ONLINE EVENT | Rebuilding Venezuela: Transition, Earthquakes and a New Relationship with the U.S. 📆 23 July ⏰ 10am Caracas/Washington, DC w/ Phil Gunson, Maryhen Jiménez, Ginger Jacobs, Andrés Antillano, Feliciano Reyna and Renata Segura. Register here: www.crisisgroup.org/how-we-work/...

new rule: the winner of the tournament earns the right to face Cabo Verde for the title

NEW SPEECH | The Future of UN Conflict Prevention: Mediation, Diplomacy and the Responsibility to Protect @richardgowan1.bsky.social gave the annual Evans-Sahnoun lecture on the Responsibility to Protect.

Me on UN conflict prevention. www.globalr2p.org/publications...

Here is the text of a lecture on the future of UN Conflict Prevention last week. www.crisisgroup.org/spc/global/f...

Here is the text of a lecture on the future of UN Conflict Prevention last week. www.crisisgroup.org/spc/global/f...

"Rupture is not the whole story, and an uncontrolled proliferation of war is not inevitable." Looking for glimmers of hope in a bleak international security environment? @crisisgroup.org sees a few 👇 www.crisisgroup.org/sbr/global/s...

NEW COMMENTARY | Manila’s Push for a New Rulebook in the South China Sea Peters Out The Philippines has long sought a Code of Conduct in the waters, with the aim of averting conflict. It looks unlikely to succeed.

“Nationalise Adele” the prospect of Count Binface giving that miserable toad Nigel Farage a run for his money this summer may just heal Britain’s body politic 🫠 Count Bin for the win! 🗑️

NEW BRIEFING | Causes of Peace in an Era of Hard Power With the post-World War II international order fading away and hostilities on the rise, the prospects for conflict prevention look dim. But the picture is not wholly dark.

Excellent read, including nice overview of post-WWI and, especially, post-Cold War periods and how things have changed since.

New from @crisisgroup.org, a big picture take on war and peace today. "Causes of Peace in an Era of Hard Power" 👇 www.crisisgroup.org/sbr/global/s...

New from @crisisgroup.org, a big picture take on war and peace today. "Causes of Peace in an Era of Hard Power" 👇 www.crisisgroup.org/sbr/global/s...

Journalists: Next week, @crisisgroup.org will launch the report "Sinaloa’s War of the Splinters: Fighting Crime in Mexico under U.S. Threat". Contact us at [email protected] or send a DM for an embargoed copy.

And Ben and Aditi have an op-ed in @passblue.bsky.social with the key points passblue.com/2026/06/24/b...

Backroom Deals Behind Secretary-General Candidate Races passblue.com/2026/06/24/b...

Yesterday I spoke to an informal meeting of the UNSC on why it is so hard to implement Council resolutions. My briefing (plus video) is now online @crisisgroup.org. www.crisisgroup.org/spc/global/b...

NATO leaders will convene this month. Here’s why the high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump’s White House and the transatlantic alliance, coming at a time of tremendous upheaval, could be awkward and tense. Can the alliance hold it together? My latest: www.linkedin.com/pulse/natos-...

Yesterday I spoke to an informal meeting of the UNSC on why it is so hard to implement Council resolutions. My briefing (plus video) is now online @crisisgroup.org. www.crisisgroup.org/spc/global/b...

NEW SPEECH | Briefing to the Security Council on the Implementation of Council Resolutions @richardgowan1.bsky.social @crisisgroup.org’s Director for Global Issues and Institutions, addressed an Arria Formula Meeting convened by China and Pakistan.

NEW REPORT | Countering Israel’s Grip on the West Bank Economy Harsh Israeli restrictions since 2023 have made matters much worse, risking instability. Outside powers should push Israel to take remedial steps so that Palestinian livelihoods can recover.

"The U.S. military’s enforcement of the ongoing naval blockade of Iran may have now resulted in fresh violations of the U.N. Charter against four entirely different countries." @bcfinucane.bsky.social(Brian Finucane) and @becingber.bsky.social(Rebecca Ingber) write:

Oisin and I first met in Cambridge a quarter-century ago (😱😱😱😱😱). We have been pursuing parallel/intersecting agendas on and off ever since then, him in the academy, me just making stuff up. Delighted to see this book - involving co-authors I have also learned a lot from - out now. Will be great.

Great to see our new book out in the real world, with @birtegippert.bsky.social @kseniyaoksamytna.bsky.social and Sarah von Billerbeck. "United Nations Peacekeeping and the Politics of Authoritarianism" is now available here: academic.oup.com/book/59435 We hope you read and enjoy!

A cool fact about Amb Zalabata according to Google - she is the first Indigenous person from the Americas to serve on the Security Council as she is an Arhuaco leader from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta as well as a defender of Human Rights, and strong proponent of WPS.

