European Peace Institute / News

The violence in the Middle East obfuscates the fact that there exists also a story of peace efforts across the region—a story of small successes, big frustrations, setbacks, and failures. Through these efforts, UN mediators have sought to achieve the often irreconcilable goals of ending violence while facilitating a political transition and reconciling the parties.

Building on the findings of papers previously published by IPI on UN mediation in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, this report draws crosscutting lessons for ongoing and future UN mediation in similarly complex and violent political transitions. These lessons are organized around five key challenges that mediators confront:

• Mandate: Much of the success or failure of a mediation depends on the mandate. While mediators do not necessarily need a clear mandate from the beginning, their success depends on unequivocal support from the Security Council at certain key stages of their mediation. This lack of clarity and the perception that the end result—political transition—was a precondition for negotiation frustrated the processes in Libya and Syria.
• Impartiality and inclusivity: It is neither possible nor always necessary for mediators to be completely impartial, but they must make proposals agreeable to the parties—a particular challenge during political transitions. Regarding inclusivity, every mediator is forced to make choices about who to include, and though any deficiencies generally involve leaving key actors out, sometimes a less inclusive process could have worked better.
• Entry and consent: Finding a favorable entry point—a moment when the conflict is “ripe” for resolution—is a challenge for mediators. While in Syria the UN is often faulted for being late to the conflict, the UN’s early entry in Libya did not improve the chances of mediation. The case of Yemen, however, demonstrates how early, low-profile engagement can help develop more favorable entry points.
• Strategy: Mediators face a dilemma in how to use cease-fires as conflict management tools; they can help build confidence among the parties, but they can also prolong the conflict by creating a tolerable stalemate. Cease-fires were only a minor part of the strategy of the mediators in all three countries. Greater emphasis on this mediation tool should be considered in future processes.
• Leverage: The greatest challenge UN mediators faced in leveraging power is that they represented a multilateral organization made up of many member states with competing agendas. But mediators who are UN insiders can also work the system in their favor. There are also other forms of leverage available to them, such as personal prestige and informational power.

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With the adoption of the General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on sustaining peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a multilateral policy consensus is emerging around a common vision for peaceful societies. These global frameworks treat prevention as an integral part of effective and participatory governance and view peace as both an enabler and an outcome of sustainable development.

To illustrate the preventive potential of the SDGs, this issue brief focuses on Target 5.5, which aims to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic, and public life.” Evidence compiled with contributions from the Institute for Economics and Peace and the McKinsey Global Institute shows that investment in Target 5.5 could unleash the potential of women, facilitate their meaningful participation in decision making, and thus advance sustainable peace and development.

This issue brief is part of the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) attempt to reframe prevention for the purpose of sustaining peace through a series of conversations from October 2016 to May 2017.

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There are currently more peacekeepers on the ground than ever before, and they increasingly operate in contexts where the UN is being asked to manage conflict rather than restore or keep peace. This has led many both within and outside of the UN to challenge and question the foundational assumptions and doctrines of UN peacekeeping and to ask whether peace operations are “fit for purpose.”

Against this backdrop, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) in October 2014. The HIPPO released its report putting forward 166 recommendations in June 2015, followed three months later by a report from the secretary-general on the implementation of these recommendations. But one year later, no formal progress report has been produced.

This report, composed of a visual “scorecard” and accompanying narrative, aims to fill this gap. It presents a nuanced picture of progress to date by identifying where both the UN Secretariat and member states have taken the most concrete action across nine strategic areas. It then suggests how the next secretary-general and member states can take forward the HIPPO’s recommendations in each of these areas. Its recommendations include the following:

• The next secretary-general should make bold, “game-changing” proposals early in his term, particularly on restructuring the UN peace and security architecture, financing, and improved management of peace operations.
• The informal groups of friends of HIPPO, together with the broader UN membership, should carry forward the spirit of peace operations reform as a package.
• Member states should champion and build consensus around key HIPPO recommendations that the next secretary-general puts forward.
• Member states should pilot country-specific implementation of HIPPO recommendations, including the need for political solutions to guide the design and deployment of peace operations and for sequenced and prioritized mandates.
• The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) should continue discussing the HIPPO recommendations in its 2017 session.

