How states manage international censure: Norway's response to criticism of its Child Welfare Services
When states are criticised, they normally recognise, reject or counter the critique. Yet they could listen to and contain criticism without directly rejecting or recognising it. Using criticism of Norway’s Child Welfare Services as an example, Kristin Haugevik and Cecilie Basberg Neumann show that diplomatic containment can prevent conflict accelerating and then damaging bilateral relations
Much Ado About Very Little? Migration-Linked Development Assistance — the Cases of Poland and Norway
In response to the migration management crisis that peaked in Europe in 2015-2016, the EU institutions and some European states promised to address the “root causes of migration”, with development assistance seen as an important tool in that respect. By comparing the development cooperation policies of Poland and Norway, this paper shows how the development-migration nexus has been implemented in practice by new and traditional donors alike. Despite important differences at the rhetorical level, neither state has substantially changed their development cooperation to link it directly to migration interests. This demonstrates the limited usefulness of the “root causes of migration” approach.
The Future of Africa-UK Relations Post-Brexit
The United Kingdom has left the European Union as part of a momentous effort to redefine the UK's role in the world - with tremendous consequences for its global partners, including many of the countries in Africa. How do African countries view their relationship with the UK? What will be the future of Africa-UK relations after Brexit?
Restructuring state power in Sudan
Developing post-conflict economic policies in Sudan remains a significant challenge for the Sudanese transitional government and the international community. This article argues that understanding the conflict, its costs and the progress made during the current peace agreement are essential for advancing policy reforms in Sudan. The Sudanese transitional government has attempted to implement reforms, but little progress has been made because the civilian elements operate outside of the existing state power. The previous regimes policies sustained conflict(s) through both passive and active enablement of the Sudanese security forces, which means that the restructuring of state power is essential to place Sudan on the right course towards sustained democracy. This article posits that addressing structural reforms in Sudan means establishing control over the economy, defense, and security sectors.
Globale Storbritannia? Britisk utenrikspolitikk etter brexit
Lecture about Brexit and the implications for British, European and Norwegian foreign policy.
Research Capacity and Cooperation in Myanmar (RECCOM)
This project aims at building increased analytical capacity among Myanmar researchers. ...
Gabriella Kristine Kattil Bolstad
Gabriella Kristine Bolstad was a Junior Research Fellow in NUPI’s Research Group on Security and Defence. Additionally, Bolstad worked in the Cons...
The Pandemic as a Litmus Test for (Dis)Engagement of External Powers in Central Asia
This study provides an empirical overview of pandemic-related external assistance to the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by partner countries and international organisations between March and September 2020. This state-of-the-art review of Central Asia official development assistance extends to pledged funds beyond this period. The systemic comparison of donors suggests that there is no single actor that stands out as a champion of economic recovery; these are mostly small, token contributions. By contrast, targeted medical assistance has been far more significant, albeit focused on short-term crisis management of the pandemic. There has been only a handful of assistance projects that reflect a long-term stake in Central Asia's economic recovery and the pandemic showed little evidence of the Great Game competition for regional geopolitical influence. Thus, the relations between big powers and Central Asia need to be reconsidered and given a new meaning that would better reflect the interests and interaction between the two parties. The pandemic showed that these relations were mainly pragmatic during the global health crisis with no external partner showing interest in projecting and expanding strategic influence on the region. The region needs to build its internal resilience against new crises and avoid excessive reliance on external assistance in the long term.
How has the EU responded to the Covid-19 crisis?
Covid-19 came on top of a number of other crises facing the European Union in recent years, and has put EU under unprecedented stress. In this webinar, we will take a closer look at EU’s response to crises, focusing on its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.