European Peace Institute / News

On October 18th, IPI together with the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University cohosted a Distinguished Author Series event, featuring David E. Sanger, New York Times National Security Correspondent and author of The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage and Fear in the Cyber Age. The conversation was moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations Warren Hoge.

The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyber weapons in all their forms – from attacks on electric grids to attacks on electoral systems – has transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, usable for everything from crippling infrastructure to sowing discord and doubt, cyber is now the weapon of choice for American presidents, North Korean dictators, Iranian mullahs, and Kremlin officials. Even though the US has built up a powerful new Cyber Command, it has no doctrine for how to use it. When under attack—by Russia, China, or even Iran and North Korea—the government has often been paralyzed, unable to use cyber weapons because America’s voting system, its electrical system, and even routers in citizens’ homes have been infiltrated by foreign hackers. Deterring cyber attacks is far more complex than the Cold War effort to deter nuclear weapons, and in the end, a political solution, akin to the Geneva Conventions, may be needed if we are to avoid an era of constantly escalating cyber conflict.

In the past year, overall levels of violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) have decreased, and the UN mission (MINUSCA) has helped stabilize key areas through comprehensive, multidimensional efforts at the local level. Nevertheless, violence against civilians continues, attacks on humanitarian workers have increased, and national security forces lack the capacity to maintain security. Moreover, the various ongoing dialogue processes are uncoordinated and do not address critical questions.

In this context, the International Peace Institute (IPI), the Stimson Center, and Security Council Report organized a workshop on September 14, 2018, to discuss MINUSCA’s mandate and political strategy. This workshop offered a platform for member states and UN actors to develop a shared understanding and common strategic assessment of the situation in CAR. The discussion was intended to help the Security Council make informed decisions with respect to the strategic orientation, prioritization, and sequencing of the mission’s mandate ahead of its renewal in November 2018.

Participants considered MINUSCA to be among the most adaptive to demanding conditions and operational constraints. But despite these achievements, MINUSCA faces serious challenges to consolidating its gains and advancing a sustainable political process. Participants recommended that the Security Council adapt MINUSCA’s mandate to give the mission a stronger political role, broaden collective support for CAR’s security forces, and support processes that promote an inclusive national identity and representative state institutions.

On October 17th, IPI hosted a policy forum event entitled, “Safeguarding Medical Care and Humanitarian Action in the UN Counterterrorism Framework.”

Following UN Security Council Resolution 1371 (2001), the UN and its member states have developed what can be described as an international counterterrorism regime composed of laws, standards, rules, policies, and practices. However, there is growing evidence that the design and implementation of counterterrorism measures can adversely impact the provision of medical care and the conduct of principled humanitarian action in armed conflict. Whether inadvertently or not, these measures have impeded, and at times prevented, the provision of essential and lifesaving aid. This runs counter to the obligation under international humanitarian law to provide and grant access to medical assistance and impartial humanitarian aid, which needs to be taken into account in the design and implementation of counterterrorism laws and policies.

This enhanced awareness of how counterterrorism measures and their implementation may adversely impact the delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance in armed conflict zones, in particular looking at the current UN counterterrorism framework. This event also launched IPI’s report, “Safeguarding Medical Care and Humanitarian Action in the UN Counterterrorism Framework” and disseminated key findings from the research. Finally, it discussed recommendations and explored ways forward to help mitigate tensions between counterterrorism and humanitarian imperatives.

