September, 2011
Understanding the Significance of Palestine's UN Bid for Statehood
Dominating the news over the past week has been Palestine’s bid at the 66th United Nations (UN) General Assembly Debate to become the 194th member state. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has passed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s request on to the UN Security Council, and now the 15 member countries face difficult deliberations on how to proceed. This week we speak to CIGI Distinguished Fellow Louise Fréchette and CIGI Chair of Global Security and Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs David Welch on why this historic political situation developed now and how it might play out.
9/11, 10 Years On: How the Attacks Changed Global Governance
As the United States and the world prepare to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks this weekend, the milestone is also an occasion to reflect on why the profound events of that day have affected how – and by whom – the world is currently governed. From the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s protest movements across the Arab world, we ask CIGI’s vice president of programs, David Dewitt, to explain how 9/11 has changed global governance.