Israel

Examine the challenges and implications of Iran’s nuclear program and Pakistan’s expanding nuclear arsenal, in terms both of regional stability and the global nonproliferation regime. Increase your understanding of the role of nuclear weapons in international security challenges and of ways to manage the threats they pose.

As the dramatic events of the Arab Spring turn to the more mundane yet vital work of governance, constitution writing and peacebuilding, USIP is on the ground, bringing its unique brand of action and expertise to the effort.

USIP's Rule of Law Center conducts research, identifies best practices, and develops new tools for policymakers and practitioners working to promote the rule of law.  It has played a significant role in shaping the field and in advancing the rule of law in fragile and post-conflict societies.

The Madrid Peace Conference was a watershed moment for American diplomacy, but the two decades since have witnessed a region facing substantial challenges and instability, with major uncertainty regarding the future of efforts toward peace.  With the recent developments at the United Nations and the Quartet's latest proposal, this conference pulled  lessons from the past, assessed the current state-of-play, and explored new ideas for moving forward.

On September 23, President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application to the U.N. Secretary-General for Palestine's admission as a full state member of the United Nations. What is needed to move the peace process forward? Is the diplomatic track in sync with the Palestinian state-building effort? What are the options for U.S. policy.

Taking on congressional critics of the United Nations, a senior State Department official told an audience at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on September 7 that the Obama administration’s multilateral diplomacy at the U.N. has bolstered U.S. security but that “backwards” calls to cut or further restrict U.S. funding for the world body, if enacted, would harm U.S. global influence.

Two seasoned NGOs engage nonstate combatants on international human rights law to get them to change behaviors, from eliminating use of landmines to protecting civilians. Their work can inform and complement other attempts at engagement.

USIP’s Scott Lasensky, co-author of "Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East" (with Daniel C. Kurtzer), reports from Israel on the prospects for reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and why all eyes are focused on the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.

Upon the publication of "Pandemics and Peace: Public Health Cooperation in Zones of Conflict" (USIP Press, June 2011), panelists Dr. Jose Fernandez, Dr. Allyn Taylor, and author Dr. William J. Long discussed the relationship between pandemics and peace.