Opening remarks:
H.E. Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations

Speakers:
Ms. Alice Debarre, Policy Analyst, IPI
Mr. Christopher Harland, Deputy Permanent Observer and Legal Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross Delegation to the United Nations
Dr. Agnès Callamard, Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
Mr. Edward J. Flynn, Senior Human Rights Officer, United Nations Security Council, Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate
Mr. Aurelien Buffler, Head of the Policy Advice and Planning Section, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President, IPI

On October 11th, IPI hosted the latest event in its series featuring United Nations Humanitarian Coordinators and other senior humanitarian leaders from the field. This discussion with Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, focused on the latest developments in Lebanon including the humanitarian and the economic situation. This event also addressed the impact that recent regional developments—including the crisis in Syria—have had on Lebanon, and the UN’s strategies for coping with an increasingly protracted refugee crisis.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon has seen a huge influx of Syrian refugees, adding to the existing population of Palestinian refugees in the country. This influx puts an increasing strain on the country’s public services. Additionally, Lebanon is still recovering from the consequences of its own civil war, which ended in 1990, and from the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. While promoting durable solutions in Lebanon is essential, the battle of Idlib in northern Syria has placed renewed attention on the conflict occurring next door, the regional impact of human suffering, and the immediate needs for protection, relief, and access to basic services.

This event raised awareness of the challenges faced by the UN and other humanitarian actors in Lebanon in delivering a multifaceted range of interventions, from emergency aid to development assistance. It shed light on how the UN can better put the humanitarian-development nexus into practice in support of refugees, displaced people, host communities, and other vulnerable groups.

Speaker:
Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President, IPI

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Up to four in five fragile and conflict-affected states are unable to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new report by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and International Rescue Committee (IRC). David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, said that the SDG drive to end poverty is “off-track” because the solutions to tackle it have been designed for stable states, whereas these programs are not equally suited to fragile and conflict-affected states.

The organizations responsible for the report, together with British Filmmaker Richard Curtis, an SDG Advocate, co-sponsored a September 27th reception at IPI. The event brought together members of civil society, international government actors, and representatives of the the private sector for a screening of Mr. Curtis’ short film, created with the IRC to raise awareness for and promote action towards achievement of the SDGs.

In opening remarks, IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen said that no single actor alone can provide the necessary support to people in countries experiencing crises and highlighted the benefits of partnership that draws on the insight of multilateral actors, the capacity of national governments, along with the innovation of the private sector.

Mr. Miliband argued that it is possible to combine “serious issues and serious speakers” with “dynamism,” through platforms such as film. Over the next year, world leaders will gather to audit processes over SDGs, and he said, “We need to make sure they prioritize people in conflict situations,” and “make sure we drive the innovation to reach these people.”

One way forward, Edna Adan Ismail, former Foreign Minister of Somaliland, recommended, is through youth empowerment projects. “If children don’t have something to live for, if young people don’t have a means to develop their energies, ambitions, skills, and contribute to the development of a nation, we could also be facing problems,” she said. Citing Somaliland’s experience with its diaspora, she said, “Somaliland mastered the process of self-help in Africa.” Somaliland’s resilience, she suggested, could provide lessons for achieving the SDGs.

Mr. Curtis’ film, Our Future Under Fire, followed. The film, which he planned to show “wherever possible,” conveyed the message that the SDGs contain the answers to the “biggest crises we are dealing with,” he said.

The SDGs are also a “massive opportunity” for the private sector, said Rebecca Marmot, Global Vice President, Partnerships and Advocacy, at Unilever, next to take the stage. She argued that representation in media helps to make the goals relatable to “everyday problems” on the ground. We need to integrate these messages like we do consumer campaigns, she said, and to ask, “What kind of products and services do the private sector have that can help refugees?” One way, she said, is to “change the perception of refugees, try to provide them with opportunities, and try to give them free movement.”

Ed Skyler, Executive Vice President of Citigroup, said that Citi stands behind the SDGs as “worthy projects,” and that through his company’s business operations he strives to achieve gender equality, and to work on further ways that the private sector can help.

Elizabeth Stuart, Head of Growth, Poverty, and Inequality at ODI, elaborated on the findings of the joint ODI-IRC report. This, she said, would be the start of continuing partnership. But she made note of the fact that “at a time when largely things are getting better, things are getting much worse in fragile and conflict-affected states.” One striking example from the report was of a primary school in South Sudan, where 5,000 children were enrolled in a school with only 38 teachers, a 1:138 ratio. To address what needs to be done, she called for a high-level panel; flexible, long-term aid; and thorough understanding of and support to the SDGs.

