Diplomacy

Public Health and Pandemics, the wake-up call for cooperation?

Are We Ready for Future Pandemics? In a speech on the eve of the Paris Agreement in 2015, then-US President Barack Obama recognized the need for a better international cooperation structure for possible pandemic control and prevention. He warned that there may be a time “in which we have an airborne disease that is deadly, […]

The Future of Climate Change International Policy

“We must now agree on a binding review mechanism under international law, so that this century can credibly be called a century of decarbonization.” –German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 2015 Paris Agreement negotiations The time for climate action is long overdue. Humanity must employ universal, cooperative efforts to prevent irreversible damage to our planet. The international […]

The UN’s Reformation

On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the UN’s formation, Secretary-General António Guterres said that it is “clear that the world has high expectations of us, as the main platform for multilateralism and cooperation on a rules-based international system.” To achieve effective cooperation, the UN Charter sets forth one of the UN’s most important missions as developing […]

All Is Fair in Love Island and War

Illustration by Emily Rubin. “Anye impietie may lawfully be committed in love, which is lawlesse.” –John Lyly, Euphues Lyly’s adage—commonly uttered as “all is fair in love and war”—implies that conflict is as inherent to human nature as love and that rules don’t apply. The proverb also reflects realist theory, which believes states are rational […]

Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is Still a Distant Dream

Motivational speaker Simon Sinek once said, “Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” Washington’s North Korea policy doesn’t follow this adage, instead negotiating for total denuclearization instead of small victories. Complete, Verifiable, Irreversible Denuclearization can be the goal. The idea isn’t new; however, as President Clinton’s chief negotiator with North Korea Robert Gallucci […]

Sheikhing Things Up: An Economic Approach to US-Saudi Diplomacy

Discussions of the Middle East are often synonymous with two topics: the commodity of oil and US involvement in the region. The United States and Saudi Arabia, two ostensible allies, face a conflict of interests as the US continues to engage in nuclear negotiations with Iran and Saudi Arabia deploys air assaults on the Iranian-backed […]

The Future of Saudi-US Relations

  In a stark refusal that shocked the international community, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced “the manner, the mechanisms of action, and double standards existing in the Security Council prevent it from performing its duties and assuming its responsibilities towards preserving international peace and security.”[1] The move by the Saudi Arabians to […]

Why the US and the West Will Not Save Crimea

  The breaking of international law. A country divided. Military “protection” from a mother country for her children. A state recognized by just one other in the international community. Talk of punishment for the unruly state. No real actions taken. Statements from the West saying it will forever support the people and the government of […]