Peacekeeping

What Does the Coup in Mali Mean for UN Peacekeepers in the Country?0
- Analysis
- November 19, 2020
On August 18^th, officers from the Malian armed forces led a coup d’état against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and his government. They detained the President, his Prime Minister, and other senior officials, and forced Keïta (known by his …
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Canada Lost Its Bid for a UN Security Council Seat. That’s a Blessing in Disguise 0
- Analysis
- June 20, 2020
A cold shower is a good thing. It has the immediate benefit of bringing one to one’s senses.In that way, Canada benefited this week in full view of the United Nations General Assembly as we lost a long-anticipated vote for …
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What Are the Benefits and Pitfalls of ‘Data-Driven’ Peacekeeping?0
- Analysis
- January 9, 2020
The UN is committed to improving peace operations by making them more ‘data-driven,’ but the move toward systematic data analysis comes with practical, ethical, and political challenges.

UN
peace operations face a variety of problems, but one of the most …
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China and UN Peacekeeping 0
- Analysis
- January 14, 2019
For the last year or so, I have been researching China’s contributions to UN peacekeeping. It has been an interesting journey, culminating in a new CIPS report, 30 years of Chinese Peacekeeping, which will be launched on January 24, …
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Tangible Evidence or Wishful Thinking?0
- Analysis
- August 20, 2018
“Women’s participation in the peacebuilding process increases by 35% the probability that a peace agreement will last for at least 15 years.” Or does it?

“If you want to make peace sustainable, include women in the peacebuilding process.” Over the …
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Putting the Foreign Service Back on Track 0
- Analysis
- April 14, 2018
This blog is a condensed version of my 11 April 2018 presentation to the Professional Committee of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO), the Canadian Foreign Service Union, in Ottawa. It argues for a new foreign ministry model …
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The Central African Republic: Forgotten by the World?0
- Analysis
- December 18, 2017
By Gino Vlavonou

International news headlines move quickly from one disaster to another. A political crisis in one country is forgotten as turmoil unfolds in the next: Mugabe’s fall from power; a mass shooting in the US; sub-Saharan African …
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Mapping Out a North Korean Peace Process 0
- Analysis
- December 11, 2017
By John Gruetzner

There are ultimately four critical components to a peace process:

The first component is to submit and then finalize a draft of a document acceptable to the original signatories that converts the armistice agreement signed on 27 …
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Canada Doubling Down on Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula 0
- Analysis
- December 11, 2017
By John Gruetzner

Canada has announced that it is co-hosting a 16-nation summit with the United States early next year to explore options to engage North Korea. Prime Minister Trudeau is also likely to meet this month with US Secretary …
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New Peacekeeping Plan a Missed Opportunity for Canada 0
- Analysis
- September 1, 2016
The Liberal government released on Friday its much anticipated policy on peace-support operations. On paper, this is good news. In practice, it is disappointing: Remove the hype, and the new policy mostly amounts to tinkering with what was already in …
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Putting Canada’s Peacekeeping Ambitions in Perspective 0
- Analysis
- August 17, 2016
Critics have pounced on Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s multi-country African odyssey in search of an appropriate peacekeeping mission for the Canadian Forces. The critics have a point. Even with distinguished Canadians on board, this is a silly way to …
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