Echoing the collective call to action, Sarah McGrath, Director of UN and International Financial Institutions in the Development Cooperation and Africa Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, shared Ireland’s vision for the SDGs. In her country, she said, “commitment to leave no one behind must reach the furthest behind first.”

At a time when multilateralism has been called into question by authoritarian actors on the global stage, “we must not dismiss our belief in collective action,” she asserted. In the Irish mission, “hope underpinned our determination to change things for the better,” she said, and the SDGs are the “best way” to enact that hope and to “show that we can succeed.”

On September 26th, IPI in partnership with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the International Civil Society Action Network cohosted an event entitled “Women Mediators: Connecting Local and Global Peacebuilders”

Women activists and women’s organizations frequently contribute to conflict resolution and peacebuilding at the local level. However, they continue to be significantly underrepresented in formal peace processes. In fact, women made up just 2 percent of mediators in major peace processes from 1990 to 2017.

To stop violence and foster sustainable peace, global and regional efforts in support of peace must be linked to the locally rooted peace and mediation efforts of community peacemakers, particularly women. Local actors often have significant insight into conflict drivers and conflict solutions. In peace efforts at all levels, from the grassroots to the international, women in particular often have different experiences of conflict and different insights. They also often bring solutions and are able to foster trust and identify the steps needed to ensure the inclusion of all affected—women, men, boys, and girls. But these women often have even less access to formal processes than their male colleagues, as the evidence reflects.

The importance of civil society in sustaining peace is also evident in empirical research. Since the introduction of UN Security Council 1325 in 2000, the women, peace, and security agenda has developed through a collaboration among civil society, the UN, and governments. While the paradigm has been slow to shift, there is growing momentum and support for the full participation of women peacebuilders as mediators and negotiators in peace processes.

Opening Remarks:
Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen, President, International Peace Institute

Speakers:
H.E. Mrs. Adela Raz, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
H.E. Ms. Ine Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK
H.E. Ms. Ana Maria Menéndez, Senior Adviser of the Secretary-General on Policy, United Nations
Ms. Rajaa Altalli, Co-Director of Center for Civil Society and Democracy CCSD
Ms. Fatima Abo Alasrar, Senior Analyst for the Arabia Foundation

Moderator:
Ms. Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, Founder and Executive Director, ICAN

 

While there has been an increase in security responses to violent extremism in the Sahel-Sahara, these responses have shown their limits. At the same time, successful regional experiences building resilience and proposing concrete and credible alternatives to violence remain understudied and undervalued.

To promote regional conversations around such experiences, the International Peace Institute (IPI), the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the African Union’s African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism co-organized a regional seminar in Algiers, Algeria, on June 24 and 25, 2018, with support from the government of Algeria. This meeting brought together more than 70 experts and practitioners from thirteen countries in North, West, and Central Africa to discuss the prevention of violent extremism from a regional perspective. This followed similar conversations organized in N’Djamena in 2017 and Dakar in 2016 and a previous seminar in Tunis in 2015.

These conversations highlighted the complexity of violent extremism and the need to view prevention initiatives holistically and pragmatically, with a basis in research on concrete results.

On September 26th, IPI in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, cohosted a conversation with H.E. Gbehzohngar M. Findley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Liberia, Global Leader Series.

Following Minister Findley’s presentation, there will be a discussion moderated by IPI’s senior adviser for external relations, Warren Hoge, with Sweden’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Chair of the Liberia Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, H.E. Mr. Olof Skoog, and the Assistant Secretary General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of UNDP, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, on Liberia’s peacebuilding objectives and development priorities. The event will take place at IPI on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, from 8:15am to 9:45am.

Liberia’s presidential and legislative elections at the end of 2017 and the successful transfer of democratic power two months later marked a significant accomplishment in the country’s history. Following this peaceful transition and the end of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Liberia now embarks on the next stage of its development trajectory. As part of this process, President Weah and the Liberian government are finalizing the country’s new development framework, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). At this Global Leader Series event, Minister Findley will reflect on Liberia’s current opportunities and challenges while also addressing how best the international community can sustain and amplify its support to the country.

