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Global governance

Global governance - understood as a combination of security providers, policies and underlying norms – is directly affected by the simultaneous evolution of threats and shifting centres of power. On the one hand, the world remains characterised by instability, conflict and human suffering, as well as by high levels of strategic uncertainty. On the other, institutions like the United Nations, the African Union or the European Union itself – as well as non-governmental organisations – have developed a wide range of tools to tackle evolving dangers.

International law and regimes, including norms on intervention (peacekeeping, the responsibility to protect) or justice (International Criminal Court), also provide a political and legal framework for global regulation efforts.But existing mechanisms are being increasingly called into question over their effectiveness and levels of legitimacy, in particular by those not represented in decision-making. This in turn challenges the position and role of the European Union and its aspirations to be both a norm-setter and a broad security provider.

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    11October 2017

    This Brief explains how, in theory, the US spending less money on the UN could have yielded more desired outcomes by providing greater clarity of priorities and efficiency of operations. But in practice, having fewer resources and engaging less seems to have resulted in more festering crises and disorder.

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    27September 2017

    After the recent failure of UN-sponsored talks, a vigorous debate has taken place about the way to advance discussions over the rules governing state behaviour in cyberspace. What are the merits and pitfalls of alternative approaches? And how can different tracks be strategically intertwined?

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    02December 2016

    The recent decisions by Burundi, the Gambia and South Africa to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) have prompted worries that more countries may leave the Hague-based tribunal which investigates war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. But while it is clear that the ICC is facing important challenges to its credibility and legitimacy, the recent exits might not trigger a domino effect.

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    03June 2016

    This Brief looks at the emergence of minilateralism: the diplomatic process of a small group of interested parties working together to complement the workings of international organisations. What are the benefits of such ad hoc mechanisms?

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    13May 2016

    The international community continues to put pressure on Pyongyang with the aim of quickly restarting the negotiations over the DPRK's nuclear agenda. Whether or not sanctions will succeed, however, depends on how well the restrictions are implemented.

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    14January 2016

    China’s global activism is reaching new heights under President Xi Jinping’s leadership. Beijing is hoping to exert itself as a new multilateral leader by venturing into previously unchartered realms such as cybersecurity. The question is, how will China pursue its new ambitions?

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    30September 2015

    October 2015 will mark the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and conflicts. This Brief shows how UNSCR 1325 has contributed to an increased recognition of the importance of gender issues and of women’s role in the EU’s external policies, and examines the Union’s efforts to incorporate the values of the Resolution into its foreign policy toolkit.

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    23July 2015

    This Alert makes the point that sanctions regimes are not static: the relative importance of crises for a foreign policy actor can evolve over time, as domestic, regional or global politics change. As a responsive sanctioner, the EU, too, has displayed its ability to hit moving targets in this regard.

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    17July 2015

    This Brief provides an overview of EU sanctions practices. Considering the combined and interactive effects of co-existing sanctions regimes, it also examines the implications of sanctions measures, often closely interlinked with UN practice, for the EU as a multilateral actor.

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    16July 2015

    The EU stands out as a responsive sanctioning actor. This Alert argues that by signalling its commitment to reward compliance through a phased exit strategy, the Union lends credence to the reversibility of sanctions.

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