The Prospects for Regional Cooperation Concerning the Situation in Afghanistan

• Analysis
• April 27, 2023

The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 represents a major geopolitical shift for the country’s immediate neighbours and the wider region. Neighbouring countries have expressed deep concern about the security threats emanating from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and about …

In the Convoy’s Aftermath: Time to Embrace Human Rights in the City of Ottawa

• Analysis
• April 17, 2023

In remarkably short order, the unprecedented experience of the Ottawa Convoy of February 2022 has been well studied and there are extensive recommendations for change now on the public record. 

The Public Order Emergency Commission, which was convened because …

It is Time for Environmentalists to Stop Blaming ‘Overpopulation’

• Analysis
• March 2, 2023

Like a zombie, the argument that the global population must be urgently reduced to address the global environmental crisis keeps popping up – no matter how often the argument is put to rest. Take a speech at COP 27 by …

The Rise of Violent Russian Entrepreneurs Amid Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine

• Analysis
• February 22, 2023

One year after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no doubt remains about the difficulties the Russian army faced in Ukraine. From over-ambitious strategic goals seeking to topple the Ukrainian regime, logistical issues to supply overextended military advances …

Scotland’s Global Footprint: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of International Affairs

• Analysis
• February 9, 2023

The Scottish Council for Global Affairs (SCGA) is a partnership between three Scottish universities, the Scottish Government and the UK government, providing a hub for collaborative policy-relevant research and non-partisan debate on international affairs.

SCGA seeks to facilitate and amplify …

Unpacking the Endgame: Examining the Possibility of Nuclear Escalation and Regime Change in the Russia-Ukraine War

• Analysis
• January 30, 2023

In my previous blog post, I pushed back at an analysis of how the Russia-Ukraine war may end by Samuel Charap and Timothy J. Coulton at the 2022 Daniliw Seminar at the University of Ottawa. I am troubled by …

Thinking Through Scenarios for the End of the War in Ukraine

• Analysis
• January 26, 2023

The study of how Russia’s war on Ukraine will end has been a niche subject, possibly due to the inherent difficulty of prediction, the surprise that greeted the full-scale invasion, and the Ukrainians’ success at stopping and rolling it back. …

Rôle du Gouvernement canadien en Ayiti

• Analysis
• January 5, 2023

Aujourd’hui, le Core Group sous la houlette du Canada, entre autres, souhaite répondre à une demande inconstitutionnelle, illégale d’un gouvernement illégitime, décrié par le peuple Ayitien, pour venir contrer l’insécurité et résoudre la crise humanitaire qui s’en suit.

Cette intervention …

Nuclear Threats and Canada’s Disarmament Diplomacy: A Way Forward

• Analysis
• December 19, 2022

A former Canadian Undersecretary of State for External Affairs, Allan Gotlieb, once described Canada’s strong role in disarmament activity as having “always been a natural calling, with broad public support and strong specialized constituencies”. While Canada has in the past …

Canada Must Protect Activists-in-Exile Against Transnational Repression

• Analysis
• December 9, 2022

Many struggles for justice, peace, or well-being incur the pushback of the state. When the state is authoritarian and unconstrained (or unconcerned) by the rule of law, ‘pushback’ can be severe and even lethal. Not surprisingly, many dissidents or activists …

Global Policing and the Trucker Convoy

• Analysis
• December 5, 2022

The hearings around the “Freedom Convoy” that occupied parts of Ottawa in early 2022 have opened a window into the inner workings of Canadian police forces. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) was widely criticized for its mishandling of the situation …

The AUKUS Agreement: the Costs and Benefits

• Analysis
• November 23, 2022

Emmanuel Macron is still voicing his incredulity about the Australian government withdrawing from an agreement to purchase French-designed and co-build submarines and instead enter into the AUKUS agreement where the US and UK will provide Australia – at considerable expense …

The Irony of La Francophonie

• Analysis
• November 17, 2022

As the Summit of La Francophonie begins in Djerba in Tunisia, the organization and the francophone world it represents are faced with a profound irony. There will be no shortage of dignitaries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister Mélanie Joly and …

Bound to Lead: AUKUS and US-Taiwan Relations

• Analysis
• October 25, 2022

In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia established a trilateral security partnership called AUKUS, which aims to uphold the rule-based order and deepen diplomatic and defence cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Recently, there have been …

UNSC Reform: A Future Possibility or a Distant Memory?