Secretary-General António Guterres launched the Action for Peacekeeping initiative (A4P) in March 2018 to galvanize member states to commit to peacekeeping and to translate statements of high-level political support into concrete actions. Since then, member states have signed a “Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations” in which they agree to adapt peacekeeping operations to meet contemporary challenges. But will this political consensus lead to actual change?

This issue brief assesses the political declaration across seven themes: political solutions, protection, safety and security, performance, partnerships, sustaining peace, and conduct of personnel. It argues that while some of member states’ commitments break new ground, many only reaffirm past agreements—and all require more concrete follow-up mechanisms. Ultimately, the success of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative depends on whether member states and the Secretariat honor their commitments and whether these commitments enable peace operations to help end conflicts and deliver sustainable peace.

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On Sunday, September 23, 2018, IPI held its thirteenth Ministerial Dinner on the Middle East in its Trygve Lie Center for Peace, Security, and Development. The working dinner drew the participation of foreign ministers, United Nations officials, special representatives of the Secretary-General to countries in the region, heads of humanitarian agencies, and other high-level representatives from the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and beyond.

The event was chaired by Terje Rød-Larsen, President of IPI, and co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg, represented respectively by Anwar Mohammed Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.

In a roundtable conversation, conducted under the Chatham House rule of non-attribution, participants exchanged views on the changing landscape in the Arab world, including Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, and the large displacement of people in the region. Central to the discussion was the possibility of establishing a multilateral mechanism for regional cooperation for the Middle East and North Africa in coordination with European and international stakeholders.

Attendees included the foreign ministers of Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Spain; as well as Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

Also present were Ferid Belhaj, Vice President of the World Bank; Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum; Alistair Burt, United Kingdom Minister of State for the Middle East; Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria; Rosemary A. DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs; Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada; Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe; Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of UNAMI; Robert Malley, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group; Peter Maurer, President of the International Red Cross; David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee; Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority; Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Amr Moussa, Former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; and Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia and Chair of the IPI Board of Directors.

 

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Thursday, July 12, 1:15pm EST
Bringing Words to Life: How Are the SDGs Supporting Peace, Justice, and Inclusion?
This event focuses on early successes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—not only in regards to SDG 16 but across the agenda (SDG16+)—to foster peace, justice, and inclusion at the local and national level.

Watch Live Register to Attend

Monday, July 16, 1:15pm EST
Fostering Entrepreneurship & Innovation to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
Taking place during the High-Level Political Forum, this event will discuss the role of entrepreneurship in realization of social and economic gains, and showcase success stories from entrepreneurs working on these issues.

Watch Live Register to Attend

Tuesday, July 17, 8:15am EST
Affordable Housing for All
This event examines ongoing and future government efforts to improve access to adequate housing, seeking to increase the awareness of UN member states of the challenges of housing from a more holistic perspective and their commitment to repositioning housing at the center of national development strategies.

Watch Live Register to Attend

Tuesday, July 17, 1:15pm EST
Reaching Internally Displaced Persons to Achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In this event, participants will discuss the link between development policies and internal displacement by sharing tangible examples of actions that governments, civil society, and the international community are taking to help implement the SDGs by including IDPs.

Watch Live

Further Reading

Policy Reports and Issue Briefs:

• Advancing Sustainable Development between Conflict and Peace in Myanmar, by Mona Christophersen and Svein Erik Stave
• Pursuing Sustainable Development under Sectarianism in Lebanon, by Mona Christophersen
• A Greek Recipe for Overcoming Crises: Can the SDGs Be Used as Ingredients? by Jimena Leiva Roesch and Cheryl He
• Humanitarian Action and Sustaining Peace, by Alice Debarre
• Aligning Agendas: Drugs, Sustainable Development, and the Drive for Policy Coherence, by the International Expert Group on Drug Policy Metrics
• Toward a New Gambia: Linking Peace and Development, by Lesley Connolly and Cheryl He
• A New Way of Doing Business: Partnering for Sustainable Development and Peace, by Jimena Leiva Roesch, Stefanía Doebbel, and Masooma Rahmaty
• The SDGs and Prevention for Sustaining Peace: Exploring the Transformative Potential of the Goal on Gender Equality, by Delphine Mechoulan, Youssef Mahmoud, Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, and Jimena Leiva Roesch
• Entrepreneurship for Sustaining Peace, by Youssef Mahmoud, Anupah Makoond, and Ameya Naik

