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- Author: Arik Rudnitzky
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: This article reviews the results of the elections for the 21st Knesset in Arab and Druze communities. It also examines voting patterns in these localities by demographic characteristics (by ethnic group and geographical area) and voting patterns of Arab residents in mixed cities. The discussion then deals with two issues: (a) the question of the renewed connection between the Arab voter and Jewish parties; (b) the voting patterns of Christian voters. All data presented here were taken from the conclusions of Central Elections Committee
- Topic: International Security, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Eline Rosenhart
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: On April 11, 2019, months of popular street protests led to the ouster of Sudan’s President of 30 years, Omar al-Bashir. Since April 6, the protesters in Sudan have maintained a presence in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum. The street in front of the headquarters has been transformed into a massive campground with people sleeping, eating, praying and even watching soccer and music performances. Protesters have set up roadblocks to prevent army vehicles from entering the area and volunteers are checking for weapons at the improvised checkpoints that control entry into the protesters’ campground. So far, their efforts have proven effective. The Transitional Military Council, which took over from al-Bashir, has not managed to disperse the protesters, remove the roadblocks, or impose a curfew. What were the events that led to the protest movement that removed Omar al-Bashir from power? What are the demands of the protesters? Why are they still massed in front of the military headquarters?
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Yasar Aydın
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: Today, it is possible to state that the bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany are perhaps the most strained that they have ever been. While there have been some signs of lessening tensions following the February 2018 release of German citizens held in Turkish prisons, points of contention still remain. These include an ongoing dispute over Fethullah Gülen’s supporters in Germany, the fate of other German citizens currently incarcerated in Turkey, and Ankara’s recent rescinding of work permits for German journalists. Meanwhile, the Ankara-Berlin relationship is further challenged by the Turkish Diaspora.[1]It is true that the transnational orientations of German citizens of Turkish origin and their communal organizations in Germany intensify the interdependencies between the two countries. However, simultaneously these transnational interconnections also increase the complexity of the bilateral relations and widen the friction between Turkey and Germany.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Paul Rivlin
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: Recently, two trends became apparent in global oil markets. First, prices rose: the OPEC basket price reached $73.14 a barrel on 24 April 2019, a 40 percent rise over the price at the beginning of January, and 13 percent higher than the average for the year of 2018. According to the International Energy Agency, the reasons for higher prices included tighter global supplies that have prevailed due to strong compliance with OPEC’s decision in December 2018 to reduce production by 1.2 million barrels a day (mb/d), as well as sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, and conflict in Libya. These developments, along with the second trend of the rising US share in the global oil market discussed below, offset bearish factors including concern over the health of the global economy
- Topic: International Security, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Turkay Nefes Salim
- Publication Date: 04-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: A well-known Turkish sociologist, Şerif Mardin, once remarked that conspiracy theories shape Turkish people’s historical perspective. Indeed, conspiratorial accounts are ubiquitous in modern Turkish politics: the Turkish government explained that the Gezi Park protests in 2013 were a foreign conspiracy meant to undermine Turkish economic progress.[1] Moreover, ever since the 1970s, various speakers in the Turkish parliament have claimed that there is a clandestine elite group determined to defend the Turkish state ideology by legal and extralegal means alike, and which is responsible for various conspiracies including, but not limited to extrajudicial assassinations.[2] In this political climate, conspiracy theories about Dönmes (Sabbateans), the followers of Sabbatai Sevi (Shabtai Tzvi), represent a major part of contemporary Turkish anti-Semitism. For example, the conspiracy theory books of Soner Yalçın became best-sellers in the Turkish book market in 2004 and 2006
