The Irony of La Francophonie0

• 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 …

COP27: How Ambitious Climate Action Can Help Dig Us Out of The Global Polycrisis0

• Analysis
• November 7, 2022

The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has just begun in Egypt. As the conference’s President-Designate, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, recently wrote, the meeting is being held “at …

Bound to Lead: AUKUS and US-Taiwan Relations0

• 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 …

The World According to Chrystia Freeland0

• Analysis
• October 20, 2022

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland recently gave a headline-grabbing foreign policy speech in Washington, DC. At the event, hosted by the Brookings Institution on October 11, she outlined her prescription for the international order, which …

UNSC Reform: A Future Possibility or a Distant Memory?0

• 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 Behind0

• 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 AUKUS0

• 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 Open0

• 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 Service0

• 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 …

Economic Security and America’s CHIPS Act0

• Analysis
• August 23, 2022

Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait in August 2022 temporarily disrupted international shipping. Like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this is a reminder of the intrinsic dialectic between war and commerce in human sociality. In anthropology, Claude …

Reform of Global Affairs Canada: Version 20230

• Analysis
• August 10, 2022

If the stars align in proper fashion, the year 2023 promises to be key for decisions about Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian foreign service.  Two studies are now under way:  in the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and …

The Legacy of Abe Shinzō0

• Analysis
• July 11, 2022

Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō (age 67) was murdered on the morning of July 8, 2022, while campaigning for Satō Kei, a colleague in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Although his legacy is not without controversy, especially in Japan, …