Global Observatory Articles:

• Development in Myanmar, Building Peace or Generating Conflict? by Mona Christophersen
• Sustainable Institutions Critical for Lebanon’s Sustainable Development, by Mona Christophersen
• Does Peace Always Produce Development? Guatemala Offers Some Clues, by Jimena Leiva Roesch and Mona Christophersen
• Is UN Goal 16 on Peace Being Misused to Justify Securitization? by Anna Möller-Loswick
• The Unaddressed Plight of Internally Displaced Persons, Alice Debarre
• The Gambia: An Ideal Case for Prevention in Practice, by Lesley Connolly

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On Friday, September 28th, IPI together with the Centre for Policy Research at United Nations University are cohosting a book launch event to discuss Negotiating Peace: A Guide to the Practice, Politics, and Law of International Mediation.

Remarks will begin at 4:45pm EST*

This book is the first and only practical guide to negotiating peace. In this ground-breaking book Sven Koopmans, who is both a peace negotiator and a scholar, discusses the practice, politics, and law of international mediation. With both depth and a light touch he explores successful as well as failed attempts to settle the wars of the world, building on decades of historical, political, and legal scholarship.

Who can mediate between warring parties? How to build confidence between enemies? Who should take part in negotiations? How can a single diplomat manage the major powers? What issues to discuss first, what last? When to set a deadline? How to maintain confidentiality? How to draft an agreement, and what should be in it? How to ensure implementation? The book discusses the practical difficulties and dilemmas of negotiating agreements, as well as existing solutions and possible future approaches. It uses examples from around the world, with an emphasis on the conflicts of the last twenty-five years, but also of the previous two-and-a-half-thousand. Rather than looking only at either legal, political or organizational issues, Negotiating Peace discusses these interrelated dimensions in the way they are confronted in practice as an integral whole with one leading question: what can be done?

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Dr. Sven M.G. Koopmans, Author of Negotiating Peace and former Senior Mediation Expert, United Nations​
Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen, President, International Peace Institute
Ms. Teresa Whitfield, Director, Policy and Mediation Division, UN Department of Political Affairs
Mr. Robert Dann, Political Adviser and former Chief of the Mediation Support Unit

Moderator:
Mr. Adam Day, Head of Programmes, Centre for Policy Research at United Nations University

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On Friday, September 28th, IPI together with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland are cohosting a policy forum during the UN High-Level Week to present the main conclusions and recommendations from the third Regional Conversations on “Investing in Peace and the Prevention of Violence in the Sahel-Sahara.” These conversations were organized in Algiers on June 24 and 25, 2018, by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, IPI, the FDFA of Switzerland, and the African Union’s African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), with support from the government of Algeria.

Remarks will begin at 1:15pm EST*

Opening remarks:
H.E. Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)

Speakers:
H.E. Ambassador El Haouès Riache, Ambassador and Counterterrorism Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Algeria
H.E. Mr. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, African Union Special Representative for Counterterrorism and Director of the African Union’s African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT)
Ms. Lori-Anne Théroux-Bénoni, Director, Dakar Office, Institute for Security Studies, Senegal
Mr. Mohamed Anacko, President of Agadez Regional Council, Niger
Ms. Omezzine Khélifa, Executive Director, Mobdiun, Tunisia

Moderator:
Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute (IPI)

Following similar Conversations in Dakar in 2016 and N’Djamena in 2017, the Algiers gathering aimed to further identify and strengthen local, national, and regional approaches to preventing violent extremism and addressing its causes in the Sahel-Sahara. The focus was on the gap between the state and its citizens, engagement by civil society, the role of the media and security and defense forces, and the contribution of culture, citizenship, and education to prevention. Participants in the Algiers conversation called for a multidimensional approach to prevention that involves all stakeholders. They formulated recommendations on actions practitioners from the region could take, both within states and through regional and subregional groupings, and in some cases with support from the UN and other partners.

