John Karlsrud

Senior Research Fellow, head of the Reserach group on peace, conflict and development

Email: jka@nupi.no Mobile: (+47) 934 52 444 Post address: Postboks 7024 St. Olavs Plass, 0130 OSLO Visit address: C.J. Hambros plass 2 D

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Expertise

Peace operations Humanitarian issues International organizations United Nations Africa

Education

2014 Senior Executive Course 13, Norwegian Defence University College, Aug-Nov 2014 2010-2014 Ph.D., Politics and Internationals Studies, University of Warwick. Title: Linked Ecologies and Norm Change in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations 2005 Master of Peace and Conflict Studies / International Affairs with Distinction Joint Master from Institute for Graduate Studies in International Affairs, Australian National University and the Peace Research Centre of Oslo

Work Experience

2020- Head of the Reserach group on peace, conflict and development 2010- Senior Research Fellow, NUPI 2015- External Associate, Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation, University of Warwick 2015 Fulbright Visiting Fellow, Center on International Cooperation, New York University 2015 Visiting Fellow, International Peace Institute 2010- Programme Manager and Senior Research Fellow at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) 2012 Lecturer, IR Master 2008-2010 Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), United Nations Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT), Chad 2006-2008 Policy and Strategy Analyst, Strategic and Regional Initiatives Unit (SRIU), Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA), UNDP New York HQ 2005-2006 Researcher and Assistant to the Managing Director, Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies (AIS) 2002-2003 Liaison and Operations Officer for NATO in Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH), seconded by the Norwegian Army

Activity

2012-11-22 Presented the paper "The Space between HQ Policy and Local Action: Unpacking Agency in Negotiating Local Peacebuilding", co-authored with Diana Felix da Costa, at the International Peacekeeping in Africa conference, ETH Zurich, 22-24 November 2012. 2012-12-07 Presented the paper “UN as a competitive arena for linked ecologies: The case of UN peacekeeping” at the AGORA IV workshop, Emergent Ideas in the International Political Economy, Copenhagen, 6-7 December 2012. 2013-04-05 Presented the paper "Linked Ecologies in Global Governance: The Case of UN Peacekeeping", at the International Studies Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, 2-4 April 2013. 2013-02-26-28 Organized the workshop "Understanding and Integrating Local Perceptions in the Work of Multi-Dimensional UN Peacekeeping Operations" in Kampala, Uganda http://www.nupi.no/Arrangementer/Kommende-arrangement/Understanding-and-Integrating-Local-Perceptions-in-the-Work-of-Multi-Dimensional-UN-Peacekeeping-Operations 2013-04-22 Presented the paper “In the Eye of the Beholder? UN and the use of drones to protect civilians” at the seminar Disaster Drones: Promises and Pitfalls for Humanitarian Action, Centre for Humanitarian Studies, Oslo. 2013-05-28 Gave the presentation “UN Peacekeeping: Old Instruments, New Dilemmas”, at the New Issues in Security Course, given at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), Geneva, 28 May 2013. 2013-06-04 Organized the seminar "Triangular cooperation for capacity development – the case of South Sudan" at NUPI. 2013-06-25-26 Presented the paper "Quasi-Professionals in the Organization of Transnational Crisis Mapping" at the European Research Council workshop Professionals and Organizations in Transnational Governance, Milan. 2013-06-28 Presented the paper "Professions and Linked Ecologies in Transnational Governance: The Case of UN Peacekeeping", at the 'Professions in Crisis' Mini-Conference, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics Conference, Universita Degli Studi di Milano, 27-29 June 2013. 2013-07-08 Chaired "Legal Framework and Decision-making with Respect to PoC in the AU" and "PoC Considerations to be Mainstreamed" during Consultative Workshop on the African Union Draft Aide-Memoire for the Considerations of Issues Pertaining to the Protection of Civilians, Addis Ababa. 2013-08-06 Presented «Main challenges for AFISMA» at the seminar Mali: Humanitarian Challenges amid a Fragile Security Situation, What Role for the UN?, arranged by the Peace Research Institute of Oslo and the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies. 2013-09-05-06 'Lifting the Fog of War? Challenges and Opportunities When Including a Drone Capability in UN and AU Peace Operations', presented at The Rise of the Good Drone, author's workshop hosted by the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) and the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies. 2013-09-25 “Civilian capacities and Rule of Law in Peace Operations”. Lecture at a seminar on "the Development of Stabilization Capabilities for Peace Support Operations", co-arranged by the Bosnian Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) and the Centre for Security Studies (CSS), Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2013-10-09 “Lessons for Advancing Regional Capacity Support”, presentation at the seminar "Regional Cooperation for Civilian Capacity Development after Conflict: Lessons from South Sudan and Afghanistan", arranged by NUPI, the Danish Institute for International Studies and the International Peace Institute. 2013-10-22 Presented the paper “Civilian capacities for peace operations: the case of Norway,” the Kick-off seminar for Western Balkans Civilian Capacities in Peace Operations, October 22-23, 2013, Oslo, Norway. 2012-10-26 Presented the papers "In the eye of the beholder: UN and the use of drones to protect civilians” and “Invitation withdrawn: humanitarian action, United Nations peacekeeping, and state sovereignty in Chad”, the 3rd World Conference on Humanitarian Studies Kadir Has University, Istanbul, October 24-27, 2013. 2013-11-28 “Digitarian Dilemmas: Professionalizing Digital Volunteerism in Humanitarian Action”, presentation given at the Critical Approaches to Humanitarian Technology Conference: Accountability, Decision-Making and New Actors seminar at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo 2014-08-21-22 Presented "Key findings and first critical questions" at Partner's Dialogue on Technology and Innovation in Peace Operations, Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Berlin. 2014-12-04-05 Chaired the session “United Nations Peacekeeping – Needs and Priorities” at The Nordic and Baltic Countries and Support to Military Capacity Building, co-hosted by Training for Peace (NUPI) and the Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen 2015-01-07 Chaired a session on “New security threats and implications of robust, stabilisation and protection of civilians mandates” and presented “New technologies in UN peacekeeping”, Norwegian Consultation Workshop on the UN Peace Operations Review 2015-01-13 Presented “Stabilization missions – a tentative typology”, Informal Expert Discussion on Stabilization, Norwegian Delegation to the UN, New York 2015-02-17 Presented “European Military Participation in MINUSMA: Experiences and Lessons-Learned”’ and chaired “Enhancing Capabilities: Domestic Political Process”, at Delivering Peace and Protection: The Convening Power of UN Peace Operations, Amsterdam 2015-02-18 Participated at “Roundtable on the Use of Force”, arranged by the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations in cooperation with the Clingendael Institute, Amsterdam 2015-02-18-21 Presented “Speak softly and carry a big stick: The Consequences for Information and Knowledge Production when Including Intelligence in UN Peacekeeping”, at the International Studies Association Annual Convention, New Orleans 2015-06-10-11 Presented “Speak softly and carry a big stick: The Consequences for Information and Knowledge Production when Including Intelligence in UN Peacekeeping”, at the annual NUPI-Danish Institute for International Studies workshop, Copenhagen 2015-06-11-13 Presented “Speak softly and carry a big stick: The Consequences for Information and Knowledge Production when Including Intelligence in UN Peacekeeping”, at the Academic Council on the United Nations System annual conference in The Hague, 2016-05-20-23 Presented “Between Self-interest and Solidarity: Norway’s Return to UN Peacekeeping” at a workshop hosted by International Peacekeeping and the University of Kent (Brussels) in Brussels on 20 May 2016, and at the European Union in International Affairs conference, Brussels, 21-23 May 2016.

