and Migration.

One of the main threats to the current world order is the erosion of the rule-of-law based international system. Due to the advent of new technologies and hybrid warfare, the laws of war have also become blurred. A major cause of both of these trends is the emergence of armed non-state actors. This meeting note aims to explore this erosion of the rule of law and its impact on justice, peace, and security.

This note stems from a meeting the International Peace Institute (IPI) organized on the theme “The Rule of Law and the Laws of War” from September 6 to 9, 2015 in Salzburg, Austria. The meeting brought together current and former foreign ministers, experts on international humanitarian law, diplomats, academics, journalists, and representatives from civil society. It was part of the IPI Salzburg Forum, a major annual event to address the risks and challenges of today and contribute to more effective multilateral governance in the future.

Over a series of eight sessions, participants discussed a wide range of challenges to, or weaknesses in, the current system of international public, criminal, and humanitarian law, including how to:

• Address threats to social cohesion, bad governance, and violent non-state actors;
• Strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law;
• Make effective use of the UN normative framework around the “responsibility to protect”;
• Enable self-governance without changing borders by force;
• Adapt the international system to accommodate new technologies;
• Criminalize the illegal use of force;
• Build trust and cooperation in Europe, particularly in relation to the crisis in Ukraine; and
• Deal more effectively with the urgent global refugee crisis.

At the end of the meeting, participants issued the Salzburg Declaration on the European Refugee Crisis, proposing concrete steps to help save refugees.

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On Wednesday, March 16th, the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM) hosted a Public Consultation on two of its Discussion Papers: “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Addressing Climate Change” and “The Relationship between the UN and Regional Organizations, Civil Society, the Private Sector, and NGOs.” This joint Public Consultation provided a platform for representatives from member states, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia, and the United Nations to comment on the Discussion Papers’ recommendations and exchange perspectives on the larger trends and challenges at hand.

Click here to view the event video on YouTube>>

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, both universally applicable, were adopted with an unprecedented sense of ownership by member states. The relevant ICM Discussion Paper addresses the key opportunities and challenges for the UN system as it moves towards the implementation of these agreements, while examining the links between sustainable development, climate change, and peace and security. In April, the UN will be convening high-level meetings on the 2030 Agenda and the signing of the Paris Agreement. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, implementation will require that the UN not only change its working methods and updates its structures, but also build new and existing partnerships across the multilateral system.

In analyzing an increasingly complex and crowded international system, the second ICM Discussion Paper focuses on the UN’s relationship to three groups: regional organizations; civil society and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and the private sector. It also asks how the UN system can better leverage relations with and among these actors and institutions for a more efficient and legitimate international system. Whether concerning the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals or cooperation in peacekeeping or emergencies, the UN must strive to improve its relations and partnerships with civil society, the private sector, and regional organizations if it is to remain capable of fulfilling its mandate.

Discussants:
Dr. David Nabarro, Special Advisor of the United Nations Secretary-General, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Ms. Minh-Thu Pham, Executive Director of Policy, United Nations Foundation
Ms. Jimena Leiva-Roesch, Policy Analyst, International Peace Institute
Dr. Adam Lupel, Director of Research and Publications, International Peace Institute

Moderator:
H.E. Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Secretary-General, Independent Commission on Multilateralism

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Lebanon has long been a model of relative stability in the Middle East, but with economic, political and security strains on the country, Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), said that stability is very fragile.

“I often get very worried when we applaud and recognize Lebanon’s resilience,” she said, speaking at a March 15, 2016 event entitled “How to Keep Lebanon Stable in an Unstable Region.” “That doesn’t mean we can take our eye off the ball for a very split second.”

The international community, and Europe in particular, cannot ignore the mounting crisis in Lebanon, as it is a keystone of regional stability, she said.

She emphasized the importance of investing in Lebanese institutions. “If you do not want further problems to come your way, invest… in Lebanon’s stability and security, including through assistance for refugees, but not only,” she said. “Take stabilization as an ambitious agenda and build that.”

