CANCELLED: Theory seminar: Markus Kornprobst
Order, War and Peace: From Persisting Entanglements to Behavioural Patterns
Et samordnet forsvar: Standardisering som nøkkelen til interoperabilitet i NATO, EU og Norge
This policy brief builds on findings from research on NATO–EU coordination in defense standardization and gives an overview of key actors and their roles. The original study shows how interoperability and standardization are increasingly used as strategic instruments in Brussels, reflecting their growing political relevance beyond purely technical domains. At the same time, Norway face challenges in keeping pace with developments, partly due to limited resources and participation. Norway must therefore strengthen both its national capacity and international presence, not only to safeguard operational and technological interests, but also to ensure influence in shaping the standards and frameworks that will define future defense cooperation. • Anchor standardization efforts: Build competence and establish a national framework that clarifies responsibilities and priorities to ensure implementation in line with capability targets. • Strengthen Norway’s contribution in NATO: Invest in sufficient personnel, increase participation in working groups, and support the revitalization of the standardization committee through appropriate representation. • Position Norway as a learning arena: Use NATO exercises to develop interoperability, provide venues for technology development, and prioritize Smart Standards to enable rapid technological adaptation. • Connect Norwegian industry and research more closely to NATO- and EU-based opportunities and partnerships.
China Pushes Forward Climate Policy Steadily
• Although it functions as a rhetorical excuse for watering down ambitious climate targets in Europe and the US, China has in recent years seen quite a tangible acceleration of climate action. • It has slowed the growth of CO2 emissions, significantly expanded clean energy, and for the first time embedded carbon peaking and neutrality into the 14th Five-Year Plan. China’s climate strategy has shifted from loose energy-saving measures to the integrated “1+N” framework. • The recently released third Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement sets out detailed sectoral and annual targets. So far, strong central government leadership, policy continuity, technical support from research institutions, and international pressure have reinforced the steady strengthening of climate policy. • However, balancing economic growth with decarbonization, ensuring grid stability, and managing risks from intensifying extreme weather will be critical to meeting long-term climate commitments.
Climate, peace and security in stabilization contexts in the Sahel
The Sahel region faces a deepening crisis from conflict, insecurity and the increasingly pronounced effects of climate change and environmental degradation. Three countries in the Sahel, Chad, Niger and Mali, rank among the seven most vulnerable countries to climate change. The region is very susceptible to recurrent droughts, land, biodiversity degradation, and erratic rainfall patterns, the compounded effects of which have propelled a severe degradation of agriculture, rangelands, and water resources, exacerbated food and water insecurity and driven displacements. Climate-related challenges intertwine with a complex socio-political security situation and political economy marked by conflicts, crises, violent extremism, terrorism, transnational organized crime and clashes over natural resources. Climate impacts and the related security risks are crucial in understanding the complex multidimensional crisis in the Sahel and offer an important lens for the analysis of the root causes of insecurities. This document summarizes the proceedings of the Regional Experts Workshop - La Somone, Senegal, March 2024 and High-level Partnerships Forum New York, USA, April 2024, which were convened in partnership with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Liptako-Gourma Authority (LGA), African Union Commission (AUC), Climate commission for the Sahel Region (CCRS), the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), UNOCA and UNOWAS via the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM). Both featured technical and high-level segments, bringing together over 250 stakeholders through a combination of in-person and hybrid sessions to understand how climate, peace and security approaches can complement ongoing stabilization efforts in the Sahel. Sincere thanks are extended to H.E. Abdou Abarry, Zinurine Abiodu Alghali, Chika Charles Aniekwe, H.E. Hawa Aw, H.E. Issifi Boureima, Blerta Cela, Tendai Kasinganeti, H.E. Mamman Nuhu, Andrew E. Yaw Tchie, Elvis Tangem, and their teams for their contributions to the proceedings. The communiqué and outcome report were prepared under the overall direction and supervision of Njoya Tikum, Director of UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West Africa and the Sahel, and Catherine Wong, Team Leader, Climate and Security Risk, by Serena Arcone, with contributions from Eri Yamasumi, Sierge Ndjekouneyom, Pascal Yaka, Mabaye Dia, Galiné Yanon and with thanks to Pierre Bengono, Anab Grand and Lieneh Modalal for their support throughout the process.
Keeping the UK’s climate promise: restoring leadership through delivery
The UK holds a strong position on climate policy globally. However, it currently faces a significant implementation gap between its ambition and the domestic policies in place to achieve it. This gap puts its credibility as an international climate leader at risk. To resolve this, the UK should: - Take further action to bring down the cost of electricity. - Ensure the effective roll-out of existing schemes outlined to meet the 2030, 2035, and 2050 targets. - Strengthen the commitment to ending all new fossil fuel development. - Expand its international climate fi nance commitments. - Consider going beyond minimum targets for 1.5 degrees
From laggard to leader? Australia’s path to climate credibility
Climate policy has a somewhat chequered history in Australia. Progress has been inconsistent and ambition has historically fallen far short of the country’s fair share. Ambition has grown substantially in recent years, although recent targets remain insufficient to align with a 1.5 °C pathway. To build on its current trajectory and ensure the extent of its obligations are met, Australia should: - Reduce reliance on LULUCF sequestration in developing climate targets - Rapidly reduce reliance on and subsidisation of fossil fuels - Tighten and review the Safeguard Mechanism for industrial emissions reductions - Substantially scale up international climate finance
UN reform, budget cuts and gender backlash: What is at stake for Women, Peace and Security in peace operations?
This research paper explores possible risks and consequences of UN80 reform efforts and current financial contingency planning for the WPS agenda in peace operations. Based on interviews with member state representatives and UN staff working in headquarters and field missions, it finds that contingency planning to mitigate the liquidity crisis, and gender backlash within the UN system are having a detrimental impact on WPS programming in peace operations. Further, WPS programming is moving from being underfunded to defunded and deprioritised, leading to a loss of gender expertise in peacekeeping, and contributing to the shrinking of women’s civic spaces in post-conflict states. Finally, WPS expertise and resources must be protected during UN80 reforms and budget cuts.
Time and Compromise in UNCITRAL’s Working Group III
In multilateral negotiations, time has a tangible effect on the flow and conduct of deliberations. As negotiating deadlines approach, time becomes a tool of pressure, one used to induce compromise or force closure. In this blogpost, published with the European Journal of International Law, we explore how this time-compromise dynamic plays out in the ongoing negotiations to reform investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the UN’s trade law body.
Norwegian Russia policy in times of war: Hidden but unavoidable dilemmas
This chapter is a part of the book 'Dilemmaer i norsk utenrikspolitikk'. The book is in Norwegian only.