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Representatives from member states, the UN Secretariat, and experts from civil society organizations and think tanks discussed the challenges and opportunities to civil society engagement in the Malian peace process, in particular in the context of the upcoming National Reconciliation Conference (Conference d’Entente Nationale), due to take place in December 2016 in Bamako, Mali. This roundtable event, jointly organized by IPI and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), took place at IPI on November 8, 2016.

Four Malian civil society actors presented an overview of the current situation in Mali and remaining challenges to civil society’s full engagement in the peace process. Boubacar Thera,  West Africa Network for Peacebuilding in Mali (WANEP-Mali), spoke about progress made, with support from international donors and NGOs, in ensuring that civil society representatives have been able to contribute to protecting civilians in Mali by monitoring human rights violations, contributing to assessing root causes of the 2012 crisis, and creating space and opportunities for dialogue.

Maître Saran Keïta, Women’s Peace and Security Network in the ECOWAS Region (REPSFECO-Mali), highlighted, in particular, the important monitoring role of civil society to observe the implementation of the peace accord and to ensure that its content reaches local communities. Néné Konaté, from the Malian Institute of Research and Action for Peace (IMRAP), added that civil society actors could help support participative processes throughout the country, as indeed local ownership of the peace accord is essential to durable peace in Mali. Professor Aguissa Ag Mohamed, Malian Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CM-CPI) and Observatory for Human Rights and Peace (ODHP), noted that despite all its potential and willingness to see the process moving forward, civil society actors suffer from limited resources.

Overall, civil society actors called for inclusive dialogue and a greater role for civil society in the follow-up to the peace accord, including for the upcoming Conference d’Entente Nationale. They noted a particular gap in the participation of youth and women in the implementation of the peace agreement. They submitted that civil society could play a central role in creating a permanent dialogue framework to work with community leaders in Mali. This could act as a form of multi-stakeholder platform to connect local actors with broader processes, thus contributing to long-term sustainable peace in the country. The recent establishment of interim authorities and the upcoming national reconciliation conference offer opportunities that will need to be leveraged.

Issa Konfourou, Permanent Representative of Mali to the United Nations, welcomed the presentation by Malian civil society actors, and noted progress in the implementation of the inter-Malian peace accord despite the challenges created by residual insecurity. This event, organized in partnership with GPPAC, feeds into the broader work that IPI does on Mali, peace operations and mediation.

Arthur Boutellis, Director of IPI’s Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, moderated the meeting. Jenny Aulin, Managing Advisor, Human Security, GPPAC, provided closing remarks.

During the November 7th UN Security Council ministerial open debate on “peace operations facing asymmetrical threats” under the presidency of His Excellency Mr. Mankeur Ndiaye, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of Senegal, Mr. Arthur Boutellis, Director of IPI Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations briefed the Council.

His remarks drew from the publication, “Waging Peace: UN Peace Operations Confronting Terrorism and Violent Extremism,” co-authored by Arthur Boutellis and Naureen Chowdhury Fink, and produced by IPI and the Global Center on Cooperative Security.

Addressing the Council, Arthur Boutellis emphasized that the “added value of the United Nations” is in “greater investment in preventive, multi-stakeholder strategies.” It is not sustainable for the UN to solely focus on “symptoms rather than causes,” he said.

As the report shows, of the eleven countries most affected by terrorism and other asymmetrical threats globally, seven currently host UN peace operations, ranging from small special political missions to larger peacekeeping operations.

The report seeks to expand the scope of the discussions beyond whether peace operations can adapt to asymmetrical threats environments, to how they can better implement their mandate and support national governments and local communities in the face of terrorism and violent extremism.

In conclusion, Arthur Boutellis called for this “timely” thematic debate to “help this organization develop a more strategic and integrated approach to waging and sustaining peace rather than only perfecting an instrument to better manage the symptoms of asymmetrical threats.”