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Paul Rivlin
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: Several key questions arise with respect to China’s economic involvement in the Middle East: What are China’s interests in the Middle East? How far are they dominated by its energy needs? How are they affected by its relations with the United States? Since the reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping at the end of the 1970s, China has experienced rapid economic growth. In 2000, China’s GDP was equal to 12 percent of that of the US; by 2017 it had reached 63 percent. It’s GDP per capita rose from under 3 percent of the US level to nearly 15 percent in the same period. In real terms, China’s GDP more than quadrupled and GDP per capita rose nearly as fast.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: Rina Bassist
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract: On Jan. 3, 2017, thirty-three years after leaving the Organization for African Unity (OAU) over the acceptance of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SDAR) as a member state, Morocco’s bid to rejoin the African Union (AU) was approved. And while Rabat presented this as a triumph, this move reflected in effect the failure of Morocco’s ‘’empty chair’’ policy, designed to penalize its African partners for recognizing SDAR and the Polisario Frente. Morocco succeeded in persuading a large majority of AU members to vote in favor of its integration, but at the same time was forced to accept an AU which includes SDAR as a member state. Had Morocco renounced its ‘sacred cause’ of sovereignty over Western Sahara? Not in the least. But King Mohammed VI now estimates that this objective can be better achieved as a member of the AU.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Author: David Mihalyi, Patrick Heller
- Publication Date: 04-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Natural Resource Governance Institute
- Abstract: National oil companies (NOCs) produce the majority of the world’s oil and gas, pumping out an estimated 85 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Within their home countries, NOCs influence the degree to which billions of people benefit (or suffer) from their countries’ hydrocarbon assets. Many of these companies manage multi-billion-dollar portfolios of public assets, execute complex projects across their territories and at sea, employ citizens in the tens or hundreds of thousands, and perform a range of public services from providing energy to building infrastructure. Despite their importance, NOCs are poorly understood thanks to weak and uneven reporting, sparse research, and an absence of publicly available comparative data.
- Topic: International Affairs, Natural Resources
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Publication Date: 04-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Natural Resource Governance Institute
- Abstract: This report explores common resource governance successes and challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, taking advantage of the rich dataset and wealth of evidence documentation provided by the Resource Governance Index. While the authors detect common trends across the region, there is also great diversity between and within countries. It also documents examples of good practices from which officials in other countries can learn. The authors conclude with the suggestion that policymakers, parliamentarians, civil society, media and regional institutions focus more on narrowing the implementation gap, which will help to restore trust between government, communities and investors and thus strengthen sustainable management of natural resources. Creating space for public debate, strengthening capacity of public institutions and oversight actors, addressing lack of political will and learning from past legal reforms are possible solutions to address the implementation gap.
- Topic: International Affairs, Natural Resources
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Ayşe İrem Aycan Özer
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
- Abstract: This analysis is about the change in Israel’s security understanding. Israel is a country located in the Middle East surrounded by Arab regimes which were historically hostile to its very existence in the region. The unification of the Arab countries against Israel and the lack of an ally in the region created a constant fear in Israel. When it started having better relations with Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, Israel ended its isolation and found partners in its immediate geography. Even when relations between Turkey and Israel took a turn for the worse, Israel continued to have Egypt and Jordan on its side.
