United Nations
Europe’s last war
Sometimes, watching the latest news, Europe’s last war comes to mind. At this time 30 years ago, the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the deadliest chapter in the violent break-up…
Australia and the UN: A new agenda for peace
Last month, a New Agenda for Peace (NA4P) policy brief was released by the United Nations, outlining a vision for tackling today’s major challenges to peace and security. Among…
Remember the Rohingya, for disease hasn’t forgotten them
The nightmare scenario has arrived for the Rohingya people living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Disease and living conditions have reached a level that is unacceptable and…
Archipelago angst: How Indonesia and the US differ on air routes over sea lanes
A few weeks ago, Indonesia’s armed forces chief Admiral Yudo Margono revealed interesting data about the countries said to have violated Indonesian airspace. The highest number of…
Why the Black Sea Grain Initiative must be restored
Earlier this week, Russia announced that it would suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the landmark diplomatic deal brokered by the United Nations and…
The cost-benefit of turning “dirty” shipping clean
What do you value more – stopping climate chaos or keeping global shipping cheap? That was the dilemma many developing countries faced at the wood-panelled London headquarters of…
A strategy for engaging for small developing states
When Australians hear of small island developing states, the most immediate thought is of the Pacific. However, all small island states across the globe are at risk from climate…
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
On 26 February last year, a few days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a statement expressing “concern’’ over the “evolving…
Refugees may become victims of Malaysia’s electoral politics
Campaigning is well underway for Malaysia’s general election, set to be held on 19 November. In the leadup to the high-stakes poll, Malaysia’s government has made the…
Climate change: governance on the highway to hell
Global governance risks becoming the defining oxymoron of our times. As the world lurches from one crisis to the next, our collective inability to deal with a concatenation of…