The United Nations
Time to update the Millennium Development Goals
In an op-ed to The Toronto Star, CIGI Senior Fellow Barry Carin argues that "Canadians should pay attention and influence the coming debate" on the future of United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Cut those shameless perks of international diplomacy
In an op-ed for The Globe and Mail, Thomas Tieku argues that "the spinoffs and savings from perks have turned well-meaning civil servants and aid disbursers into professional travellers."
The Challenge for Rio+20: Countering Two Decades of Inaction
To mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit, the United Nations is holding its Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012. For a better understanding of the issues at play and a sense of what to expect from “Rio+20,” we talk to CIGI Distinguished Fellow David Runnalls.
Les Casques bleus débarquent en Syrie (Article in French)
In an interview with La Presse, CIGI Distinguished Fellow Louise Frechette comments that the UN mission in Syria is "an important set in the implementation of the Annan Plan." She comments that "the reality is that, currently, there is no alternative plan."
Angelina Jolie’s UN Refugee Agency status puts spotlight on pros and cons of ‘celebrity diplomacy’
In a NY Daily News article on Angelina Jolie being named the Special Envoy of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, CIGI Distinguished Fellow Andrew Cooper says "there is a great danger in overdoing it and pretending to be an expert where you're not...Celebrities need to have finesse about these things — pick your spots, pick your expertise and pick your issues, but don't overdo it."
CIGI paper by former UN deputy secretary-general assesses post-Cold War peacekeeping efforts and reforms
United Nations peacekeeping, “still the best tool available for the international community to help post-conflict states,” has been the object of numerous reforms over the last two decades, giving the UN a much-needed professional capacity to command, control and manage increasingly complex missions says a new report by CIGI.
Inside the Issues Special Edition 2.26 - Iran and the West
In a special edition of Inside the Issues, host David Welch moderates a panel discussion on relations between Iran and the West. Panellists include: former U.S. ambassador Thomas Pickering and former Iranian ambassador Hossein Mousavian and Balsillie School of International Affairs Professor James Blight, who begins the dicussion by asking "Why can't we transcend our differences?"
UN approves Syria ceasefire observers
In a CBC News story, CIGI Distinguished Fellow Paul Heinbecker comments on the presence of ceasefire observers in Syria. He says the situation "could get worse before it gets better."
UN Peacekeeping: 20 Years of Reform
Peacekeeping is as old as the United Nations (UN). For many decades, it consisted essentially of the interposition of lightly armed troops to act as neutral observers of a truce or a peace agreement. The end of the Cold War opened a new chapter in the history of peacekeeping. Peacekeeping operations have expanded dramatically in the last two decades and are now multidimensional, with complex mandates in increasingly difficult, and often dangerous, environments.
Is Happiness Just As Important As GNP? And How Do You Measure It?
CIGI Distinguished Fellow Louise Frechette speaks to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the link between happiness and well-being and the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
Ladies First (or until now, Last): Achieving MDG 5
The UN and the World Bank recently celebrated the “achievement” of two important targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): access to clean water and halving poverty[1]. While we are reflecting on these accomplishments, it’s important to note that the same success story doesn’t extend to all MDGs.
New CIGI interactive blogging platform offers expert commentary on global governance issues
CIGI invites foreign affairs journalists seeking expert opinions on current global governance issues and trends to visit the new CIGI Blogs interactive platform.
Inside the Issues 2.22 - Diplomacy in Syria and Iran
With twin crises in Syria and Iran becoming increasingly challenging to solve diplomatically, this week Inside the Issues talks to Paul Heinbecker, long-time Canadian diplomat and former ambassador to the United Nations.
Sovereign Debtors in Distress: Conference Event Report
The Sovereign Debtors in Distress conference, Feb. 24-26, 2012, assembled some of the leading minds in economics to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing the global economy — how best to deal with heavily indebted sovereigns.
When Humanitarian Relief Doesn't End and Development Assistance Doesn't Begin
When emergency relief turns into a protracted crisis, what happens to the aid that falls between short-term humanitarian relief and development assistance over the medium-term?
Who should deliver it? Who should oversee it?
In the current aid architecture, it’s not always clear who is responsible for ensuring funding and resources in complex humanitarian situations.
Global Governance & International Relations
With the growing influence of countries like India and China, BNN looks at the changing face of international relations and global governance with Louise Frechette, CIGI distinguished fellow.
Violence Continues to Escalate
In an interview with CTV News Channel, CIGI Senior Fellow Bessma Momani discusses the Syrian crisis and what needs to be done to help the country.
Crisis in Syria
In a CBC Power and Politics panel with Evan Solomon and Nour El-Kadri, CIGI Senior Fellow Bessma Momani comments on the situation in Syria and argues that something has to be done to alliviate the humanitarian crisis.
Inside the Issues 2.17 - Borders, Islands and International Migration
As states seek to better protect their mainland territory from the threat of illegal migration, outlying islands are increasingly being used to create buffer zones against would-be human traffickers and refugees. Canada Research Chair in Global Migration Studies, Alison Mountz, suggests that detention centres are a populist overreaction to the actual threat posed by maritime incursions.
Iran as sequel? Another bomb
In an op-ed to The Globe and Mail, CIGI Distinguished Fellow Paul Heinbecker looks at the situation between the West and Iran, and argues that "we should not allow ourselves to be stampeded into supporting a war on arbitrary timelines and hyped intelligence."