- Topic: International Security
- Political Geography: Middle East
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
- Abstract: In 2018, Turkey encountered a complex security environment and endured a wide range of challenging situations ranging from cross-border counterterrorism operations to multidimensional conflicts involving various influential state actors. With this in mind, the SETA Security team compiled SETA Security Radar: Turkey’s Security Landscape in 2019 in line with the critical developments that took place in 2018. This work aims to provide a timely and accessible assessment of the challenges awaiting Turkey in 2019. Hence, SETA Security Radar: Turkey’s Security Landscape in 2019 pertains to the following topics: Turkey’s role in Syria, Turkey’s counterterrorism strategy, Turkey’s military activism, the Turkish defense agenda, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey’s bilateral relations with the United States and Russia. By creating awareness among policymakers and interested researchers, SETA Security Radar: Turkey’s Security Landscape in 2019 intends to achieve a common understanding of the security prospects awaiting Turkey in 2019.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Murat Yeşiltaş, Omar Özkızılcık
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
- Abstract: Since the planned wide-scale military operation by the Assad regime in July 2018 against the different military factions, Idlib has been the center of the Syrian conflict. On January 1, 2019, renewed clashes between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Al-Nusra Front, and the Nureddin Zengi Movement brought Idlib again at the epicenter of the Syrian conflict. Now, HTS has become a dominant power in the region in terms of controlling territory, and has become capable of transforming Idlib. This paper aims to give a brief overview of the recent battle and the dynamics inside Idlib which led to the fighting between the Nureddin Zengi Movement and HTS. Furthermore, the dynamics which enabled HTS to win the battle will be analyzed. Based on the implications for the interfactional dynamics in Idlib, the Sochi agreement between Turkey and Russia has to be adjusted given that certain of its terms couldn’t be implemented on the ground. The paper also offers an array of possible scenarios of how Turkey and Russia might adjust the Sochi agreement in order to counter the violent extremist group in Idlib and prevent a humanitarian crisis
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Antonio Marquina
- Publication Date: 01-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract: La Política Exterior de Estados Unidos Un atardecer desfigurado
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Antonio Marquina
- Publication Date: 01-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract: La Estrategia Global de la Unión Europea. Asomándose al Precipicio
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Antonio Marquina
- Publication Date: 01-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract: Estrategia de Seguridad Nacional 2013. Un pavimento deslizante
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Antonio Marquina
- Publication Date: 01-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract: La Unión Europea y el Magreb. Reestructurando un imaginario
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Isaac Kfir
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Abstract: In 2019, the global Salafi-jihadi architecture is very different from the one that emerged in September 2001, when transnational terrorism burst on to the international scene, or July 2014, when ISIL controlled more than 34,000 square miles in Syria and Iraq and thousands of young men and women were flocking to be part of its ‘caliphate’.
- Topic: Terrorism, International Security, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Georgios Petropoulos
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: EU policymakers must find answers to pressing questions: if technology has a negative impact on labour income, how will the welfare state be funded? How can workers’ welfare rights be adequately secured? A team of Bruegel scholars, with the support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, has taken on these questions
- Topic: International Security, Digital Economy
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Jean Pisani-Ferry
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: Memo to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The authors describe the current context and the increasing interlinkages between economics and power politics and the role to play in reinforcing and defending Europe’s economic sovereignty
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Gregory Claeys
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: Memo to the president of the European Central Bank. Grégory Claeys, Maria Demertzis and Francesco Papadia present the challenges that the next ECB president will face during the upcoming mandate, reinventing monetary policy in a system riddled with uncertainties.
- Topic: International Relations, International Political Economy
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Mark Leonard
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: This Policy Contribution delves into the position of the EU in the current global order. China and the United States increasingly trying to gain geopolitical advantage using their economic might. The authors examine the specific problems that China and the US pose for European economic sovereignty, and consider how the EU and its member states can better protect European economic sovereignty
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Maria Demertzis
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: Memo to the presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament. 'A strategic agenda for the new EU leadership' by Maria Demertzis, André Sapir and Guntram Wolff is the first of our 2019 Bruegel memos to the new presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament. Focusing on the most important economic questions at EU level, these Bruegel memos are intended to be a strategic to-do list, outlining the state of affairs that will greet the new Commission
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Petros C. Mavroidis
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: China’s participation in the WTO has been anything but smooth, as its self-proclaimed socialist market economy system has alienated its trading partners. The WTO needs to translate some of its implicit legal understanding into explicit treaty language, in order to retain its principles while accommodating China
- Topic: International Political Economy, International Affairs
- Political Geography: China
- Author: Zsolt Darvas
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: This study by Zsolt Darvas, Antoine Mathieu Collin, Jan Mazza, and Catarina Midões analyses the characteristics of cohesion policy projects that can contribute to successful outcomes. Their analysis is based on a literature survey, an econometric analysis and interviews with stakeholders. About two dozen project characteristics are considered, and their association with economic growth is studied using a novel methodology. Based on the findings, the study concludes with recommendations for cohesion policy reform
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Zsolt Darvas
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: This policy contribution investigates the performance of the design, implementation and effectiveness of cohesion policy, the most evaluated EU tool for promoting economic convergence. By analysing the effects of cohesion policy on economic growth through reviewing literature, conducting empirical research by comparing regions, as well as considering attitudes and expectations collected through interviewing stakeholders, the authors provide reform recommendations.