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-->On Tuesday, November 1st, IPI hosted a discussion with Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), that focused primarily on the plight of Palestine refugees today in the agency’s fields of operation, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza. This discussion is the latest event in IPI’s series featuring United Nations Humanitarian Coordinators and other senior humanitarian leaders from the field.

In response to the Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA was established by the General Assembly to contribute to the welfare and human development of Palestine refugees. When the agency began operations in 1950, it was responding to the needs of approximately 750,000 refugees. Today, over 5 million Palestine refugees are eligible for UNRWA services, which include education, health care, relief and social services, protection and microfinance.

The lack of political resolve in the region has cast a shadow over the population’s prosperity. Without hope, the risk of radicalization, particularly of youth, has become a worrisome reality. But through renewed support of Palestine refugees, faith in a better future can be restored and regional stability ensured. Indeed, the need for collaboration has never been greater.

Mr. Krähenbühl has 25 years of experience in human rights, humanitarian and development work. Appointed by the Secretary-General in November 2013, Pierre Krähenbühl became Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East on March 30th, 2014. As Commissioner-General, he serves at the level of Under-Secretary-General.

Speaker:
Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Moderator:
Dr. Els Debuf, Senior Adviser and Head of Humanitarian Affairs at IPI

On Tuesday, November 1st, IPI hosted a Distinguished Author Series event featuring Shadi Hamid, author of Islamic Exceptionalism: How The Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping The World. The conversation was moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations, Warren Hoge.

In his book, scholar and author Shadi Hamid offers a novel and provocative argument on how Islam is, in fact, “exceptional” in how it relates to politics. Exploring the profound implications this has for how we comprehend the future of the Middle East, Hamid also reflects on whether we should continue to expect history to gravitate toward secularism.

By addressing the vexing question of the role that religion plays in public life, he argues for a new understanding of how Islam and Islamism shape politics by examining different models of reckoning with the problem of religion and state, including the terrifying—and alarmingly successful—example of ISIS.

“We don’t have to like it,” he writes, “but we have to understand it—because Islam, as a religion and as an idea, will continue to be a force that shapes not just the region but also the West in the decades to come.”

IPI’s Distinguished Author Series brings critically acclaimed writers to IPI to present on international issues and to engage in a lively discussion with experts from the permanent missions to the UN and other members of the foreign affairs community in New York.

Economic connectivity has become a buzzword when talking about harmonization of the integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU)—the so-called “integration of integrations.” At a time when diplomatic relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated yet states remain linked by economic and energy interests, some see economic connectivity as a possible entry point for maintaining dialogue and rebuilding cooperation.

In response to this increased interest in economic connectivity, IPI, with the support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, organized a roundtable on this topic on December 14, 2015, in Vienna. This roundtable brought together representatives of OSCE participating states, executive structures, the private sector, civil society, and academia.

This meeting note provides an overview of the roundtable and offers some ideas on possible ways to further develop the idea of economic connectivity, including the following:

• Economic connectivity could build on common interests between Russia and the West.
• The issue of economic connectivity cannot be seen in isolation from politics.
• Respect for a rules-based economic system could help rebuild neighborly relations.
• Greater compatibility between the EU and the EAEU should be based on pragmatic steps rather than a grand bargain.
• States that enjoy the benefits of free trade agreements with both unions should play the role of a bridge between them.
• Economic confidence-building measures can help forge common interests and joint projects that bring mutual benefits.

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Over the past two decades, an abundance of legal and policy frameworks in the multilateral system have focused on women’s security and empowerment. Women, however, continue to be poorly represented in formal peacemaking activities, and they suffer disproportionately from the indirect effects of conflict. The credibility of the multilateral system itself depends on progress in this area, due to compelling evidence that inclusive societies are more likely to be peaceful and stable.

On the sixteenth anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, this policy paper explores key challenges and developments related to women, peace, and security. This is the first in a series of fifteen policy papers produced by the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM), a two-year project launched by IPI in September 2014 to identify how the multilateral system can be made more “fit for purpose” for twenty-first-century challenges.