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On Thursday, September 27th, IPI together with the Government of Sweden are cohosting a Global Leader Series discussion with H.E. Margot Wallström, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden.

Remarks will begin at 2:45pm EST*

Despite two decades of policy development and commitments intended to support women and girls affected by armed conflict, women’s participation in all levels of peace and security decision-making lags due to structural barriers, lack of access to political arenas, and even threats to women who attempt to participate in these processes. In efforts to build and sustain peace, there remains a widespread neglect of local-level women peacebuilders’ expertise, and formal peacemaking efforts continue to be resistant to women’s meaningful participation and to women’s rights. This problem persists despite increasing recognition that efforts to build and sustain peace are dependent upon the full participation of women and respect for their rights. This Global Leaders discussion will draw on the minister’s years as an advocate for women’s rights, including in conflict zones, and will include her insights on how the international community can better live up to its obligations to women and girls globally.

H.E. Ms. Wallström has been the Foreign Minister of Sweden since 2014. She has had a long career in politics, which began in 1979 when she first served as a member of the Swedish Parliament. Her ministerial career began in 1988 when she was appointed Minister of Civil Affairs, responsible for consumer, women, and youth matters. She subsequently assumed the position of Minister of Culture, and then Minister of Social Affairs. In 1998, she retired from Swedish politics to become Executive Vice-President of Worldview Global Media, a non-governmental organization based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. From 1999 until 2004, she served as European Commissioner for the Environment. In 2004, when the Barroso Commission took office, she was appointed its first vice president responsible for inter-institutional relations and communication.

Ms.Wallström has been an advocate for the rights and needs of women throughout her political career, perhaps most notably as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict from 2010 to 2012, and in her promotion of Sweden’s feminist foreign policy in her role as Foreign Minister. She is currently a member of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, appointed by the UN Secretary-General in May 2015. She has received several honorary doctorates and awards for her work on sustainable development and climate change, and has also done extensive work to endorse a European Union-Africa partnership on renewable energy, and to champion equal opportunities. She was also co-founder of the European Union inter-institutional group of women and a key supporter of the 50-50 Campaign for Democracy by the European Women’s Lobby, where she worked to promote a more gender-balanced European Union.

This event will be moderated by Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen, President of IPI.

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On Thursday, September 27th, IPI together with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are cohosting the eleventh annual Trygve Lie Symposium on “Human Rights Defenders: A Global Movement for Peace.”

Remarks will begin at 8:15am EST*

Speakers at this event include Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Norway, H.E. Ms. Ine Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. Khemaies Jhinaoui, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E. Ms. Michelle Bachelet, as well as other distinguished speakers. This conversation will be moderated by the President of the International Peace Institute, Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Throughout 2018, various events and activities around the globe are being held to highlight the importance of these declarations at an increasingly crucial time for human rights, including the “stand up for human rights” campaign being organized by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

According to OHCHR, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders tells us that we all have a role to fulfill as human rights defenders and emphasizes that there is a global human rights movement that involves us all.In November of last year, Norway, along with 75 other countries, co-sponsored the Human Rights Defenders UN Consensus Resolution in consultation with civil society, which was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly. This resolution recognized “the substantial role that human rights defenders can play in supporting efforts to strengthen conflict prevention, peace and sustainable development, including…in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

This year’s Trygve Lie Symposium will bring together high-level UN and government officials, experts, and civil society representatives to discuss and address how the international community can further promote the positive, important, legitimate, and necessary role of human rights defenders and how this work helps to create a world where sustainable peace is possible.

As we celebrate the anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, presentations at this year’s Trygve Lie Symposium will reflect on the progress that has been made, new obstacles that those working to protect and defend human rights face, and the challenges that remain.