Dr John Karlsrud is Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and development.

Karlsrud earned his PhD at the University of Warwick. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of the journals Internasjonal Politikk and Contemporary Security Policy. Karlsrud has been a Visiting Fulbright Fellow at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the International Peace Institute.

Topics of particular interests are norm change, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and humanitarian issues. He previously served as Special Assistant to the United Nations Special Representative in Chad and as part of the UN Development Programme’s leadership programme LEAD. His latest article is Towards UN counter-terrorism operations?(Third World Quarterly, 2017) and he will soon publish UN peace operations in the 21^st century: The UN at war (Palgrave, 2017) and UN Peacekeeping Doctrine in a New Era (Routledge 2017, co-edited with Cedric de Coning and Chiyuki Aoi). He has recently published Norm Change in International Relations (Routledge, 2016) and The Future of African Peace Operations: From the Janjaweed to Boko Haram (Zed Books, 2016, co-edited with Cedric de Coning and Linnéa Gelot). His article "The UN at War: Examining the Consequences of Peace Enforcement Mandates for the UN Peacekeeping Operations in the CAR, the DRC and Mali" from 2015 is the second most downloaded article in the journal Third World Quarterly.

He has worked in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Chad, Palestine (West Bank), Norway and USA, and conducted field research and shorter missions to Haiti, Liberia, Mozambique, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Ukraine.