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Michael Balternsperger
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: This report, requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, analyses the EU’s potential to be a global centre of excellence for research as a driver of its future growth in a complex global S&T landscape, and how EU public resources can contribute to this
- Topic: International Political Economy, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Lynn Fredriksson
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Bruegel
- Abstract: Wind power represents a key component of Turkey’s energy strategy. Increased investment will be required to meet Turkey’s wind power target and, as such, there is a need to understand the viability of wind power projects there. The cost of capital is a crucial element in wind power investment decisions owing to the high capital intensity of wind power plants. A reduction in the cost of capital through support policies can lower overall project costs and increase investment
- Topic: International Relations, International Security, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Heather Grabbe
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract: This report is a rallying cry for Europeans to pull together and mobilize the EU’s assets to manage the three biggest changes of our times. Each section briefly diagnoses the consequences of climate change, aging populations, and digital revolutions and then explores the role the EU could play in supporting the inevitable transitions. The purpose is not to provide a detailed blueprint for each transition, but rather to launch a new kind of debate about the EU—a debate that does not revolve around how to tweak the current institutions but instead how to address a reordered set of priorities
- Topic: International Affairs, Europe Union
- Political Geography: Europe
- Author: Max Hess
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Foreign Policy Research Institute
- Abstract: This report illustrates how the Russian Federation’s sovereign debt, particularly foreign currency bonds, have become an arena for interstate competition in the aftermath of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Sanctions, both real and threatened, on Russia’s government, state-owned enterprises
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: William Spiegelberger
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Foreign Policy Research Institute
- Abstract: Are U.S. sanctions on Russia working? Does Russia use its energy resources as a tool to coerce European countries? Any assessment of Russian foreign policy and the Kremlin’s relations with the United States depends on a clear-eyed understanding of Russian political economy. FPRI’s Eurasia Program features credible, expert analysis on key themes in Russian political economy. The Russia Political Economy Project will publish papers and host events in Washington, New York, and other cities on the subject. The Project also includes FPRI’S BMB Russia which provides a daily round-up of the major news items related to Russian politics and economics
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Nora Parr
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Institute for Palestine Studies
- Abstract: Conceptually linked, noncontiguous, and undeniably national, Ibrahim Nasrallah’s book series Al-milhat al-filastiniyya (The Palestine Comedies) breaks conceptual ground. Told across twelve volumes, the Comedies represents the long-called- for Palestinian national novel, though in unconventional form. The series uses diverse literary devices, including intertextuality and the archetype of the twin, to demonstrate how formal innovations can redirect assumptions about what constitutes not only a national novel, but also a nation. The series reimagines relationships between space, time, and people, giving narrative shape to a community so often imagined as fragments. Abandoning the retrospective prerequisite of bounded sovereign space and homogeneous, linear time, the Comedies imagines a “nation constellation.” A close examination of two novels within the series, A‛ras amna (2004) and Tifl al-mimhat (2000), shows how Palestinian relationships can be imagined outside existing national logics. It reads the constellation as an alternative nation form that can both encompass colonial frameworks and free the delimitation of Palestine from the dominance of power structures that only begin with the nation-state
- Topic: International Affairs, Power Politics, Linguistics
- Political Geography: Palestine
- Author: Mandy Turner
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Institute for Palestine Studies
- Abstract: Richard Falk’s quest to combine academic scholarship with political activism is witnessed throughout his lifework, but perhaps especially so during his tenure as United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, a position he held from 2008 to 2014. Falk is a vocal critic of Israel’s occupation and a staunch supporter of Palestinian self- determination, positions that have drawn strong condemnation from Israel and its supporters, but praise from Palestinians and their supporters. There is little doubt that Falk’s work has had a huge influence on public debate and activism pertaining to this issue, both within Israel-Palestine as well as globally. This article outlines Falk’s scholarship and activism regarding Palestine, analyzes the post of UN special rapporteur in general, reviews both criticism of and support for Falk’s work, and assesses Falk’s concept of the “citizen pilgrim.” It concludes by reflecting on what this reveals about the experience of praxis for politically engaged academics.