Ten years on from UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon, Kaag emphasized that unlike previous UN mandates, which had only given the UN authority in the Southern border area, today, “We don’t split a country, we look at it holistically.”

“We’ve adopted, with the support of the Security Council, a whole of Lebanon approach, and that requires a whole of system support mechanism with international support,” she said.

With international attention for the Middle East primarily focused on the failure to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war, and the resulting refugee crisis, Lebanese leaders need to “focus on managing affairs of state by their own hands,” she said.

After nearly two years without a head of state, her first recommendation on stabilizing Lebanon at IPI March 15th 2016, was for the country to “elect a president without fail.” The parliament has failed 35 times to attract a quorum to hold a vote.

“We need to create all prospects for national elections in 2017,” she said.

And Lebanon needs to act on its own, she said. “Do not wait for anyone from the region, shield your own country from regional tensions.”

Without a chief executive, key aspects of Lebanon’s public sector cannot function, she explained. “Decisions do not get adopted, laws do not get passed, politics has become more and more fractured, and there is a delay in executive life of the state,” she said. “You can erode your own country without violence, and that’s what we see in Lebanon.”

The absence of a political process is making the population restive, she said. “As you know, the less you have elections, the more the gap between political elite and class,” she said.

Disenfranchisement of Lebanon’s large refugee community poses acute challenges, she said. Lebanon hosts approximately 50,000 Palestinian refugees, and an additional 1.3 million Syrian refugees followed last year.

“Refugees which came from Syria are twice or three times displaced,” when they reach Lebanon, she pointed out. “It is a repeat lifecycle of displacement.”

The UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR), reported that with further refugee flows anticipated, the country’s “exceptional hospitality will be extremely stretched.”

Answering a question about Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees, she said, “The more marginalized you are, the less access you have to opportunities and assistance.”

While being careful not to make generalizations about any one ethnic or socioeconomic refugee group, she did acknowledge that the most desperate among these refugees might be prone to narratives that lead to thier radicalization by extremists.

Kaag said that the goals of addressing the refugee crisis, and improving stability in Lebanon, go together. However, to achieve both, there must be a shift in mindset.

“We need to look at creating employment opportunities for the Lebanese, and under certain conditions, the Syrian refugees,” she said. “Syrian refugees are an asset, they don’t have to be a liability. The more we invest in education, the more we can employ where possible, Syrian refugees.”

Reflecting on the failure of European institutions to meet the needs of the migrants flowing to the continent, Kaag praised Lebanon’s institutions for giving refugees rights and dignity in their country.

“There is no OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)-DAC (Development Assistance Committee) country that could manage 400,000 children, as new school arrivals, [with] language deficits, and war traumatized, in a five-year period,” she said. “This is a tremendous achievement, with all the obstacles, but that is to be expected. The achievement is tremendous, and that is really to Lebanon’s credit.”

The event was held as part of IPI’s Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Series.

IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations, Warren Hoge, moderated the conversation.

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On Thursday, March 17th, IPI co-hosted a policy forum event to discuss how the Women, Peace, and Security and Youth, Peace, and Security agendas complement and mutually reinforce each other.

Click here to view the event video on YouTube>>

The UN Security Council’s (UNSC) adoption of Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security in December 2015 was a historic milestone in realizing young people’s contribution to the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security by acknowledging the central role they play in global peace efforts.

This resolution complements and reinforces the Women, Peace, and Security agenda (including UN Security Council Resolution 1325) by supporting the work of young peacebuilders and helping raise the voices of girls, boys, young women, and young men working for peace and stability, while also reminding decision makers of the role of civil society in sustaining peace throughout the world. Effective implementation of UNSC Resolution 2250 can create more space for youth to directly contribute to reducing the drivers of fragility in their communities—including by supporting gender equality and inclusive development, as well as the promotion of a culture of peace.