Based on extensive consultations with representatives of states, various UN entities, and civil society, as well as subject-matter experts, this paper details recommendations laid out in the ICM’s final report, published in September 2016. To improve multilateral engagement on women, peace, and security, it recommends several major shifts:

• Reimagine traditional approaches to peace and security, from conceptions of peace and security to the identification of key actors and the goals of peace processes.
• Achieve a unified, holistic, and coherent approach to improve women’s security and participation, from shifts in social norms to improvements in education and increased women’s representation in politics and policymaking.
• Build an inclusive and legitimate multilateral system that embraces the women, peace, and security agenda as key to its credibility and effectiveness.

For other IPI news, events, and publications about women, peace, and security, see here.

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On Wednesday, October 26th, IPI together with UN Women cohosted a policy forum on the influence of women’s participation in peace processes—from negotiations to peace agreements, power-sharing arrangements, and throughout political transitions. Speakers discussed the challenges, opportunities, and prospects for improved gender representation in ongoing peace processes in Colombia, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere.

Women’s participation can have a strong positive influence on the success of peace processes and the conclusion and durability of peace agreements, as the 2015 Global Study and High-Level Review of Resolution 1325 both documented. Women’s impact on peace processes is not limited to gender equality. There is a growing need for women’s involvement in technical areas related to peace agreements, such as power-sharing, security arrangements and transitional justice.

At this event, panelists shared their contributions on the importance of women’s participation in mediation and peace processes. They shared findings that move beyond the peace table to examine when and how women are included in power-sharing arrangements and throughout long-term political transitions. For example, in cases where neither the peace agreement nor the subsequent electoral framework provided for the inclusion of women, gender representation in parliament remains unusually low.

Drawing on direct experiences advising in various peace processes, panelists also reflect on how to broaden participation and how to influence the gatekeepers who pose obstacles to women’s inclusion.

Opening Remarks:
Purna Sen, Director of the Policy Division, UN Women

Speakers:
Thania Paffenholz, Director of the Inclusive Peace and Transition Initiative, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva
Christine Bell, Professor of Constitutional Law and Assistant Principal (Global Justice), University of Edinburgh
Virginia Bouvier, Senior Advisor for Peace Processes at the United States Institute of Peace and Adjunct Professor at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University (Via Video)

Moderator:
Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Senior Policy Analyst, IPI

On Tuesday, October 25th, IPI together with the Permanent Missions of the Netherlands and Italy cohosted a screening of the documentary film The Destruction of Memory.

The Destruction of Memory is based on a book of the same name by Robert Bevan. Over the past century, cultural destruction has wrought catastrophic results across the globe. This war against culture is not over—it has been steadily increasing. In Syria and Iraq, the ‘cradle of civilization,’ millennia of culture are being destroyed. The push to protect, salvage, and rebuild has moved in step with the destruction. Legislation and policy have played a role, but heroic individuals have fought back, risking and losing their lives to protect not just other human beings, but our cultural identity—to save the record of who we are.

The screening will be followed by an interactive discussion. Interviewees in the film include the Director-General of UNESCO, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, along with diverse and distinguished international experts whose voices combine to address this urgent issue.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Ms. Lise Gregoire, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Inigo Lambertini, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations

Speakers:
Ms. Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Mr. Tim Slade, Documentary Director and Producer
Ms. Bonnie Burnham, Senior Advisor of World Monuments Fund

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

Spanning a period of twenty-one years, the Vietnamese “boat people” exodus was the last major refugee crisis of the Cold War. The international response agreed on in Geneva in 1979 was in line with Western Cold War values, but by 1988 it had begun to unravel. The new international response took the form of the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees (CPA), which was in place from 1989 to 1996.

This paper offers a detailed look at the process of negotiating the CPA, its contents, how it was received, and its implementation. At the time it was agreed, the CPA was revolutionary in two ways: first, it was comprehensive, and second, it was predicated on the right of Vietnamese boat people to land and to be processed for refugee status. As a result, the CPA both saved lives and marked the transition from blanket recognition of refugee status to individual status determination—all in a region whose countries had not ratified the Refugee Convention.