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On Monday, September 17th, IPI in cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute is pleased to invite you to a discussion on “The Nobel Peace Prize: Past, Present, and Future” featuring Dr. Asle Toje, a member of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Remarks will begin at 1:15pm EST*

The Nobel Peace Prize is world-renowned as the most prestigious recognition of achievements in the pursuit of peace. This event will focus on the history of the prize, how it currently serves to contribute to the promotion of peace in today’s world and how it will do so in the future.

Asle Toje is the former Research Director at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo and a current member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He is also an influential public intellectual and commentator. Since completing his PhD at Cambridge in 2006, Toje has lectured and taught at universities in Europe and beyond. His research focuses on the intersection of security studies and European studies. Among his scholarly works are America, the EU and Strategic Culture (2008); The European Union as a Small Power (2010); Neoclassical Realism in Europe (2012); and Will China’s Rise Be Peaceful? (2018).

The event will be moderated by Terje Rød-Larsen, President of IPI.

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On September 10th, IPI together with the Office of the President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly cohosted an interactive discussion with members from the Team of External Advisors to the President of the General Assembly.

Session 2: A Stronger General Assembly for a Stronger United Nations

Session 1: The Future of a Rule-Based System: Multilateralism Under Threat

The Team of External Advisors to the President of the General Assembly is a pro bono group of sixteen globally respected individuals dedicated to multilateralism who have been remarkable in their service—both to their country and in the international arena. The team was formed with the aim of discussing and sharing views on strategic questions, including the scope and depth of the work and engagement of the UN, as well as the role of the General Assembly.

As the theme for the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly was “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet,” the Team focused on peace, conflict prevention, and mediation. At the event at IPI on September 10th, members of the Team highlighted ideas and recommendations that emerged from their discussions with the President of the General Assembly throughout his term. These discussions were summarized in the Final Report of the Team of External Advisors, which will be available at the event. The meetings covered a wide range of topics, including global political issues, multilateralism, sustaining peace, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate change, human rights and human dignity, and the future and reform of the United Nations.

Welcoming Remarks:
Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen, President of the International Peace Institute

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia

Session 1: The Future of a Rule-Based System: Multilateralism Under Threat

Speakers:
H.E. Ms. Susana Malcorra, Advisor to the President of Argentina, former Foreign Minister of Argentina, former Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General
H.E. Mr. Francisco José Pereira Pinto de Balsemão, former Prime Minister of Portugal and Chairman of the Board of the group IMPRESA
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the Sustainable Development Goals
Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, former President and CEO of the International Crisis Group and former Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Nik Gowing, British Television Journalist and Co-author of Thinking the Unthinkable

Moderator:
Ms. Femi Oke, International Journalist and Co-founder of Moderate the Panel

Session 2: A Stronger General Assembly for a Stronger United Nations

Speakers:
H.E. Ms. Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Education and former Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Kenya, former Permanent Representative of The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Antonio Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil to Italy, former Foreign Minister of Brazil, and former Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN
Professor Carlos Lopes, Professor at the University of Cape Town and former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa

Moderator:
Mr. Nik Gowing, British Television Journalist and Co-author of Thinking the Unthinkable

On Wednesday, September 5th, IPI together with the Al-Babtain Foundation are cohosting a policy forum during the annual UN High-Level Forum entitled “The Culture of Sustaining Peace.” This event seeks to provide input into the high-level forum by building upon the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace adopted by the UN General Assembly in Resolution 53/243 in 1999.

Remarks will begin at 1:15pm EST*

Thanks in part to high-level discussions at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, 2018 has seen marked progress in understanding what it takes to sustain peace. Increasingly, international actors and analysts are looking at the positive elements of peace. Instead of asking, “What causes war and how can we fight it?” people are asking, “What makes a peaceful society and how can we build and sustain it?”. Exploring the connections between culture, peace, security, and development is key to answering this question.

