Blogs & Opinions

Bringing Climate and Terrorism Together at the UN Security Council – Proceed with Caution

Dec 6, 2021 | Jordan Street

Misconceived climate-security policymaking could have significant adverse and counterproductive impacts.

The United Nations Security Council on Dec. 9 will hold its first open thematic debate to explore the links between…

A Darker Shade of “Code Red”: Arms and Climate Change

Dec 2, 2021 | Sarah Grand-Clément

Does the conventional arms community have the necessary tools to address climate change, including the risk of future climate shocks and environmental degradation, in its…

View: Uncertain Futures of women's rights in Afghanistan

Nov 29, 2021 | Avni Sablok

Possible Wars for Water Underscore Import of Nepal’s Peace Zone Proposal

Nov 26, 2021 | Anand Aditya

“Nothing is so powerful as an idea whose time has come,” said Victor Hugo. Wading through the strands of arguments that Isabelle Duquesne weaves into…

A Stand Against the Climate Crisis is a Stand Against Gender Violence

Nov 25, 2021 | Heleni Smuha

The climate crisis and environmental degradation are fuelling gender-based violence. Women and gender minorities at the forefront of environmental resistance movements are a prime target…

Walking the talk on SGBV: an implementation checklist to narrow the gaps between international law and domestic practice

Nov 25, 2021 | Rachael Kitching, Vanessa Murphy, Kelisiana Thynne

Thirty years ago today, 23 women launched the ‘16 Days of Action’ against gender-based violence.[1] Each year, this campaign begins on the 25th of November (International Day for…

GIZ Trains Stakeholders to Counter Illicit Movement of Minerals, Terrorist Financing, Others

Nov 25, 2021 | Ishmael F. Menkor

GIZ has trained several national stakeholders to counter the movement of illicit minerals, terrorist financing and money laundering, as well as illicit financial flows, within…

Timor-Leste Is Facing a Make-or-Break Moment

Nov 24, 2021 | Avelino Dos Santos Da Costa

Since the restoration of its independence in 2002, Timor-Leste has made tremendous progress in social capital (education and health), infrastructure (electricity and telecommunication), and in…

Climate Resilience and Conflict: Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships as a Way Forward?

Nov 23, 2021 | Christopher Graham

For groups that were already in disputes over land rights, territorial claims, and resource access or distribution, climate change increases the stakes – escalating or…

Climate Resilience and Conflict: Multi-stakeholder Partnerships As A Way Forward?

Nov 22, 2021 | Christopher Graham

In recent years, there has been an outpouring of evidence that climate change is intensifying and driving conflict situations around the world. The socio-ecological consequences of climate…

Gender Equity and Climate Change are Intertwined

Nov 22, 2021 | Angely Mercado

The climate change conference COP26 which ended last week tackled a number of issues that intersect with addressing the climate crisis—including a full day dedicated…

Understanding the Nexus Between Gender, Climate and Conflict Is Crucial for International Peace and Security

Nov 18, 2021 | Michelle Onello

Understanding the nexus between gender, climate and conflict is crucial for developing successful policies to combat climate change and resolve conflicts, and women must meaningfully…

Why Women’s Participation is Essential to Achieve Global Climate Targets

Nov 17, 2021 | Joanna Collingwood, Georgia Kremmyda, and Modupe Olufunmilayo Jimoh

We are engineers and scientists. We happen to be women, but first and foremost we are citizens of this planet who believe that immediate action…

Women’s Land Rights Are Necessary to Build Climate-Resilient Futures

Nov 17, 2021 | Juliet Schulman-Hall

COP 26, the UN Conference on Climate, ended last Friday, after world leaders made several collective pledges to the climate crisis on issues like deforestation,…

Promoting Gender and Climate Smart Investment

Nov 16, 2021 | Katja Silva-Leander and Kongkona Sarma

Climate change is set to cause unimaginable disruption unless immediate action is taken, and its impacts will disproportionately affect women — increasing inequality. In many…

The Challenge of Securing Access to Minerals for the Green Transition

Nov 16, 2021 | Jewellord Nem Singh

COP26 came to a close in Glasgow this weekend, with activists and developing country governments disappointed in the global ambition as laid out in the…

Climate Change and Farmers-Herders Conflict in Nigeria

Nov 15, 2021 | Ojemire B. Daniel

International attention often focuses on ethnic conflict in the Niger Delta and religious conflict in Northern Nigeria, leaving farmer-herdsmen overlooked. In Nigeria, the conflict between…

To Tackle Instability and Conflict, It’s Time to Elevate Hunger as a National Security Priority

Nov 15, 2021 | Kelly McFarland and Alistair Somerville

Food has long been a weapon of war, and the prospect of starvation is a powerful motivator for citizens to take up arms. The humanitarian…

We Need More Female Leaders in the Fight Against Climate Change

Nov 14, 2021 | Maria Tanyag

In a stirring speech at the opening of the Cop26 world leaders summit, Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, asked: “When will leaders lead?” The problem…

Why Peace Should Matter for the COP, and Why COP26 Is Important for Peace

Nov 12, 2021 | Cedric de Coning and Florian Krampe

Over the past two weeks, the world’s attention was on Glasgow where the COP26 summit has brought the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention…

On Peace, Security and Climate Finance at COP26

Nov 12, 2021 | George Conway

A few years ago, it may have been unusual to hear discussions around peace, security and fragility at international climate change fora such as COP26.…

How to Address the Sexual Violence Epidemic in Ethiopia?

Nov 12, 2021 | Ndeye Sow

Earlier this month, a joint report by the United Nations and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) exposed how Ethiopia’s brutal and rapidly expanding war has…

Increasing Situational Awareness of Conflict Linked Oil Pollution with VHR Satellite Imagery

Nov 11, 2021 | Skye Boag and Wim Zwijnenburg

In regards to maritime and the environmental impacts this industry can impose, VHR satellite imagery can be a useful tool for monitoring and tracing oil…

Lundin Energy's Indictment for War Crimes Is Good News for South Sudan

Nov 11, 2021 | Pax for Peace

The decision today, 11 November, by Sweden to take Lundin Energy to court is a major step towards justice for the hundreds of thousands of…

“Harrowing” Intelligence Report Still Downplays Threat of Climate Change to National Security

Nov 11, 2021 | Jessica McKenzie

The recent report was compiled at the request of President Joe Biden, who issued an Executive Order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and…

Sovereignty over Natural Resources in the Afghan Crisis: Effectiveness and Human Rights Considerations

Nov 10, 2021 | Andrea Mensi

While the international community is still debating about whether to recognize a government led by the Taliban, there are further critical issues to consider, such…

Climate Change, Conflict and the COP

Nov 9, 2021 | International Alert

Climate change is having a major impact on conflict and security around the world, but these issues failed to make it onto the agenda at…

Niger’s Kandadji Dam Project: Conflict Concerns

Nov 9, 2021 | Peace Research Institute Oslo

The Kandadji Dam project in Niger is projected to  displace about 38,000 people living near the Niger River due to the ongoing activities. The economic development…

Why We Need to Get Loud About Gender Inequality in Climate Politics

Nov 9, 2021 | Philippa Nuttall

Last month a female friend and I were quietly having dinner in Brussels when the subject of periods came into the conversation. Immediately the gentleman…

Fair COP? The African Women Showing Why Gender Justice Equals Climate Justice

Nov 9, 2021 | David Vetter

While women and girls are bearing the brunt of increasingly brutal climate impacts in the developing world, they also hold the key to taking decisive…