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South and Central America

NUPI's research on South and Central America has focused on dynamics of international cooperation on peace and conflict, as well as on environmental governance.

The political stability of the region's democracies amidst domestic and global challenges is an issue that cuts across these topics. Norway's relationship to the countries in the region is an important aspect of all our research.
Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk
Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk
18. May 2026
Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk

Chinese Infrastructure Power in a Changing Global Landscape and its Alternatives

This seminar draws on five years of research to examine China's Belt and Road Initiative and its alternatives, from Europe and Latin America to Southeast Asia and the MENA region.

Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk
Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk
18. May 2026
Event
13:00 - 14:30 Europe/Oslo
NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22, OSLO
Engelsk

Chinese infrastructure power in a changing global landscape and its alternatives

This seminar draws on five years of research to examine China's Belt and Road Initiative and its alternatives, from Europe and Latin America to Southeast Asia and the MENA region.

Publications
Publications
Report

Women’s participation and influence in peace processes and implementation of peace agreements in Colombia and South Sudan

This report analyses women’s presence and influence in the peace processes and implementation of peace agreements in Colombia and South Sudan. It demonstrates how women’s organisations and women leaders succeeded in breaking barriers and influencing both the process dynamics and more concrete outcomes in both processes. The report further analyses how Norwegian support contributed to women’s participation and influence in these processes. The report identifies key enabling factors and supporting actions that contribute to enhancing women’s influence. We suggest that when planning support for women’s participation and influence, in order to achieve more impact external actors should design interventions around enabling factors and supporting actions, and combine different types of support. Based on the research and analysis in this report, we present a set of recommendations for external actors who aim to support and contribute to women’s influence in peace processes.

  • South and Central America
  • Peace operations
  • Humanitarian issues
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Nation-building
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  • South and Central America
  • Peace operations
  • Humanitarian issues
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Nation-building
Publications
Publications
Lucas de Oliveira Paes, Ayse Zarakol, Dylan M. H. Loh

Non-Western Visions of International Order

The scholarship on the concept of order has been expanding within international relations. The continuous upheaval of world politics first triggered a broad debate on the resilience of the liberal international order (LIO), which then led to scholarship on alternative conceptions of order, especially outside of the West. This review focuses on this body of research on non-Western views of order. It is structured geographically, taking a tour of scholarship from and on East and Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and Eurasia. Although each region has its own intellectual traditions, we observe that these views portray the LIO in a less idealized form, exposing its hierarchical and Western-centered nature. However, while pushing for more inclusive and plural arrangements, these critiques have not yet amounted to the articulation of radical alternative ordering projects.

  • International economics
  • Globalisation
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
c0e6058b64bf-Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-09.07.35.png
  • International economics
  • Globalisation
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
Lunting  Wu
Researchers

Lunting Wu

Senior Research Fellow

Lunting Wu is a Senior Research Fellow in the Research Group for Eastern Europe and Asia at NUPI, as well as an Associate at the German Institute...

  • Globalisation
  • Development policy
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
  • International organizations
  • The EU
  • Globalisation
  • Development policy
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
  • International organizations
  • The EU
Publications
Publications
Policy brief
Max Bergmann

United States: Europe with Eyes Wide Shut

In the Multinational Force Ukraine series of policy briefs leading experts from allied countries assess key factors for participation in the Multinational Force Ukraine. This includes the political willingness of allies to deploy troops—on the ground, in the air, or at sea—to establish a military presence in or around Ukraine. They also examine the conditions for such deployments to occur (before, during, or after peace negotiations), the roles these forces would be expected to perform (defensive or offensive), the red lines imposed by national governments, and the specific capabilities each country could realistically contribute. This brief analyses the United States.

  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • South and Central America
USA.png
  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • South and Central America
Publications
Publications
Lucas de Oliveira Paes, Ayse Zarakol

Non-Western Visions of International Order

The scholarship on the concept of order has been expanding within international relations. The continuous upheaval of world politics first triggered a broad debate on the resilience of the liberal international order (LIO), which then led to scholarship on alternative conceptions of order, especially outside of the West. This review focuses on this body of research on non-Western views of order. It is structured geographically, taking a tour of scholarship from and on East and Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and Eurasia. Although each region has its own intellectual traditions, we observe that these views portray the LIO in a less idealized form, exposing its hierarchical and Western-centered nature. However, while pushing for more inclusive and plural arrangements, these critiques have not yet amounted to the articulation of radical alternative ordering projects.

  • International economics
  • Globalisation
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
Screenshot 2025-12-02 at 09.07.35.png
  • International economics
  • Globalisation
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • Governance
Publications
Publications

Topographies of global-local connections in the Amazon: An analysis of networks of stakeholder participation in international environmental projects

Global governance has long been pushed to localize, incorporating local voices and knowledge to become both more equitable and effective. This has been particularly the case for global environmental governance, where polycentric modes of governance are found to help local actors acquire responsible stewardship and use resources sustainably. However, the selection of which local actors and knowledges will be incorporated in global governance is still dependent on major international development organizations and funding agencies. This article poses the following questions: Which types of actors are incorporated in the global governance of the Amazon and how do they participate therein? To that end, we analyze the network of stakeholders involved in development, execution, or governance of internationally funded projects in the Amazon. Analyzed projects which were part of a major multilateral initiative—the Global Environmental Facility—focusing on those whose main activities are in the Amazon Rainforest biome. The analysis sheds light on the hierarchies and patterns of exclusion in these networks, identifying which types of actors occupy central and peripheral position, and which others are underrepresented. This will expand our understanding of the politics of global local entanglements in the governance of the Amazon.

  • South and Central America
  • Climate
  • Global governance
  • International organizations
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  • South and Central America
  • Climate
  • Global governance
  • International organizations
Publications
Publications
Policy brief

What can a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security do for Colombia?

Colombia launched its first 1325 NAP in November 2024, after a participatory process involving more than 1,500 women from different backgrounds across the country. Colombian women’s organizations are divided on the usefulness of the NAP: Some argue it can dilute attention from the 2016 peace agreement. Others believe it can have a positive effect on the implementation of the gender provisions of the agreement, which is lagging. The political context of increasing levels of conflict, failing peace negotiations and upcoming elections poses further challenges to the implementation of the 1325 NAP. The international community can support the implementation of the 1325 NAP through coordination-support, monitoring, awareness raising, and with technical expertise. This policy brief outlines the process of developing the NAP, the current political context in which the NAP is going to be implemented, and what challenges exist for its implementation.

  • Security policy
  • South and Central America
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
Screenshot 2025-08-05 at 12.02.43.png
  • Security policy
  • South and Central America
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
Research project
2025 - 2028 (Ongoing)

From combatants and war supporters to peacemakers? Women’s participation in political violence and political transitions (Gendered Transitions)

In the “Gendered Transitions”-project, the researchers will study how women’s participation in political violence translates into their participation in peace processes. ...

  • Diplomacy
  • Africa
  • South and Central America
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Insurgencies
  • Human rights
  • Diplomacy
  • Africa
  • South and Central America
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Insurgencies
  • Human rights
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