Where and what is Hamas today?
In this episode of The World Stage, NUPI Senior Researcher Erik Skare explores the complex history and internal dynamics of Hamas with Jeroen Gunn...
When jihadists govern: Lessons across the Sahel cases
Fifteen years of international engagement have failed to halt the rise of jihadist insurgency in the Sahel. The Jihadist Governance in the Sahel (JIGOV-Sahel) research project shows that neither the absence of the state nor the insurgents’ ideological commitment alone is the cause. The state is present in ways that generate resistance, and jihadists govern because they fulfil functions the state does not. Norwegian and international strategies should move away from a military-first response and from the restoration of the same state, and towards assistance that strengthens state legitimacy, services, and rule of law in the daily lives of citizens.
Replacing the state
Military action alone is insufficient to defeat jihadist insurgency in northeast Nigeria; ISWAP persists by functioning as a proto-state providing justice and services. Insurgents fill the vacuum left by the state’s failure to provide security and infrastructure in rural areas. Reclaiming authority requires re-placing insurgent governance archi-tectures with predictable state administration. Rapid restoration of services and civilian protection in liberated areas are vital to preventing insurgent return. Reintegration must address returnee expectations shaped by their experience of alternative rule. Note: An updated version was published 8 June 2026.
Strategic Climate Balancing: What the International Community Can Do as the United States Steps Back
The United States’ withdrawal from international climate institutions under the second Trump administration poses a serious challenge to global climate cooperation. Given the scale of US emissions and the dismantling of federal climate capacity, the international community cannot depend on a future policy reversal in Washington. Instead, this policy brief advances a strategy of “climate balancing” that seeks to sustain decarbonisation by working around the US federal government. Climate balancing focuses on three priorities: direct engagement with US states and cities that continue to pursue ambitious climate action; the construction of industrial alliances that leverage clean energy constituencies through tools such as coordinated carbon pricing and border adjustment mechanisms; and reframing climate action as a matter of energy security and geopolitical competition, particularly in light of China’s growing dominance in clean energy supply chains. Together, these measures aim to limit free-rider dynamics, preserve momentum in global climate governance, and keep the conditions for eventual US re-engagement open, demonstrating that effective climate cooperation can persist even in the absence of US federal leadership.
The Evolution of African Armies: From Indigenous and Colonial Forces to Modern Military Forces
This book investigates how African armies in post-conflict societies are evolving and adapting to new and emerging threats. In recent years, multiple extremely complex armed conflicts have contributed to chronic instability and vulnerabilities in several African states and regions. This book investigates several key case studies to assess the development, deployment and use of African armies in different conflict environments. In particular, the book examines how African states have utilised bilateral partnerships, the deployment to international peacekeeping operations and military training to enhance security and military capacities as a way to tackle both emerging and existing threats at home. Ultimately, the book questions our past and current knowledge of African armies, arguing that current trends in their evolution suggest we need to rethink our understanding, given the vast tasks they are deployed to handle. As a result, the book seeks to explore ways in which we can invest in African armies that positively contribute to development and sustainable peace across the continent. Bringing together valuable empirical insights and critical conversations on the evolution of modern African armies, this book will be an important read for international and national policy actors, and for researchers working on African politics, conflict, security, peacekeeping, international relations, and sustainable development.
Breakfast seminar: Challenges with organizing post-war elections in Ukraine
This seminar will provide a space for informed discussion on the legal, operational, security and societal dimensions of post-war electoral preparedness in Ukraine.
Who Killed the Liberal International Order and What Comes Next?
The Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics invites you to a lecture on the world's most urgent ‘whodunnit’: "Who Killed the Liberal International Order and What Comes Next?".
Environmental dimensions of conflict in the Lake Chad region
In this episode of the NUPI podcast The World Stage, Cedric de Coning (NUPI) sits down with Louise Lieberknecht (formerly GRID-Arendal) who is one...