• Analysis
• October 17, 2022

Many around the world tune in every September to the annual General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA). Since the first UNGA in 1946, leaders have addressed their fellow UN members.

Many addresses have been incredibly memorable, from Nikita Kruschev …

Canada’s Broken Promises: LGBTQ+ Afghans Left Behind

• Analysis
• October 12, 2022

Shortly after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Canadian government announced its intention to resettle 40000 Afghans as quickly as possible. This promise was made at the United Nations General Assembly in recognition that Canadians were “overwhelmingly” …

Four things you need to know about AUKUS

• Analysis
• October 5, 2022

In 2021, the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia announced the ‘AUKUS’ trilateral security pact. Assessments of AUKUS have tended to focus on the nature of the advanced military technology that will be shared (cyber, AI, quantum, hypersonic, and of …

CIPS Best Blog Award 2022: Public Voting Now Open

• Analysis
• September 22, 2022

It’s that time of year again… time to launch CIPS’ Best Blog award! Just like last year, we hope this competition will provide you with an opportunity to revisit some of the best blogs from the past 12 months.

It …

The Future of the Canadian Foreign Service

• Analysis
• September 6, 2022

In the last several years, and in particular since Canada’s unsuccessful bid for a seat on the UN Security Council in June 2020, numerous critiques of Canadian diplomacy have been published, including some written by prominent retired ambassadors, former …

How about a Supply and Confidence “Human Rights” Addendum?

• Analysis
• April 22, 2022

In March, the federal Liberals and NDP entered into a Supply and Confidence Agreement, Delivering for Canadians Now. The NDP has pledged support for the Liberal minority government through to 2025 in return for promised progress on several important …

Expedience over Justice: Implications of the Fate of the Khashoggi Trial for Activists-in-Exile

• Analysis
• April 19, 2022

On 7 April, a Turkish court ordered that the murder trial of those accused of killing and dismembering Jamal Khashoggi be transferred to Saudi Arabia. This will effectively end the case and put pay to any chance of achieving …

1500 Kilometres: The Distance between War and Refuge

• Analysis
• March 29, 2022

One thousand five hundred kilometres is roughly the distance between Hamburg and Kyiv. A week after Putin started his invasion of Ukraine, the city government of Hamburg proclaimed proudly that it had prepared 750 beds for refugees from Ukraine. As …

What was Behind the Indian Farmers’ Protests?

• Analysis
• March 28, 2022

Extreme nationalism and anti-Muslim hatred are mounting in India, all at the expense of its democracy. It is being led or coddled by the sitting Government of Narendra Modi and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the …

Putin is Waging War on Eastern Ukraine

• Analysis
• March 7, 2022

Historians have known for a long time that the idea that Ukrainians form a different nation than Russians, and therefore decide of their own destiny, is seen by Moscow, and a large segment of the Russian population, as artificial, as …

A New Approach is Needed to Blunt the Appeal of Far-Right Movements

• Analysis
• February 18, 2022

The trucker convoy that rolled onto the streets of Ottawa late last month has become an unlikely cause célèbre for far-right movements and anti-vaxxers around the world. The scenario that has unfolded is not how Canada sees itself, and it …

Obfuscation and Ventriloquy: Does Canada Speak for the World’s Poor?

• Analysis
• February 9, 2022

The tweet from Cooperation Canada after the webinar said it all: ‘“We want to be a voice for the low-income countries”, explains @HarjitSajjan of Canada’s response to the pandemic #COVID19 around the world’. Funny thing, we thought the low-income countries …

Being Critical about Intelligence Studies: a New Research Agenda

• Analysis
• February 7, 2022

In a recent CIPS podcast, Srdjan Vucetic, David Murakami Wood and myself discussed criticality in Intelligence Studies and Surveillance Studies. The question was simple enough: what does ‘critique’ mean in the context of both fields of scholarship?

To respond …

What Should Canada Do for Afghanistan?

• Analysis
• December 8, 2021

Despite no longer making the headlines, the situation in Afghanistan is a lot worse now than it was in August, when the world watched in horror as people fell off a military airplane leaving Kabul Airport.