Speakers discussed how the Women, Peace, and Security community can support the Youth, Peace and Security community in monitoring and implementing UNSC Resolution 2250, taking into account the lessons learned from the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.

This event was in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Italy and Jordan to the United Nations, the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA); UN Women; the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders); Cordaid; the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP); and the Working Group on Youth & Peacebuilding.

Welcoming remarks:
H.E. Benedetto Della Vedova, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Italy
H.E. Dina Kawar, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the UN
Video Message: Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth

Speakers:
Hajer Sharief, Together We Build, Libya, representing UNOY Peacebuilders
Sölvi Karlsson, Leading Coordinator, UNOY Peacebuilders
Hon. Betty Ogwaro, member of the National Legislative Assembly of the Republic of South Sudan and representative of the GNWP
Laura Londén, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA

Moderator:
Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser, IPI

The UN system, member states, and national and local partners face complex challenges in deploying UN peace operations in countries where there is not only little or no peace to keep but also, increasingly, a threat of terrorism and violent extremism. The UN is increasingly asked to “stay and deliver,” forcing it to review its capacity to operate safely and effectively in such environments. This has implications not only for budgets and staff safety but also for the UN’s core business of promoting lasting peace through political solutions.

This meeting note aims to explore the political and practical challenges, opportunities, and implications for UN peace operations of operating in complex security environments, particularly when operating in parallel with a non-UN counterterrorism force.

The report stems from a roundtable IPI’s Center for Peace Operations organized in New York on February 11, 2016, in partnership with the French Ministry of Defense’s Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS). This roundtable was part of the three-year “New Issues Observatory” project, a series of research papers and roundtables examining “new” issues in peace operations.

Although participants agreed that the UN is not the right actor for engaging in counterterrorism operations, they also concluded that the UN is not irrelevant in asymmetric threat environments and can play a useful role in its core activities of protecting civilians and facilitating political processes. However, a number of areas for strategic and operational improvements were suggested:

• There is a need for improved understanding of the context and planning of missions before deploying them, including through liaisons and cooperation with regional organizations.
• Peace operations should have clear mandates and appropriate postures and should be adequately resourced and capacitated for operating safely in such environments.
• Missions should have the ability to adequately monitor what happens in their environments by deploying intelligence capacities and making sure these are well integrated into the mission.
• Missions need to become more people-centric.

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Evolution is better than revolution was one sentiment expressed on the future of the Middle East at this Global Leaders Forum with Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Successful societies come from an open-minded society that promotes religious tolerance and an economy that is rule-based, according to participants who are of the opinion that it is better for the Middle East if it would strive to evolve.

Reasons behind the Arab Spring range from frustrated youth, rise of social media, mixture of bad politics, weak institutions, and lack of clarity around the role of religion in government, according to participants.

The session, held on March 1, 2016, was moderated by IPI MENA Director Nejib Friji and included representatives from government, ambassadors, various religious figures, businesswomen and men, media leaders, and civil society representatives.

The meeting focused on the recent developments in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and other Middle Eastern and North African countries. In this regard, the participants agreed on the need to unite all efforts to tackle violent extremism. The discussion had a wide range of views on attempts to de-stabilize successful countries, arguing they will have unpleasant consequences.

The IPI initiative on regional cooperation and integration was discussed as an important approach to seek an end to divisions, conflicts, and lay the ground for sustainable cooperation for development between the large number of nations in the region and the neighborhood.  Comments went that societies work best when they are pluralistic and there was a need to create a society in which people can tolerate disagreement.

Attention was drawn to the plight of the refugees in Jordan, stressing that one out of five people in Jordan is a Syrian refugee.

The session concluded with the sentiment that religious leaders have a powerful role in promoting peace and tolerance and in educating people of their faith not to be disrespectful to other religions.

The event was part of IPI’s Global Leaders Series.