- Topic: International Organization, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Palestine
- Author: Victor Kattan
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Institute for Palestine Studies
- Abstract: On 25 March 2019, U.S. president Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel. The Golan Heights proclamation, which endorses Israel’s annexation of the territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war, was issued two weeks before the Israeli general election in a photo-op with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Undermining internationally agreed-upon norms prohibiting states from recognizing the annexation of territory by force, the proclamation could have detrimental consequences for the international legal order, providing a precedent for other states to take steps to annex territory they claim is necessary for their defense.
- Topic: International Political Economy, International Affairs, Occupation
- Political Geography: Israel, Palestine
- Author: Shir Hever
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Institute for Palestine Studies
- Abstract: German organizations are among the last Palestine solidarity groups in Europe to have embraced the call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), launched in 2005. Pro-Israel German groups have been quick to respond with aggressive rhetoric equating a BDS-favorable stance with Nazism. The vilification of the movement has had the unintended consequence of inserting BDS into German politics, both at federal and local levels. Select case studies show that the BDS debate in Germany has developed somewhat differently than in other European countries, and that religious discourse is significant in shaping attitudes to Israel and Palestine. While the Palestine solidarity movement tends to single out the “Anti-Germans”—a pro-Israel formation that grew out of the Left after the reunification of Germany—as the major culprit, it is in fact conservative Christian, mostly Evangelical, organizations that are largely responsible for discouraging BDS activism.
- Topic: International Political Economy, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Israel
- Author: Zurab Batiashvili
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies -GFSIS
- Abstract: The situation in the Middle East has been developing dynamically in the recent period of time – confrontations between the US and Iran, Israel and Iran, and the civil war in Syria, etc., creating additional threats and challenges for the wider region (which includes us, too). In such a situation, the tense relations between two powerful NATO member states – the US and Turkey and the foreign policy fluctuations that can be expected from this which could cause the paths of these two countries to diverge, also causing Ankara to become closer with Moscow – remain as a significantly noteworthy issue for Georgia. Such a development of events would probably become one of the biggest challenges to our country’s security.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Georgia
- Author: Henrich Lange
- Publication Date: 04-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: International Centre for Defence and Security - ICSD
- Abstract: This report concerns the maritime aspects of defence and deterrence in the Baltic Sea region. Access to the Baltic Sea is of vital economic interest to its littoral states, including Russia. Large numbers of vessels convey substantial trade volumes, including energy products, through its waters each day, while a significant number of critical infrastructure links lie below its surface. The operating environment is complex. The Baltic Sea is confined and shallow. Its winding shape includes several bottlenecks, and its numerous islands confine major shipping to certain channels. Its unusual hydrology, frequent adverse weather conditions and ice, and the presence of large quantities of discarded ordnance complicate naval operations. The short distance of the sea from airfields and the potential operating locations of land-based military capability, including electronic warfare and cyber assets, further complicates the employment of naval force. This environment demands a particular set of professional skills and knowledge.