This will lift your spirits!

The world urgently needs the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. We explain how global economic consequences are mounting around the planet as diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran remains gridlocked. www.crisisgroup.org/visual-expla...

The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is a contentious element in negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and an issue of significant interest to countries worldwide. Get to grips with its role in the conflict so far with our new visual explainer. www.crisisgroup.org/visual-expla...

NEW VISUAL EXPLAINER | The State of the Strait: The Role of Hormuz in the Middle East War So Far Over three months of conflict, Iran and the U.S. have used the Strait of Hormuz to demonstrate resolve while inflicting economic pain. www.crisisgroup.org/visual-expla...

Spoke to @Freedland @guardian about why Trump keeps changing his mind on what to do to end the war. www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

The latest Ebola outbreak underscores a central flaw with the global preparedness model.

Congrats to my @ecfr.eu colleague (and world-renowned Iran expert) Ellie Geranmayeh on this important and timely new publication. The Iran Nuclear Monitor tracks Iranian nuclear activity and screens it against 6 possible scenarios, showing which is most likely. Check it out ⬇️

The fact that this (by @jacobjudah.bsky.social citing well-regarded analysts like @yguichaoua.bsky.social and @simnasr.bsky.social) ran within days of our own piece by Corinne Dufka suggests to me that JNIM is strongly pushing the Syria/HTS parallel as a talking point.

🚨 We’re hiring in London! ECFR is looking for a Defence & Security Policy Fellow to join its London office and help help shape the debate on Europe’s security architecture in a changing geopolitical landscape. 🗓️ Apply by 3 June 2026 https://bit.ly/440pyUN

🚨 We’re hiring in Berlin! 📊 Interested in public opinion, polling, and European foreign policy? ECFR is looking for a Data & Polling Working Student to join its Berlin office from September 2026 to June 2027. 🗓️ Apply by 3 June 2026 https://bit.ly/440pyUN

“I don’t like the framing a lot of people use to say this is just a defeat for the U.S., or a win for Iran. This had really turned into a lose-lose dynamic for both sides” @alivaez.bsky.social speaks to @nytimes.com on the possibility of a deal to end the Iran war. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/w...

I talk to @theobserveruk.bsky.social about the UN SG race. “If we get a good energetic secretary general, there’s just a glimmer of hope that they might be able to navigate the storm.” observer.co.uk/news/interna...

NEW REPORT | Shielding the Amazon from Organised Crime The world’s largest rainforest is under assault as criminal groups wreak havoc on the environment and society. Governments, residents and the private sector all have roles to play in protecting the Amazon.

NEW COMMENTARY | The Struggle to Pacify Syria’s Foreign Legions The new government has integrated thousands of foreigners who fought the Assad regime into its state forces. Many Syrians and international partners worry about keeping them under arms. www.crisisgroup.org/cmt/middle-e...

I still love the theory a Year 6 child proposed to me that David Attenborough is actually God and he got fed up with people not noticing the amazing things he'd created, so he made documentaries to show off.

Operation Massive Tantrum.

I briefly worked for Louise at the UN. She's incredibly smart and incisive, but above all we finally have a Head of State who was mates with Leonard Cohen.

I appear - sounding old and resentful of young people - at the start of this new @foreignpolicy.com/UNF podcast on the selection of the next UNSG. open.spotify.com/episode/0DwU...

"China does not have to do much to gain more influence around the UN when the US is pulling back. Beijing gains credibility and influence by default." Me to @passblue.bsky.social. passblue.com/2026/05/04/h...

“La ONU ha perdido mucha credibilidad como institución de paz en un momento en que las guerras van en aumento y el Consejo de Seguridad se encuentra regularmente estancado sobre cómo reaccionar ante conflictos importantes”, dijo @richardgowan1.bsky.social a @elpais.com.

🇺🇳 🆕 As UN member states prepare to select the next Secretary-General, our Executive Director @savitapawnday.bsky.social writes that this moment demands bold, politically courageous leadership to restore the UN’s relevance and mobilize action. Read our new commentary ⬇️ bit.ly/49q0IzY

Washington Struggled to Narrow UN Peace Ops in Volatile South Sudan passblue.com/2026/04/30/w...

I appear - sounding old and resentful of young people - at the start of this new @foreignpolicy.com/UNF podcast on the selection of the next UNSG. open.spotify.com/episode/0DwU...

Some useful public speaking tips from Freud here.

#NewPodcastAlert 📻 As the #UN Secretary-General race kicks off into high gear this week, tune into the first episode of World Toughest Job, a new series from @foreignpolicy.com + United Nations Foundation. Listen: regroupplaybook.org/p/what-kind-... #NewPodcastAlert#UN#UNSG #UN80 #UNReform #UNSecretaryGeneral