In the multilateral system, the concept of the “culture of peace” originated in 1992 in a program of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The concept of “sustaining peace” came out of the 2015 Advisory Group of Experts Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture and was affirmed in dual resolutions by the UN General Assembly and Security Council on peacebuilding and sustaining peace in 2016. How do these two concepts relate? How can they work together? On the sidelines of the 2018 High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, participants at this policy forum will discuss the connections between these two agendas and how they can be used to advance peace worldwide.

Welcoming Remarks:
Hon. Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia, Chair of the IPI Board of Directors

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly
Mr. Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, Director and Founder of the Al-Babtain Foundation

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations
H.E. Ms. Maria de Jesus dos Reis Ferreira, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations (TBC)
Mr. Fabrizio Hochschild, Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination, United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Rosa Emilia Salamanca, Director of the Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica (CIASE)

Moderator:
Hon. Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia, Chair of the IPI Board of Directors

Dynamic geopolitical shifts directly impact European countries’ perceptions of, and re-engagement with, UN peacekeeping, while broader international security threats are likely to influence how Europe engages with UN peacekeeping in the coming years.

In this context, the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) 2018 Vienna Seminar examined diverse perspectives on present and future European engagement in UN peacekeeping. It assessed lessons and experiences that could help better understand Europeans’ collective impact on the effectiveness of UN operations and strived to identify different roles European countries can assume in supporting the UN to tackle contemporary challenges across peacekeeping.

The 2018 seminar marked the forty-eighth iteration of IPI’s annual event and built upon the Vienna Seminar’s legacy of grappling with pressing concerns for UN peacekeeping. Participants discussed a range of interconnected issues concerning European engagement in UN peacekeeping, ranging from examining the nature of contemporary peacekeeping operations and the impact of global and European geopolitical shifts to identifying the modalities and impact of recent European contributions to specific UN missions.

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Scenario-based learning for senior leadership teams in UN field missions can greatly improve strategic thinking, decision making, and crisis management in increasingly uncertain operational environments. IPI’s Scenario-Based Learning for Senior Leadership project therefore aims to develop eight training scenarios to be used by senior leadership in peace operations. To integrate these scenarios into existing training being undertaken by the United Nations, the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the UN Integrated Training Service (ITS) within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Department of Field Support hosted a closed-door roundtable on July 11, 2018, as part of a continued collaboration between IPI and ITS.

Specifically, the event focused on the idea of developing an in-mission leadership retreat as a means of supporting current leadership teams approach challenges environments, the viability of such an idea, and practicalities involved. The meeting resulting in five main takeaways:

• Teambuilding is an important priority for senior leaders.
• Training is most relevant and needed in anticipation of transition or change.
• Leadership within the UN is different than in other contexts, and these differences should be stressed in training.
• Topics covered in trainings should be tailored to the needs and requirements of each mission.
• In-mission training for senior leadership needs support from UN headquarters.

This event forms part of IPI’s project on Scenario-Based Learning for Senior Leadership Teams in UN Field Missions. Within this project, IPI, with support from the Government of Canada, is developing eight scenario-based-learning modules over the course of this year for UN leadership teams in field missions, as well as for tabletop exercises in UN headquarters and capitals. IPI believes that scenario-based learning for senior leadership teams in UN field missions can greatly improve strategic thinking, decision making, and crisis management in increasingly uncertain operational environments. IPI’s Scenario-Based Learning for Senior Leadership project therefore aims to develop eight training scenarios to be used by senior leadership in peace operations. The modules, which include addressing instances of sexual exploitation and abuse, difficult host-state relations, protection of civilians, a security crisis, issues of election support, among others, reflect real-world challenges that confront senior UN leadership teams in most missions. The modules will also address the main leadership skills required for managing complex multidimensional missions.

The overall objective of IPI’s engagement with senior leadership training is to better equip senior leadership within UN missions to manage contemporary crises, lead teams, make decisions while being confronted with competing objectives and priorities, and effectively deliver the mandate of the United Nations. This will ultimately improve senior leadership training and foster team building within missions.