While all refugee situations are different, the CPA provides lessons and conclusions that could inform responses to other refugee crises:

• Initial discussions leading to the CPA depended on individual-led, field-driven initiative.
• In breaking from previous approaches to refugee crises, the CPA faced significant opposition.
• Involving the country of origin—Vietnam—was essential to implementing the response.
• The CPA benefited from a single agency—UNHCR—taking the lead.
• Despite the CPA, most countries in the region continued to reject the Refugee Convention.
• The mass information campaign conducted in Vietnam was crucial to the CPA’s success.
• One of the main achievements of the CPA was to address the population movement in general, including both refugees and migrants.

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On Wednesday, October 19th, IPI together with One Earth Future, and Inclusive Security, cohosted a policy forum on participatory policymaking and the women, peace, and security agenda. Speakers at the event shared their insights on national pathways to more inclusive peace and security, drawing on new research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone.

Click here to view the event video on Ustream>>

The number of countries creating national strategies to advance women’s participation in peace and security processes has more than tripled since 2010, from 18 to 63. National Action Plans for implementing Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security were conceived to address the gap between prescriptive international frameworks and domestic realities. Nationally designed and owned, they reflect each country’s particular security needs and priorities for peace. How are these plans developed in practice, and what impact do they have?

This event explored new research from four conflict and post-conflict countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, Serbia, and Sierra Leone. Panelists from government and civil society examined challenges and opportunities for national action on this front—from new security threats to “localization” of policies and roles for international actors.

The event also took stock of the effects of collaboration between government and civil society when developing and implementing these kinds of participatory peacebuilding policies. It offered lessons and insights for those looking to create and strengthen national plans for women, peace, and security in varied contexts around the world.

Speakers:
Julienne Lusenge, Director, Fund for Congolese Women
Maria Cleofe Gettie Sandoval, former Undersecretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Philippines
Miki Jacevic, Vice Chair, Inclusive Security
Alexandra Amling, Researcher on Women, Peace, and Security, OEF Research

Moderator:
Marie O’Reilly, Director of Research, Inclusive Security

Opening Remarks:
Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Senior Policy Analyst, International Peace Institute

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An expert panel of leaders from the government, financial sector, and civil society came together at IPI’s Middle East Office (IPI-MENA) for a discussion of “Social Peace in Countries in Transition.” The participants agreed that solving the global pension issues will be a prerequisite to acheving peace for these countries, and beyond.

Lundeg Purevsuren, former Foreign Minister and Senior Adviser to the President of Mongolia and Samer Khanachet, Chairman of TAKAUD Savings & Pensions, announced their partnership with IPI on a new project to be based in Manama. The program will be a regional and global effort to tackle the challenges facing pension schemes in the economies of countries in transition.

The project was lauded by Naser Al Belooshi, advisor to the Minister for Political and Economic Affairs, who emphasized the need to take action in a concrete and result-oriented approach.

A number of factors are exacerbating the pensions crisis: people are living and working longer, and family sizes are smaller than in the past. “This sets a platform for generational tensions over limited public resources, in turn putting social peace in jeopardy in the long-term,”,Edward Whitehouse, manager of the World Bank Pension Reform Primer, said. “Pensions are part of a relationship between generations.”

It is IPI’s mission to manage risk and build resilience, so it is only appropriate that our think tank should host a discussion on how to achieve social peace, participants said. Mr. Lundeg, called for the international community to secure social peace by thinking “today about tomorrow.”

In response to a question from the Indonesian Ambassador, Chilman Arisman, on Mongolia’s transition process and its impact on inter-state relations in Asia. Mr. Lundeg highlighted the need for countries like his to adhere to democracy, neighborliness, and social peace.

Daw Nwe Nwe Win, representing Myanmar’s Ministry of Finance, urged TAKAUD, IPI and other international bodies to assist her country in its transitional challenges.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, highlighted the necessity “to cement a trilateral partnership between the government, the private sector, and trade unions” to achieve social peace while tackling the pension challenges. In that vein, Dr. Khanachet called for “wise and proper rules, regulations and laws” to adapt to the dynamic economic context. These regulations should be regularly revisited, he said.

