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.
Deepening the U.S.-Papua New Guinea Relationship
As the largest, most populous and most strategically located nation in the region, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is, not surprisingly, at the epicenter of reinvigorated U.S. efforts to reengage the Pacific Islands. The year 2023 has been a big year for the U.S.-PNG bilateral relationship. However, given recent pushback against U.S. initiatives in PNG, deepening the relationship will require some work.
Three Takeaways from the Strategic Posture Commission’s Report
In November, USIP hosted the heads of the Strategic Posture Commission (SPC), Chair Madelyn Creedon and Vice Chair Jon Kyl, to talk about their recent report on the future of the United States’ strategic posture.
Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Disrupt Global Supply Chains
Drone and missile attacks by Yemen-based, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have disrupted global supply chains. The United States has responded to these attacks by shooting down Houthi drones, and the Biden administration has set up a 10-nation naval task force to protect ships traveling along this important route.
What Does Bangladesh’s Upcoming Election Mean for its Foreign Policy?
Bangladesh is getting more international attention for two very different reasons. Domestically, Bangladesh’s tumultuous political situation ahead of the January 7 parliamentary elections has elicited global scrutiny. The United States, through its rhetoric and actions, has led international actors pushing Bangladesh to improve its democratic processes and calling for dialogue to resolve the current political impasse, which has often received harsh retorts from the Awami League (AL) government. Countering Western pressure, Russia and China have condemned U.S. “meddling” while India has called the upcoming polls an “internal matter.”
La Transition politique du Tchad à un Tournant décisif
Le 17 décembre, les Tchadiens voteront lors d'un référendum visant à approuver une nouvelle constitution pour le pays, près de trois ans après le début d'un processus de transition politique prolongé, parfois agité. On s’attend à ce que le référendum constitutionnel ouvre la voie à la candidature du Président Mahamat Déby aux élections présidentielles de 2024, après avoir dirigé le pays depuis 2021, et un ajustement du système de gouvernance tchadien vers un État unitaire non-fédéral, avec en théorie une décentralisation et autonomie territoriale plus accrue.
Opposition Boycott Clears Path to a Fourth Term for Hasina in Bangladesh
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to win a fourth consecutive term in general elections on January 7. A boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the South Asian nation’s main opposition party, will ensure the success of Hasina’s Awami League (AL) despite the grim economic state of the country.
Is the Middle East on the Verge of a Wider War?
Three months after the Hamas terror attack on Israel, reverberations from the ensuing conflict in Gaza threaten to engulf the region in a wider war.
Taiwan’s Election Poses a Test for Island’s Ties with China
On January 13, Taiwanese will elect a new president in a race that is likely to have significant implications for the island’s relations with China as well as U.S.-China relations, regardless of who wins.
Diplomacy May Not Be As Dead As It Seems
The Ukraine war has revealed changes in warfare that may give renewed purpose and utility to diplomacy as an instrument of statecraft in the modern era.
Conservation and African Rangelands: From Conflict to Coexistence?
Sub-Saharan Africa’s population will nearly double to more than 2 billion by 2050, surpassing Asia by 2070. African policymakers recognize this trend and have focused efforts on increasing economic productivity. Native rangelands — the uncultivated grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands and savannas where wild and domestic animals graze — cover 43% of the continent’s land area. But rangelands have often been perceived as undeveloped areas and centers of degradation, erosion, desertification, droughts, famine and conflict. These vast areas, and the people they support, tend to be pushed to the periphery of political agendas, allowing root causes of degradation of land and livelihoods to fester and ultimately contributing to a vicious cycle of tension and conflict.