Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Andrew Cheatham on the 2023 Summit for Democracy
As leaders gather for the Biden administration’s second democracy summit later this week, the president is working to “really push back on China’s offer” of narrow economic partnerships by “trying to make the case that you need the principles of democracy to have a good economy,” says USIP’s Andrew Cheatham.
Andrew Cheatham on the Resurgence of the Nonaligned Movement
Rather than reinforce the Nonaligned Movement’s perception of a zero-sum choice between the U.S. and other great powers like China, the U.S. should work with allies to offer “a bigger package that helps serve the people and is ultimately more sustainable than what China has to offer,” says USIP’s Andrew Cheatham.
Andrew Cheatham on the Importance of the U.N. General Assembly
Despite geopolitical tensions, the U.N. General Assembly remains important for cooperation on urgent global challenges like climate change, says USIP’s Andrew Cheatham: “It’s within the bureaucracy of the United Nations that a lot of countries can show leadership … If we didn’t have the U.N., I think we’d have to build it.”
Andrew Cheatham on the Private Sector’s Role in Conflict Resolution
As the international community discusses new approaches for building peace, the private sector is “increasingly a major part of these geopolitical discussions,” says USIP’s Andrew Cheatham, with more and more “partnerships of states and private sector corporations working together to pursue national interests.”
Rethinking U.S. Engagement with U.N. in the Context of Ukraine: Part Two
Russia’s war in Ukraine is a salient reminder of the world’s vulnerabilities to the potential cataclysmic impact of modern warfare. Russia’s nuclear arsenal, the world’s largest, is one of the underlying reasons why its actions in Ukraine have gone unchecked directly by NATO forces. Amid these threats, rules-based international institutions such as the United Nations have long been crucial to peaceful conflict prevention and resolution — but their effectiveness has been hampered in recent years by the United States’ withering commitment to multilateralism.
Citizen State and Community Relations in Building Local Governance
Since the revolution in 2011 and the toppling of the long-standing regime of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has experienced various degrees of political instability and conflict. A succession of internationally supported “transitions” have failed to bring the Libyan people a functioning state with a clear social contract based on a shared vision for the nation. This paper discusses the present challenges for good local governance as perceived by Libyan citizens and institutional actors. Through this lens, recommendations are offered for immediate, short-, and medium-term initiatives that can support the improvement of citizen relations with the three traditional arms of the state—the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
A Look at Neutrality Now — and After the Ukraine War
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted several conversations about the concept of “neutrality” in international law and related matters. Although this week’s visits between United Nations Secretary-General Antonió Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have sparked some hope of reinvigorating peace talks, a settlement seems like a distant prospect. Nonetheless, it is likely that any deal will include provisions for Ukraine’s long-term neutrality in exchange for external states’ security guarantees. But autocrats like Putin often weaponize international legal concepts like neutrality for their own ends. As such, it is vital to reconsider and update global commitments to stabilizing legal frameworks to prevent would-be aggressors from exploiting international law.
Rethinking U.S. Engagement with U.N. in the Context of Ukraine: Part One
The international community’s swift and unified response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been nothing short of historic. Countries around the world have offered their individual repudiation of Russia’s aggression, from sanctions to much-needed aid for Ukrainian forces and civilians. But it’s the resurgence of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations that has been one of the more interesting — and potentially powerful — developments so far.
In a Multipolar World, the Private Sector Can Be a Force for Peace
As the world transitions to a more multipolar, competitive landscape, this is an important moment to take stock of the role of the private sector, particularly multinational enterprises, in the genesis and resolution of armed conflict. Today, the world’s biggest corporations are wealthier than many nations and the private sector is playing an increasingly important role in geopolitics. At the same time, we are seeing a rise in violence and conflict that threatens to pose major risks to business around the world.
Amid Alarming Rise in Conflict, Multilateralism is the Only Answer
At the opening of the 2023 session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted for world leaders the preamble of the organization’s Charter, which says that the “people of the United Nations” are “determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Yet, he explained that “instead of ending the scourge of war, we are seeing a surge of conflicts, coups and chaos.” Indeed, in 2022, there were 55 state-based and 82 non-state conflicts raging around the world, and the period from 2017 to 2021 saw the highest death tolls from non-state actors in armed conflict since 1989.