Mr. Friji  referenced the final report of the Independent Commision on Multilateralism, which offers actionable items which can be adopted to remold the the multilateral system  to better address the challenges of the global era. “Pension solutions should be among the multilateral system’s new endeavors,” he said.

This discussion was held on the sidelines of TAKAUD’s “Middle East & North Africa Pensions Conference”  on  October 18th, under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain.

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

Nejib Friji, moderated the conversation.

Related Coverage:
“Strong pension schemes key for a stable nation” (DT News, October 20, 2016)
“IPI MENA Hosts Panel on ‘Social Peace in Countries in Transition‘” (IPI MENA Press release, October 19, 2016)

In Arabic:
Al Bilad Newspaper, October 20, 2016
Al Wasat Newspaper, October 20, 2016

Representatives from member states, the UN Secretariat, and other experts from civil society organizations and think tanks discussed how to apply the recommendations of the 2015 High Level Independent Panel on peace operations (HIPPO) Review in Libya at an IPI Seminar, held on October 19, 2016. This discussion was held under the Chatham House rule of non-attribution.

This event was part of a series of workshops co-organized by the International Peace Institute, Security Council Report and the Stimson Center, to examine how the recommendations related to mandating, planning, and analysis in the 2015 HIPPO report and the follow-up report of the Secretary-General can be applied to country-specific contexts.

This closed-door workshop, which follows one held on Mali in April (meeting note available here), provided an opportunity to assess the evolving situation in Libya, discuss whether the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is adequately equipped to deliver its mandate given current challenges, and discuss how the Security Council can continue to support the political process in Libya and the good offices role played by the mission ahead of the renewal of UNSMIL’s mandate in December of this year.

In calling for the sequencing and prioritization of mandates to ensure their achievability, both the HIPPO and the Secretary-General’s reports highlighted the importance of setting clear political objectives for missions. Participants discussed the current challenges to the political process in Libya as well as how UNSMIL, and other tools at the Council’s disposal, can be better tailored to support the efforts to reach a political settlement. Participants aimed to arrive at recommendations of how a new mandate for UNSMIL could reflect the prioritization of new objectives.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, delivered opening remarks. Ian Martin, Executive Director of Security Council Report, and Youssef Mahmoud, IPI Senior Adviser, moderated the workshop.

A meeting note will follow.

Of the eleven countries most affected by terrorism globally, seven currently host UN peace operations. In countries affected by terrorism and violent extremism, peace operations will increasingly be called upon to adapt their approaches without compromising UN doctrine. But to date, there has been little exploration of the broader political and practical challenges, opportunities, and risks facing UN peace operations in complex security environments. This has created a gap between the policy debate in New York and the realities confronting UN staff on the ground.

This policy paper aims to bridge this gap by examining the recent drive to integrate counterterrorism (CT) and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) into relevant activities of UN peace operations, as well as the associated challenges and opportunities. It seeks to expand the scope of discussions beyond whether peace operations can “do CT” to how they can better support national governments and local communities in preventing terrorism and violent extremism.

Based on extensive conversations with UN officials, member state representatives, and practitioners, the paper offers a number of recommendations. At the level of headquarters, the UN should:

• Improve its capacity to analyze and respond to the factors and grievances leading to radicalization and violence;
• Enhance system-wide dialogue, coherence, and policy guidance; and
• Prioritize objectives and capacities related to CT and P/CVE in mission mandates.

To make field missions more effective, the UN should:

• Preserve and expand the space for dialogue with all parties;
• Enhance capacity for early warning and response;
• Integrate CT and P/CVE into compacts with host governments where relevant;
• Enhance mission engagement with civil society, women, and youth;
• Design integrated strategies to prevent terrorism and violent extremism;
• Promote partnerships between missions, country teams, and NGOs;
• Improve capacity to monitor, evaluate, manage risk, and learn;
• Employ caution in labeling programs as “P/CVE”; and
• Improve training and raise the awareness of mission staff.