What should Canada do …

Global Migration, Activists-in-Exile, and Canada

• Analysis
• November 8, 2021

Alongside the global existential challenge of Climate Change and the Coronavirus pandemic, which have come to dominate news headlines worldwide, there are the old but growing challenges of involuntary migration.  

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports 82.4 …

An Audacious Suggestion for the new Minister of Foreign Affairs: Help Canadians

• Analysis
• November 8, 2021

Canada’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, has promised a combination of “humility and audacity” for Canadian foreign policy.  She will inevitably face a barrage of questions relating to important issues critical to Canadian foreign policy – from …

Remembering the Happy 90s and the Hope for Europe’s Return

• Analysis
• October 27, 2021

While Europe had grown accustomed to the idea that catastrophes happen elsewhere, at least since the end of the Second World War, the Covid-19 pandemic was a humbling event. Its blatant socio-economic consequences have added more stress to the cycle …

Every Conversation About the Threat Environment is Important

• Analysis
• October 26, 2021

The COVID19 pandemic is the greatest single human tragedy of the internet era. We cannot be certain the end is in sight.

The pandemic danger will not end if COVID is finally controlled. Other currently known diseases could surge into …

CIPS Best Blog Award 2021: Public Voting Now Open

• Analysis
• October 13, 2021

Last year we launched our first ‘Best Blog Award’ competition. While the principal motivations behind the competition were to (a) offer up an engaging experience for you, dear reader and (b) draw some more attention the expertise and hard work …

Retrotopian Desires and Gender in Right-Wing Populism

• Analysis
• October 10, 2021

Former US President Donald Trump in 2016 justified his plan to build a wall at the United States’ Southern Border to keep out Mexicans (many of whom implied he were rapists). This motif forms part of Trump’s strategy to “Make …

We Must Avoid An Isolated, Impoverished, Unstable Afghanistan

• Analysis
• October 6, 2021

After the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, I consistently argued for a comprehensive, UN-facilitated peace process, encompassing all the internal Afghan parties to the conflict, including the Taliban and the regional and other actors implicated in the conflict, …

What’s next for Germany after Merkel

• Analysis
• October 4, 2021

Just days after Canadians took to the polls, Germans, too, elected a new parliament. Having lead Germany for sixteen years, Angela Merkel was not on the ballot again: the end of an era in German politics and the arrival of …

UN Peacekeeping and the Kindleberger Trap

• Analysis
• September 27, 2021

For close to a decade, the UN has been under the double pressure of a high number of fatalities and pressure from member states to cut costs, particularly from the United States. Since 2013, the UN has not launched a …

How Individuals Matter in UN Peacekeeping Human Rights Policy

• Analysis
• September 23, 2021

Debates about UN peacekeeping have increasingly come to revolve around the ‘protection of civilians’ (POC) in both policy and academic spheres. These debates are undoubtedly crucial and have important real-life consequences. At the same time, the focus on …

Federal election: How the next government can build a stronger foreign service

• Analysis
• September 17, 2021

In the current federal election, foreign policy is getting very little attention, despite Canada’s implication in many global crises and long-standing concern from all directions about Canada’s place in the world, its image and whether or not it …

New Opportunities for Local Engagement at the Human Rights and Peacebuilding Nexus

• Analysis
• September 15, 2021

Despite ongoing calls from academics, activists, and peacebuilders globally, United Nations and other international peace operations remain largely top-down, directed by the interests of funders rather than based on the needs and knowledge of conflict-affected communities. Yet, while often significantly …

Vingt ans après, qu’est-ce que le renseignement aujourd’hui?

