Analysis

Human rights “inflation”—what’s the problem?
- February 23, 2020
Instead of talking about “rights inflation”, we should understand what we are witnessing are new interpretations that respond to new struggles for human dignity.

It is increasingly common to hear the complaint that there are too many international human rights. …
By David Petrasek
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Constructing the Liberal Enemy: The International Political Sociology of the New Right
- February 20, 2020
A recent cover of L’Express depicts Marine Le Pen at the president’s desk in a glittering Élysée Palace. The unthinkable has become thinkable: Opinion polls put the leader of the Rassemblement National narrowly ahead of President Macron in an assumed …
By Rita Abrahamsen, Jean-François Drolet, Alexandra Gheciu, Karin Narita, Srdjan Vucetic, and Michael C. Williams
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The Coronavirus Crisis: the De Facto Quarantine of Taiwan
- February 13, 2020
The risk of a global pandemic coming from China is attracting a lot of attention, but it is important to avoid giving way to hysteria. Canada and the international community should stand firm in support of Taiwanese rights to participate …
By André Laliberté
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Quelle nouvelle structure de gouvernance pour l’Arctique?
- February 13, 2020
At the end of January, the Arctic Frontiers conference, held in Norway, organized a discussion on the future of governance in the Arctic region. Some voices were raised to demand new regional structures of decision-making; these echo the wishes of …
By Mathieu Landriault
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at Global Affairs Canada
- February 12, 2020
Justin Trudeau’s government starts its second mandate with a new look: slightly more subdued; more engaged on pressing national issues; seemingly less prone to putting communications ahead of policy, and more inclined to political realism rather than the naïve sloganeering …
By Daniel Livermore
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Disarmament Diplomacy in the Age of Putin and Trump
- February 11, 2020
UN officials are not usually given to overstatement, which makes the recent assessment by the UN’s top disarmament diplomat that “the barriers to the use of nuclear weapons are lower than they’ve been since the darkest days of the Cold …
By Ernie Regehr
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We Need to Talk about Africa and the UN Security Council
- February 7, 2020
Will Africa support Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council? This has been the question on everyone’s lips after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s official visit to the continent was announced. Will Trudeau’s attendance at the African Union …
By Rita Abrahamsen
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The Double-Edged Sword of Trafficking in Niger
- 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 …
By Philippe M. Frowd
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An Unequivocal Victory for President Tsai in Taiwan
- January 29, 2020
The re-election of Tsai Ying-wen to the Presidency of Taiwan this last January 11 represents a rare shining moment in the Indo-Pacific region, as populist leaders ruling India and the Philippines preside over a deterioration of democracy in the region. …
By André Laliberté
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Is the Trudeau Government Losing Interest in LGBTI Rights?
- January 21, 2020
Justin Trudeau has been a better ally to gay communities than his predecessor. However, he seems to be losing interest in protecting the rights of LGBTI people in other countries, despite the desperate need for such support.

Justin Trudeau’s government …
By Stephen Brown
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Fortress of Democracy: Taiwan’s Election Deserves Strong International Support
- January 20, 2020
After a fierce electoral campaign, 19 million voters in Taiwan woke up on January 11, 2020, with important choices to make in their country’s presidential and legislative election.

The voting itself is very local. Polling stations, one for every 1500 …
By Scott Simon
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Iran-U.S. Crisis Reminds Us How Culture Matters in Wartime
- January 15, 2020
As tensions have ratcheted up between the United States and Iran, a series of tweets by President Donald Trump threatening the deliberate targeting of Iranian cultural sites triggered a strong negative reaction around the world.

In fact, following Trump’s …
By Costanza Musu
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