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Baltic Sea
- Author: Emmet Tuohy
- Publication Date: 03-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: International Centre for Defence and Security - ICSD
- Abstract: In the last half-decade, the three Baltic states have made dramatic progress towards diversifying their energy supplies, especially of natural gas. This progress—brought about thanks to remarkable political will as well as improved regional cooperation—has resulted in considerable economic benefit while decreasing the three countries’ vulnerability to outside pressure. Yet, much remains to be done in order to complete the three countries’ internal markets.
- Topic: International Relations, International Affairs
- Political Geography: Baltic Sea
- Author: Kalev Stoicescu
- Publication Date: 01-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: International Centre for Defence and Security - ICSD
- Abstract: NATO decided, in July 2016, to establish an enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. A battalion-size battlegroup (BG) was deployed in early 2017 to each of these nations. This report looks at various aspects of the eFP some eighteen months after the start of its deployment and offers recommendations to NATO Allies, particularly host and contributing nations, for strengthening the eFP.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: Inequality and exclusion are among the most pressing political issues of our age. They are on the rise and the anger felt by citizens towards elites perceived to be out-of-touch constitutes a potent political force. Policy-makers and the public are clamoring for a set of policy options that can arrest and reverse this trend. The Pathfinders’ Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion seeks to identify practical and politically viable solutions to meet the targets on equitable and inclusive societies in the Sustainable Development Goals. Our goal is for national governments, intergovernmental bodies, multilateral organizations, and civil society groups to increase commitments and adopt solutions for equality and inclusion.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Paige Arther
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: As the world faces a significant upward trend in conflict—including a tripling of civil wars since 2007 and conflict increasingly prevalent in middle-income countries—practitioners in peace and security have sought to expand their toolkits to take advantage of the revolution in information gathering, data analytics, ICTs, and machine learning. On March 20, 2019, participants from around the world showcased 25+ innovative, data-driven approaches that are transforming the methods and the effectiveness of those working on early warning, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, stabilization, and international security
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: This review is based on a framework of both recognition and redistribution: i.e. that tangible redistributive outcomes are important in social protection, but so is the sense of recognition, meaning that the recipients of social protection are treated as equals, without loss of dignity or humiliation; and that differences in identity and circumstances are taken into account. This framework captures and incorporates recent innovations in social protection that include key aspects of subjective well-being, including dignity and respect, empowerment and agency, identity and belonging; strengthens the horizontal solidarity within communities and vertical relationships with the state; and recognizes citizens should be accorded rights and a voice in program design and implementation.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Paul von Chamier
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: The dynamics of socio-economic inequality and technical solutions geared toward addressing it have been well identified. The inability of many societies to deploy those solutions nonetheless is of a political nature. The focus of the debate should therefore be to understand the political dynamics around the subject and to learn to navigate the interests of key stakeholders. Throughout modern history, countries would transition back and forth between progressive, income-neutral, and sometimes even regressive fiscal systems. In doing so, they responded to shifting global and domestic contexts. This policy paper demonstrates that the decision on the progressivity of a tax system and fiscal spending is at its core a political rather than an economic or a technical one.4 When there is enough political momentum to address economic inequality, appropriate policies are usually found
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Paige Arthur
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: The United Nations acknowledges that prevention is first and foremost a national priority. Indeed, governments routinely undertake efforts to reduce the risks of violent conflict, even when such actions are not formally called “prevention.” Bringing attention to nationally led efforts to reduce risks and build resilience can provide opportunities to create a positive narrative around prevention and to improve their effectiveness through an accompaniment and capacity-building approach. Such efforts also show how nationally led prevention can strengthen sovereignty, particularly as it both strengthens protective factors against violence and addresses risks.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Alex Evans