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On Tuesday, October 25th at 1:15pm EST, IPI is hosting a discussion on the UN Security Council and military interventions with Hardeep Singh Puri, author of Perilous Interventions: The Security Council and the Politics of Chaos.

IPI Live Event Feed

Perilous Interventions is a timely publication, in which one of India’s most experienced, able, and eloquent diplomats, who presided over the UN Security Council and its Counter-Terrorism Committee, provides an insider’s account. The book takes a clinical and forensic look at the dominant narrative of the Arab Spring and analyzes some of the factors that contributed to the crisis—the use of military force, the arming of rebels, the unraveling of countries, and the resulting desperate migrations. The lively account explores the international community’s actions in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine, along with India’s own misadventure in Sri Lanka in the 1980s. It illustrates how the Security Council can inadvertently undermine the very thing it is expected to ensure— international peace and security.

Speaker:
Hardeep Singh Puri, former Permanent Representative of India to the UN, former Secretary-General of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, and former Vice President of IPI

Moderator:
Warren Hoge, Senior Adviser for External Relations, IPI

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On October 11-12th, IPI held an event in Reykjavik to discuss the legacy of the historic meeting between the President of the United States Ronald Reagan and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev of exactly thirty years earlier, and to see if and how the “spirit of Reykjavik” could inspire leaders of today to return to negotiations on arms control, reduce tensions between Russia and the West, and reignite the hope of nuclear weapons-free world.

The meeting took place in Höfdi House in the Icelandic capital where Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Reagan had met for two days of intense negotiations in October 1986. American and Russian negotiators, who witnessed the event, stressed how “Reykjavik changed everything,” and how it marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. They recalled the statement that the two leaders had agreed to, namely that “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought; our countries will not seek military superiority.”

Video messages were sent from George Shultz, who was US Secretary of State at the time, as well as Mikhail Gorbachev. In an impassioned statement, Mr. Gorbachev expressed concern and alarm at the current world situation. He warned that, “unless international affairs are put back on a normal track and international relations are demilitarized, the goal we jointly set at Reykjavik will become more distant rather than closer.” (Watch their full statements here.)

In opening remarks, the major of Reykjavik, Dagur Eggertson, and Iceland Foreign Minister Lilja Alfredsdottir recalled the impact of the meeting on their city and country, and the inspiration that it still holds today. Terje Rød-Larsen, President of IPI, praised the work that Iceland did at that time—with only ten days to prepare—to “make the impossible possible.” He also observed that the choice of location was instrumental for setting a mood that fostered openness and trust.

During a full day of discussions, participants—including current and former diplomats, politicians, arms control experts, academics, and representatives of civil society – recalled the negotiations that went on thirty years ago, and what lessons could be learned for today. Among the points raised was the importance of leadership, treating one’s adversary with decency and respect, and the need for trust. The need for dialogue, even—or especially—in difficult times was emphasized. Concerning the specifics of mediation, several participants underlined the importance of a suitable negotiating environment (like Höfdi House), as well as the combination of both high- and expert-level discussions.

In addition to looking at the past, the event focused on security and cooperation today, particularly relations between Russia and the West. Suggestions were made on how to de-escalate tensions, de-militarize relations, and return to diplomacy. There was also a focused discussion on conventional and nuclear arms control. Several participants warned that the unpredictable and unstructured relationship between nuclear powers created the most dangerous situation since the Cuban Missile Crisis. They suggested that although the time may not be ripe for high-level negotiations, preparations should be made so that ideas can be put forward when there is sufficient political will.

Over lunch, the participants were given a presentation on Iceland’s geo-strategic position between NATO and Russia by President Gudni Th. Johannesson.

Looking ahead, speakers warned of the increased complexity of nuclear issues because of a growing number of states that possess nuclear weapons, as well as malign non-state actors trying to acquire them. The danger of cyber threats to nuclear security was also raised. Participants underlined the need for greater education on arms control, as well as more active engagement of youth in initiatives designed to build trust and confidence.