• Analysis
• September 14, 2021

Au fil des années, la lutte contre le terrorisme s’est imposée comme un enjeu opérationnel et politique en Europe comme en Amérique du Nord. Le renseignement y joue un rôle important, permettant aux professionnels de la sécurité de revendiquer une …

Middle Powers Reengaging in UN Peace Operations: Strategic Policy Recommendations

• Analysis
• September 13, 2021

Though a debated category, “middle power” countries use multilateralism and peacekeeping to pursue their interests, build relationships and exert influence globally. Recently, however, commitments have shifted toward regional military alliances and “smart”, technical engagements, reducing the …

Action for Peacekeeping? Middle Powers, Liberal Internationalism, and the Future of UN Peace Operations

• Analysis
• September 13, 2021

In late May 2021, CIPS scholars hosted a virtual workshop on the topic of middle powers, liberal internationalism, and the changing geopolitical environment around UN peace operations. Workshop participants joined us from six different countries to present original research papers. …

The Fate of Unwanted Art: Poland’s Symbolic Dealing with the Communist Past

• Analysis
• September 7, 2021

Ever since the regime changes in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, communist-era monumental art has become a controversial subject. Post-communist states, both the pre-existing ones and those which emerged after the Soviet …

Re-imagining the future: Is UNESCO on to something?

• Analysis
• August 26, 2021

Most famous for its World Heritage Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has in recent years championed the idea of futures literacy – the skill and practice of diversifying why and how we imagine the future. …

What Canada Owes its Afghan Workers

• Analysis
• August 21, 2021

As dark clouds piled on the horizon and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis looms over Afghanistan, the Canadian government promised a special resettlement program for approximately 20,000 Afghans who fear reprisals from the Taliban for collaborating with the international community.  The …

‘We Managed to Participate, but We Had to Fight for It’: Collective Reparation and Women in Colombia

• Analysis
• July 24, 2021

Collective reparations emerged in Colombia within the legal framework of the peace process of the Government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez with the United Self-defense Forces of Colombia (AUC in Spanish) of 2005. The legal framework focused on the rights of …

Transitional Justice in Colombia, Five Years After Signing the Peace Agreement

• Analysis
• July 22, 2021

Societies that have suffered massive violence require transitional institutions to manage injustices related to grave violations of human rights, document the truth of infringements and hold perpetrators accountable. The 2016 peace agreement in Colombia instituted the Truth Commission and the …

Peace with Justice in Colombia?

• Analysis
• July 21, 2021

The national strike that erupted on 28 April 2021, following a proposed tax reform by the current administration, was met with state repression of protests. That repression and the impasse of dialogue since late April have revealed deep grievances and …

L’assassinat du Président Moise, son contexte et les scénarios pour Haïti

• Analysis
• July 10, 2021

Dans la nuit du mardi 6 au mercredi 7 juillet 2021, un groupe d’hommes armés attaque le domicile du Président d’Haïti Jovenel Moise, l’assassine et laisse la Première Dame avec de graves blessures.  Les premières informations venant du Premier Ministre …

Authoritarianism has Changed, and so Should our Approach to it

• Analysis
• June 4, 2021

Authoritarianism is on the rise globally and democratic governments need to be better equipped to meet the challenges it represents, or at a minimum smarter about how they manage relations with authoritarian states.

For all the talk around a global …

Pour une politique étrangère féministe cohérente

• Analysis
• June 4, 2021

La politique d’aide internationale féministe (PAIF) du Canada, initiée en 2017, vise à promouvoir l’égalité des genres, le renforcement du pouvoir des femmes à l’étranger et le rôle de celles-ci dans les initiatives en matière de paix et sécurité. …

What will Russia do as Arctic Council Chair?

• Analysis
• June 3, 2021

On May 20, 2021, Iceland convened the 12^th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council (AC) in Reykjavik. Upon concluding its 2-year term at the helm of the AC, the host handed over the AC’s gavel to Russia. 

Russia’s assumption …

New Challenges Threaten Zimbabwean Democracy

• Analysis
• May 11, 2021

Zimbabwe has been gripped by political controversy over the past six weeks, as opposition parties and activists objected to the passing of two bills amending the country’s constitution, threatening to erode Zimbabwe’s ailing democracy further. The bills pushed through several …

The Bank of Canada Must Seize the Pandemic Moment and Do More for Canadians

• Analysis
• May 5, 2021

The Bank of Canada, like central banks around the world, is currently facing enormous upheaval and uncertainty due to the enduring COVID-19 pandemic.

