International
Opinion: UK-EU cooperation in the Balkans
While the focus of the West has been rightly on providing military and diplomatic support to Ukraine, NATO and the European Union cannot afford to take their eyes off the Western Balkans. It is crucial to see this moment of crisis as not only an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, but as a wider Russian test of the durability of the postwar European security order. As EU and Western Balkan leaders hold their summit in June, the regional stabilisation process in southeastern Europe has never been more important.
Sanctioning Russia’s science community: at what cost?
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Western states, such as the US, UK and Germany have engaged in intense discussions about how to sanction Putin’s Russia most effectively. In the name of the West’s isolation strategy, numerous sanctions have been imposed, including on Russia’s science sector. A closer look at Western sanctions against the Russian scientific community suggests that the West’s isolation strategy might entail unintended effects, such as undercutting any long-term hopes for a more liberal Russian society, rolling back years of scientific collaboration on climate change and eventually, pushing Russia further into a codependent relationship with China.
The Role of International Organizations in Climate Governance
International organizations like the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are in many ways the leaders of global climate mitigation efforts. With their professional knowledge, monitoring functions, and facilitating capabilities for collaboration, international organizations should receive as much data as possible regarding the international execution of climate policies from state actors. In turn, they should use the findings to bridge existing gaps between countries in order to instigate a more efficient and globally coordinated effort to mitigate climate change.
Geopolitical Impact of “The Hydrogen Factor”
Energy security has been at the center of the geopolitical conversation in recent weeks, as the invasion of Ukraine has shed a light once more on Europe’s dependency on Russian oil & gas. The incident has left leaders scrambling for alternative energy supply, manifesting in part through the unveiling of the EU’s plan to end their reliance on Russian gas. Hydrogen as an energy carrier is a core pillar of this plan, with the European Commission calling for a quadrupling of hydrogen use by 2030.
Africa’s Crime-Terror Nexus: Transnational Organised Crime, Illicit Economic Networks and Violent Extremism in the Sahel
Africa’s Sahel region lies at the epicentre of a sprawling jihadist insurgency straddling the ‘ungoverned spaces’ south of the Sahara. As U.S, French and African forces struggle to contain the violence spreading like wildfire across the Sahelian scrublands, one key dimension of instability which remains overlooked is the role of transnational organised crime and illicit economic networks in fuelling violent extremism across the region.
Opinion: Climate Governance: A Blueprint for the Nation-State
National Governments’ enormous power should be translated into effective actions in climate governance. That includes both maximizing its own capabilities to mitigate climate change, and playing a central role in collaboration with other actors in the ecosystem of climate mitigation action.
Opinion: Environmental Crime: A Global Threat to Our Planet
Green crime has climbed the agenda of financial institutions, law enforcement, regulators and the technology sector following the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased presence of the climate crisis. The pandemic in particular shone a blinding light on the global wildlife trade and the impact its lack of regulation can have. Companies are increasingly focusing on markers of environmental related crime, however the pace remains slow and poses a threat to increased levels of sustainability fraud.
Sino-Czech Relations: Change on the Horizon
The success of the five-party coalition “Democratic Bloc” in the Czech parliamentary elections this year represents a new direction for the central European country. Disillusionment with BRI-related investments was one reason for this outcome. This development may be part of a broader trend across the region.
Democracy and the Next Generation: An Interview with Eric Schultz, Senior Advisor to President Obama
GRI’s Basim Al-Ahmadi sat down with Eric Schultz, President Obama’s current Senior Advisor, to discuss his previous role in the White House, advice for aspiring public servants, Obama’s post-presidential vision and other important topics.
A Life in Politics and Advice for Aspiring Leaders: An Interview with Sir Vince Cable
GRI’s Basim Al-Ahmadi sat down with the Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable to reflect on a distinguished career in public service, the state of British politics and advice he could provide the next generation of leaders.