While the situation today was characterized as unstable, bright spots were highlighted including cooperation among the great powers in the Iran nuclear talks. Participants were encouraged by former Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson to never give up, and to keep alive the “spirit of Reykjavik” and the dream of a nuclear weapon-free world. “The Reykjavik summit of 1986 shows that we can change the world,” said Mr. Grimsson.

Related Coverage:
“Time to return to the Spirit of Reykjavik (1986)” Remarks by Ambassador Sergey Batsanov, October 13, 2016
“The Legacy of the Reykjavik Summit – The Road Ahead” (InDepthNews, October 13, 2016)
“Gorbachev calls for peace: Is there a path forward?” (Christian Science Monitor, October 12, 2016)
“Acting Under Secretary Tom Countryman Travels to Reykjavik, Iceland” Media Note (US Department of State, October 11, 2016)

In Russian:
Pozner Online, October 17, 2016
Gazeta, October 11, 2016
TASS Russian News Agency, October 10, 2016
Interfax, October 10, 2016
Lenta, October 10, 2016

At an IPI seminar in Reykjavik, Iceland yesterday, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said via video, “I would like to emphasize something, with all the emotions I have in my soul: the worst thing that has happened over the past few years is the collapse of trust in relations between the major powers, which, according to the UN Charter, bear primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and which still have enormous stockpiles of nuclear weapons and must reduce them, up to and including their elimination.”

“Nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” Mr. Gorbachev said. “I think it sounds even stronger today than at that time.”

With today’s US-Russian relations at a new low, can his meeting with Ronald Reagan at the Reykjavik summit 30 years ago—which history views as the beginning of the end of the cold war—serve as an inspiration for arms control and reducing tensions today?

This question is the topic of the IPI seminar, “The Legacy of the Reykjavik Summit,” organized with the Foreign Ministry of Iceland, taking place October 10-11, 2016.

Mr. Gorbachev’s full remarks, below.

George Shultz, who was US Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan, also gave opening remarks.

On October 11-12, 1986, the President of the United States of America Ronald Reagan, and the General Secretary of the Communist Partyof the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, met in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, to discuss a radical plan: redirection of nuclear-armed missiles and a move towards a nuclear free world. The meeting was a breakthrough in relations between the USSR and the United States, and is widely considered as the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

Thirty years later, tensions between Russia and the West are at their highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Instability in other parts of the world, like the Middle East and the South China Sea, is also creating new risks, and leading to a new arms race.

Can the anniversary of that historic meeting at the Höfði House in Reykjavík thirty years ago provide an inspiration to de-escalate tensions between NATO and Russia? Can it help to promote non-proliferation, and reignite the hope of a nuclear free world?  Participants at this meeting include former and current diplomats, arms control experts, historians, and representatives of civil society.

See full meeting agenda

On Thursday, October 13th at 1:15pm EST, IPI together with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum are cohosting a panel discussion on the continuing challenge of preventing mass atrocities in an era of global transition.

The next secretary-general of the United Nations will take office at a time when mass killings of civilians are increasing. Global patterns of mass atrocities are also changing, as non-state actors like the self-proclaimed Islamic State and Boko Haram perpetrate large-scale violence against civilians. It is essential that the new secretary-general create a clear agenda for preventing and responding to such atrocities that can gain the support of both the UN system and its member states.

The event will provide a forum to discuss these new trends and the evolving challenge of preventive action.

Speakers will focus on new trends in mass atrocities worldwide, recent developments in global policy efforts to prevent them, and the challenge ahead for new leaders in the United States, at the United Nations, and elsewhere. The following key questions will be addressed:

• How have mass atrocities evolved since the end of the Cold War?
• What are the key challenges that face global policymakers who seek to prevent mass atrocities?
• How can the United Nations work with the United States and other actors to reinforce policy efforts to prevent and respond to mass atrocities?

Speakers:
Jeanne d’Arc Byaje, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations
Naomi Kikoler, Deputy Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Scott Straus, Professor of Political Science and International Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Moderator:
Adam Lupel, Vice President, International Peace Institute