Will its leadership seize the moment as an opportunity to innovate and respond to the challenges …

The Green Wave and a Historic Win for Abortion Rights in Argentina

• Analysis
• April 21, 2021

In mid-2018, one million people took to the streets of Argentina to urge Congress to pass a bill that would legalize abortion. It wasn’t the first time, and it would not be the last. The Green Wave, as the …

The Rollback of Autonomy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Hong Kong

• Analysis
• April 12, 2021

The world has watched in horror as Hong Kong is transformed from an open society with a liberal constitutional order into a repressive authoritarian regime.

Last year a new Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL) targeted freedom of expression with …

The Pandemic, Borders and Refugees

• Analysis
• March 18, 2021

The global response to the spread of COVID-19 teaches us that, although border closures may be critical to fighting the spread of disease, they cause harm, often irrevocable damage, to many of the world’s most vulnerable, namely refugees and asylum …

The Forgotten History of Militant Conservatism in IR

• Analysis
• March 16, 2021

Even for those not listening, it is almost impossible not to hear the collective sigh of relief emanating from foreign policy elites across the globe. “Well,” they mutter (or cheer), “thank goodness that is over.” “That”, it hardly needs saying, …

Armed Conflict in the CAR: Religion, Identity, and Political Dialogue

• Analysis
• March 4, 2021

The Central African Republic is again engulfed by conflict. This time, the conflict centred on the Presidential election of December 2020. As the country prepared for the elections, the Constitutional Court rejected former President Bozizé’s candidacy. There were disagreements over …

Peace in Afghanistan: Deeper Level Dialogue Needed

• Analysis
• February 23, 2021

The sustainability of any peace agreement is, to no small extent, a function of the inclusivity of the peace process that led to it. It also dependent on a widely shared notion that the status quo must be replaced in …

The National Security Community’s Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Analysis
• February 18, 2021

We have completed almost a full year under severe restrictions required to limit the spread of COVID19, and the tunnel ahead is still dark. A global shutdown of this magnitude has few parallels in history. What will this do to …

The coup turns Myanmar’s fallen angel back into a freedom fighter

• Analysis
• February 9, 2021

It was with a great sense of déjà vu that I heard of this week’s military coup in Myanmar, with early-morning arrests of the President and cabinet ministers, including national icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar’s generals are following a …

Time for Donors to Drop President Museveni

• Analysis
• January 26, 2021

As the results from the Ugandan elections were announced, there was an overwhelming sense of dejà-vu. President Yoweri Museveni, in power for nearly 35 years, won with 58.6 percent of the vote.  His main rival, the musician and Member of …

Trump-Inspired mob at U.S. Capitol Follows a Familiar Path of Election Violence

• Analysis
• January 11, 2021

The siege of the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters follows identifiable paths and patterns of election violence seen around the world.

Election violence is rarely spontaneous. It is intentionally organized in order to influence the process and outcome …

Selling Human Rights Due Diligence in Canada

• Analysis
• December 15, 2020

On 29 November, Swiss voters gathered for a referendum. They affirmed that the country’s constitution should be amended to impose human rights due diligence (HRDD) requirements on multinational firms headquartered in Switzerland. The proposed amendment, which would require companies to …

Solitary Confinement in Canada’s Prisons: Time for Real Accountability

• Analysis
• November 26, 2020

Canada prides itself on a global image as a human rights champion. Yet, behind high prison walls, rights violations take place with impunity. Canada has a solitary confinement problem, and it needs to get fixed. 

Solitary confinement was the brainchild …

Réorganisation de la représentation du Québec dans le monde: Jouer la carte nordique

• Analysis
• November 23, 2020

Le Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec vient d’entrer dans une phase de réflexion pour recalibrer sa présence à l’étranger. Un redéploiement des bureaux et délégations québécoises est un exercice nécessaire afin de s’adapter aux …

(Viral) Sands in the Wheels of Commerce? COVID-19 and the Future of International Economy Transactions

• Analysis
• March 30, 2020

When William Shakespeare coined the phrase ‘Beware the Ides of March’ in 1599, it is unlikely that he was considering how prophetic his words would appear just over 400 years later. When the history of the second decade of the …

The Double-Edged Sword of Trafficking in Niger

• Analysis
• February 4, 2020

As African migrants continue to endure deadly voyages across the
Mediterranean, efforts to curb this flow have centred on countries like Niger
through which they transit.

Along with irregular migration, Niger is a trafficking hub for a
range of substances …