Leaving the UN Security Council: Norway steps down
Loss of Tonga’s telecommunication – what happened, how was it managed and what were the consequences?
In January 2022 the subsea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in Tonga had a major eruption which also cut the country’s communication lines nationally, between Tonga’s inhabited islands and the outside world. The damage led to a complete halt in international communication (a “digital darkness”) which meant that, in the period immediately after the outbreak, not much was known about the extent of the damage in Tonga. Due to very limited access to contact with both the authorities and the population of Tonga, it was only during overflights carried out by the Australian and New Zealand air forces that one could begin to map the extent of the damage and the need for assistance.
The Humanitarian-Development Nexus: A Bridge Too Far?
In their basic and caricature forms, development aid and humanitarian assistance highlight important differences that materialize in attitudinal, institutional, and funding obstacles in the implementation of the humanitarian-development nexus. While the nexus is implemented in order to respond to new types of crises characterised by the protracted nature of the conflicts, cooperation across the aisle has proved hard to achieve in practice. However, policymakers and practitioners have different perspectives on the nexus, and depending on the individual practitioners tasked with implementing the nexus, it can still work. To achieve this, boundary work is needed in order to overcome the distinct segments of the nexus’ constituent parts working in silos. To foster such boundary work, actors responsible for implementing the nexus in practice should be given greater autonomy so that the nexus is better sensitised to local actors, contexts and concerns, rather than being driven by headquarters’ policy demands.
Stakeholder Networks in International Development Projects in the Amazon rainforest
The governance of environmental issues has become a central challenge in world politics. These issues are often complex, thus requiring flows of knowledge and resource from multiple actors across multiple levels. International development cooperation is a channel for these varied sets of actors to join their efforts in concrete projects and policies, allowing for global engagement with local envi- ronmental challenges. It thus can anchor policy networks capable of structuring polycentric modes governance. Yet, empirical research has shown that policy networks are sites of political disputes, (re)producing power rela- tions and affecting the capacity of different social groups to influence relevant outcomes. In this brief, we examine such dynamics in the network of stakeholders involved in development, execution or governance of internationally funded projects in the Amazon.
Makt og avmakt i FNs sikkerhetsråd: Valgte medlemslands veier til innflytelse
The UN Security Council consists of five permanent and ten elected member states. The latter is elected on a rolling basis, for two years at a time. In 2021-22, Norway has been one of these elected member states. The research literature often refers to how the Security Council's room for action is limited by superpower interests and the power struggle between the five veto countries: the United States, China, Russia, Great Britain and France. Russia's attack on Ukraine illustrated these challenges. In this policy brief, we take a closer look at how elected member states work to exercise influence while sitting on the Security Council.
The Strategic Direction of the United States in an Era of Competition
Since President Joe Biden’s entry in the Oval Office in January 2021, his Administration has issued several national strategies. These documents are important for understanding the strategic direction of the United States. In the realm of security and defense, two stand out: the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Also the National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR) has a strong security dimension. Security considerations of smaller states like Norway are far from detached from the strategic approaches of major powers. Understanding US strategy and doctrine is thus vital for policy makers crafting Norwegian security policy. This Policy Brief reviews US thinking on strategic competition, with a particular focus on technology, the Arctic, and implications for Norway.
EU-NATO cooperation: competition or complementarity?
Which challenges and possibilities lie within a closer EU-NATO cooperation? This is what we will dive into in this seminar with Daniel Fiott.
China’s multilateral stretch: Crafting influence with international organizations
China’s rise as a multilateral power is stirring reactions internationally, with many actors worrying about Chinese influence over specific international organizations (IOs), and its rippling effects on multilateral governance overall. In this brief, we discuss how and why China is working to craft its proactive IO diplomacy, by building position in many established and development oriented IOs, especially, and by initiating new institutions, incorporating to wide range of relations and issues. We show how expanding engagements within the UN and other multilateral arenas demonstrate China’s readiness to both follow, modify, and ignore established rules and norms, while working to ensure that multilateral institutions better reflect Chinese interests and conditions.
Kulturkampene i USA og betydning for politisk klima og utenrikspolitikk
I denne analysen skal vi se nærmere på den underliggende interne dynamikken for kulturkampene. Vi begynner med venstresiden før vi ser på høyresiden og til slutt spør om dette også kan få betydning for amerikansk utenrikspolitikk.
Focus on Africa: Security in West Africa
Dr Andrew E. Yaw Tchie discusses recent peace and security developments in West Africa (from min. 32:08).