Publications

This paper describes the most wide-ranging and ambitious restructuring of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) since 1949. More specifically, the text describes 1) the sheer scope of the organization-altering reforms; 2) the motives behind the restructuring, which include...chevron_right

This brief discusses the impediments young African women face in exercising their human rights and how the obstructions might be overcome. Fundamentally, the text argues 1) there can be no democratic governance or development in Africa without...chevron_right

This trend analysis, which covers Boko Haram’s public statements from 2010-2016, provides revealing insights into the secretive group’s strategic outlook and operational behavior. More specifically, the text’s author argues the band’s messaging can, which has gone through four...chevron_right

This report looks at what the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and different African states can do to help build sustainable peace in South Sudan. In particular, the text’s authors 1) review the current overall status of...chevron_right

When it comes to weapons of mass destruction, what’s the status of global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts? To answer this question, the authors of this text update us on 1) the status of the UN’s system for non-proliferation and disarmament; 2) the initiatives that...chevron_right

This paper analyzes the EU’s involvement in the Korean Peninsula, particularly by focusing on the de-nuclearization-centered Six-Party Talks (SPT). Given that Brussels is not directly involved in the talks, its contribution to them remains uncertain. That doesn’t mean...chevron_right

This report synopsizes the results of IAI’s Global Turkey in Europe (GTE) workshop, which took place in February 2017. (Note: The GTE is a discussion platform that focuses on Europe’s refugee problems, the EU’s migration and asylum policies, and EU-Turkey relations.) The workshop specifically focused on...chevron_right

This report summarizes the results of IAI’s conference on Geopolitical Dynamics and Regionalism in East Asia, which took place in February 2017. The topics discussed include 1) the role of regionalism in East Asia, as impacted by ASEAN, the US and China; and 2) ongoing problems with maritime security.chevron_right

As this paper sees it, energy is one of the sectors in which EU–Turkey cooperation could possibly lead to a broader ‘convergence’. There are roadblocks in place, however: 1) Turkey’s uncertain natural gas policies and its undefined commitment to other options, including...chevron_right

This paper looks at the high levels of mistrust that persist in Northeast Asia, which have been fed by NAPCI’s failure to understand the reasons behind them. In response, South Korea, Japan and China need to...chevron_right

This paper focuses on the failure of Park Geun-hye’s Trustpolitik to establish better relations between North and South Korea. The text’s authors ultimately argue that Seoul wasn’t proactive enough to truly build trust – i.e., its wait-and-see politics...chevron_right

This paper reviews Australia’s policy on removing unwanted asylum seekers and what Canberra can learn from recent asylum-centered reforms in the UK and Canada. The text’s authors ultimately argue that 1) the forcible removal of failed asylum seekers should be...chevron_right

This paper contends that despite Australia’s desire for another term on the UN Security Council and a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, Canberra’s engagement with the world body has been patchy and underwhelming. Canberra can reverse this problem, argues the text’s author, by...chevron_right

This paper examines Russia’s relationship with pro-Moscow fighters in the violence-torn Donbas region of Ukraine. Among the questions it grapples with, four stand out. Who are the separatist fighters in the oblast; how and to what extent does Russia control...chevron_right

This report examines the exclusion of ethnic minorities from the current peace- and constitution-building processes underway in Nepal. The unvarnished reason behind their isolation can be summed up as follows – “don’t let them gain political influence or power.”chevron_right