News
What's next for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS)?
29.10.2020
- - Ane Teksum Isbrekken
2020 marks the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325. But the important Women, Peace and Security agenda seem to have had a backlash in recent years.
Publication : Report
Predict and prevent: overcoming early warning implementation challenges in UN peace operations
2020
- - John Karlsrud
The UN has made progress in the adoption of new technologies to predict and prevent local violence. To maintain the momentum, it needs to continue to innovate to be able to serve people in need faster, better, and more efficiently. The UN will need to find a way to analyse the enormous amount of data...
Publication : Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
United Nations peace operations and International Relations theory: An introduction
2020
- - John Karlsrud
International Relations (IR) theories may seem abstract and arcane. With this book, we want to dispel this stereotype. The contributors to this volume demonstrate how IR theories can be applied to a very practical problem: UN peace operations, 1 one of the main instruments of international conflict management....
Publication : Report
Doing Less With More? The Difficult ‘Return’ of Western Troop Contributing Countries to United Nations Peacekeeping
2020
- - John Karlsrud
Among others, the deployment of the UN stabilization mission to Mali (MINUSMA) in 2013 has been characterized by a number of researchers as a ‘return’ of Western troop contributors to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping in Africa. The aim of this report is to look at the reality of that ‘return,’ and whether...
Publication : Report
Assessing the Effectiveness of the United Nations Mission in Mali
2019
- - John Karlsrud
- - Natasja Rupesinghe
Until 2016 MINUSMA managed to strengthen stability in northern Mali, decreasing the number of civilians killed in the conflict, and allowing large numbers of displaced persons to return home. MINUSMA also assisted the peace process, culminating in the 2015 Algiers Agreement. Many of these achievements...
Publication : ARTIKKEL
United Nations Stabilization Operations: Chapter Seven and a Half
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The UN Security Council has in recent years included the term ‘stabilization’ in the name of the operations deployed to Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Central African Republic. But, are they stabilization operations? Although the concept has become increasingly popular in the UN context,...
Publication : Rapport/avhandling
Assessing the Effectiveness of the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)
2019
- - Natasja Rupesinghe
- - John Karlsrud
This report assesses the extent to which the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is achieving its current strategic objectives, and the impact the Mission has had on the political and security situation in Mali. Until 2016 MINUSMA managed to strengthen stability in...
Publication : ARTIKKEL
Norms and Practices in UN Peacekeeping: Evolution and Contestation
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The four articles in this special section focus on norms in UN peacekeeping (gender, impartiality, human rights, and environmentalism) and how they are implemented in practice. They look at the evolution of these norms over time; take an explicit theoretical perspective (feminist institutionalism, norm...
Publication : ARTIKKEL
For the greater good?: “Good states” turning UN peacekeeping towards counterterrorism
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The usual suspects of middle power internationalism—small and middle powers such as Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden—have all contributed to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This article argues that while these and other Western countries’ contributions to MINUSMA may...
Publication : ARTIKKEL
Predictive Peacekeeping: Strengthening Predictive Analysis in UN Peace Operations
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The UN is becoming increasingly data-driven. Until recently, data-driven initiatives have mainly been led by individual UN field missions, but with António Guterres, the new Secretary-General, a more centralized approach is being embarked on. With a trend towards the use of data to support the work of...
Publication : Del av bok/rapport
Conclusion: Military rapid response—from institutional investment to ad hoc solutions
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The track record of military rapid response mechanisms, troops on standby, ready to be deployed to a crisis within a short time frame by intergovernmental organizations, remains disappointing. Yet, many of the obstacles to multinational actors launching a rapid and effective military response in times...
Publication : Del av bok/rapport
Tangled up in glue: Multilateral crisis responses in Mali
2019
- - John Karlsrud
- - Natasja Rupesinghe
The track record of military rapid response mechanisms, troops on standby, ready to be deployed to a crisis within a short time frame by intergovernmental organizations, remains disappointing. Yet, many of the obstacles to multinational actors launching a rapid and effective military response in times...
Publication : Del av bok/rapport
Introduction: Rapid response mechanisms—strengthening defense cooperation and saving strangers?
2019
- - John Karlsrud
The track record of military rapid response mechanisms, troops on standby, ready to be deployed to a crisis within a short time frame by intergovernmental organizations, remains disappointing. Yet, many of the obstacles to multinational actors launching a rapid and effective military response in times...
Publication : ANTOLOGI

Multinational Rapid Response Mechanisms: From Institutional Proliferation to Institutional Exploitation

2019
The track record of military rapid response mechanisms, troops on standby, ready to be deployed to a crisis within a short time frame by intergovernmental organizations, remains disappointing. Yet, many of the obstacles to multinational actors launching a rapid and effective military response in times...
Publication : Del av bok/rapport
WPS and Female Peacekeepers
2019
The chapter provides an overview of the participation of female peacekeeping personnel in UN missions, tracing key target and agenda- setting policy events, as well as examining causes for the slow progress in female participation. The chapter considers female participation in the military, police, and...
Publication : Del av bok/rapport
UN Peace Operations, Terrorism, and Violent Extremism
2019
- - John Karlsrud
There are practical and financial reasons to give UN peace operations more robust mandates and mitigate and respond to violent extremism and terrorism. But the idea of UN peacekeepers conducting counter-terrorism operations is not without its challenges. Karlsrud argues that UN peace operations neither...
Research project

Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON)

2018 - 2021 (Ongoing)

NUPI together with 40 partners from across the globe have established an international network to undertake research into the effectiveness of peace operations.
News

New book: UN Peace Operations in a Changing Global Order

23.10.2018
In this book launch interview, editors Mateja Peter and Cedric de Coning reflect upon findings from their most recent book, identifying four global transformations and their implications for UN peace operations.
News
Four global transformations are changing UN peace operations
23.10.2018
- - Ane Teksum Isbrekken
The global order is changing – how will that uncertainty impact UN peace operations?
Publication : ARTIKKEL
Implementation in practice: The use of force to protect civilians in United Nations peacekeeping
2018
- - John Karlsrud
Since the failures of the United Nations of the early 1990s, the protection of civilians has evolved as a new norm for United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, a 2014 United Nations report found that while peacekeeping mandates often include the use of force to protect civilians, this has routinely...