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: All over the world, countries at widely varying levels of development and with very different histories are grappling with a similar challenge: breakdown of common ground in politics. The exact contours of the problem vary from one country to another, and variously include falling trust, declining citizen engagement in politics, shrinking civic space, rising autocratization, or increasing political polarization in public attitudes or political party positioning. Yet across these areas, there are underlying themes – above all, the emergence of concerns about whether citizens and leaders share a sense of the common good, or have the capacity to reach compromises on complex issues.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Jason Stearns
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: The Democratic Republic of the Congo held national presidential and legislative elections on December 30th 2018. The elections, which had been delayed by two years, were mired in controversy. The national electoral commission declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi the winner of the presidential poll. However, a leak from the same commission, whose results were extremely similar to those released by the Catholic Church’s observation mission, showed that Martin Fayulu, another opposition leader, clearly won the elections.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Jeni Klugman
- Publication Date: 06-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Center on International Cooperation
- Abstract: It is well known that gender inequality is bad for economic growth. Better gender equality is associated with gains in terms of income, economic growth, and national competitiveness. What is less widely recognized is that greater gender equality—in terms of labor force participation, wages, education, health, and assets—can work to close income gaps in society more broadly.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Denis Hadžović
- Publication Date: 07-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: The Centre For Security Studies
- Abstract: The location of the Western Balkans makes of it a sensitive area for the proliferation of criminal networks. Albeit regional leaders seem aware of Europe’s changing criminal landscape, considerable gaps in regional cooperation persist. The Integrative Internal Security Governance represents a policy coordination framework designed to foster cross-border cooperation in the region, enabling the Western Balkan countries to cope with internal security challenges in a longterm and self-sustainable perspective. Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in the initiative and committed to implement key priorities that would allow law enforcement agencies to keep pace with the changing nature of this significant threat. However, functionality along the law enforcement chain remains a matter of serious concern. A highly fragmented law enforcement sector still inhibits the country’s ability to detect, investigate and prosecute cases of serious and organized crime, jeopardizing first and foremost human security. In light of country’s integration objectives, Bosnian authorities should reopen discussion on structural reforms, starting from a serious and credible debate on police reform. This would allow Bosnia and Herzegovina to constructively participate in regional initiatives, fulfilling membership criteria, and improving the security of its citizens.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: François Lhoumeau
- Publication Date: 05-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Centre for Security Studies
- Abstract: Faced with the migration crisis it has experienced since 2015, the EU has not presented a unified policy. Moreover, the different approaches to crisis management have undergone various reversals - from a simplified reception policy at the beginning of the crisis to a complete closure of borders from 2016. These policies had a direct impact on the Western Balkans region, then at the centre of the crisis. First a crossing point, the region has been repeatedly asked to be the guardian of EU borders. This has resulted in a significant number of migrants trapped within the borders of the Western Balkans. As the region is mainly a transit point, organised crime has been strengthened around migrant smuggling and human trafficking activities by the policies initiated at the end of 2015. Despite the EU's growing attention to this issue, regional cooperation efforts need to be strengthened. In addition, the EU must use the tools of enlargement to establish a comprehensive strategy based on strengthening the rule of law and maintaining security
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Anne Bauer
- Publication Date: 08-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Israel/Palestine Creative Regional Initiatives (IPCRI)
- Abstract: This research was conducted as part of IPCRI's project "Tourism Brings Us Closer", funded by the Swiss Embassy, and examines the ways in which tourism can be used as a tool for social and political change. The research is based on focused group discussions with actors in the tourism industry that were conducted within the scope of the project. Thereby, the research analyses the challenges and opportunities identified by people working in the field. The research also offers a set of recommendations that can inform future engagements.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus
- Author: Johanna Herman
- Publication Date: 09-2019
- Content Type: Special Report
- Institution: Centre on Human Rights in Conflict
- Abstract: The experience of civil parties participating in Case 002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) provides important insights into victim participation in a mass atrocity trial. Understanding the expectations of civil parties and evaluating their experience so far will help us to improve victim support at future cases at the ECCC and other internationalised courts.
- Topic: International Affairs
- Political Geography: Global Focus