Carnegie Endowment Events

Strengthening the rule of law is essential for anyone interested in advancing peace, equity, and opportunity. Measuring how well countries adhere to the rule of law in practice can be a first step in setting benchmarks, stimulating and guiding reforms, and deepening understanding and appreciation for its fundamental features. Join us for the launch of the 2016 WJP Rule of Law Index.

To take stock of the current state of India’s politics, economics, and foreign policy, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace—in collaboration with the Georgetown University India Initiative and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)—hosted a wide-ranging discussion with three leading members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav moderated. The delegation’s visit was part of FICCI’s annual India-U.S. Forum of Parliamentarians, which aims to deepen the engagement between lawmakers of both countries.

The Obama administration has made significant progress in securing nuclear materials, eliminating unnecessary nuclear stockpiles, and reaching a comprehensive agreement with Iran. However, much remains to be done globally in order to harness the power of nuclear energy while reducing the risk of nuclear materials and technologies falling into malicious hands.

Corruption hardly topped the threat list when U.S. military forces and civilians first entered Afghanistan in 2001. But recognition of its devastating potential to undermine U.S. national security objectives is far higher today. Despite a myriad of U.S. efforts, however, corruption remains deeply entrenched in Afghanistan. It undermines the government’s legitimacy, enables an emboldened insurgency, and puts at risk the gains from U.S. taxpayers’ nearly $115 billion investment in reconstruction. The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has publicly reported on corruption in Afghanistan since 2008. Now SIGAR is releasing its first lessons learned report, on U.S. efforts to address the Afghan corruption problem: Corruption in Conflict: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan. John F. Sopko explored the U.S. experience fighting corruption in Afghanistan and its broader implications, and detailed recommendations to Congress and policy makers to improve such effort

Where are those voices in the Arab world that called so compellingly for change and spurred the 2011 uprisings that swept across the region? Which spaces are they using for expression as governments crack down on street protests, civil society, and media?

One under-recognized factor is fueling many of the world’s most violent crises—not bitter identity rifts or imperial delusions, but the simple drive to amass lucre. Carnegie hosted for a discussion about how this trait can be exploited to reduce mass atrocities and leverage peace and good governance. We introduced a new report by the Enough Project, Bankrupting Kleptocracy: Financial Tools to Counter Atrocities in Africa’s Deadliest War Zones.

India confronts an exceptionally difficult national security problem: how to motivate Pakistan to prevent cross-border terrorism. Last month’s attack on the Indian Army base at Uri and India’s response, highlight the complexity of this challenge. George Perkovich and Toby Dalton discussed their new book, Not War, Not Peace?, which provides a timely assessment of the options available to India to deter and respond to cross-border terrorism.

The election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States could bring about a radical change in U.S. foreign policy in every region of the world. The uncertainties of the Trump presidency call for a probing, long-term strategy for strengthening stability in Asia. As the Western Pacific is experiencing a fundamental and potentially destabilizing military and economic power transition driven primarily by China’s economic and military rise and a corresponding relative decline in American power, efforts by the United States or China to secure future predominance will prove futile and dangerous, given a host of security, economic, and diplomatic factors. Instead, creating a stable de facto balance of power is necessary and feasible for both countries.

A battleground marked by regional intervention and a growing al-Qaeda presence, Yemen's civil war continues unabated. The fighting has exacted a horrific toll on civilians, whether from bombing by the Saudi-led coalition, indiscriminate shelling by Houthi insurgents, food and medical shortages, or the kidnappings of journalists and human rights activists. Meanwhile, international pressure is growing, with calls by the UN for an independent investigation and demands in the U.S. Congress to restrict arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Where is the war heading and what can outside actors do to end the conflict?

Chinese nuclear experts think about nuclear weapons very differently from their U.S. counterparts. They use different terminology and contrasting security paradigms to discuss and make decisions on nuclear policy. How can Washington and Beijing promote an effective dialogue and shared understanding despite their disparate approaches? In their latest report, Li Bin and Tong Zhao present their findings on the topic. Their analysis is followed by a moderated conversation.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Mellon University host the first session of their joint Colloquium on Digital Governance and Security. Part one address the "Future of Consumer Privacy: Machine Learning and New International Data Protection", while part two touches on "Autonomy and Counter-autonomy in Military Operations."

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Mellon University host the first session of their joint Colloquium on Digital Governance and Security. Part one address the "Future of Consumer Privacy: Machine Learning and New International Data Protection", while part two touches on "Autonomy and Counter-autonomy in Military Operations."

A conversation with UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson on the future of the United Nations and multilateralism in a changing global landscape.

With democracy struggling in many countries, providers of democracy support are looking to tailor assistance strategies to respond to the growing variety of troubled transitional contexts. Aiding women's political empowerment—a crucial area of international aid for democracy as well as for development more generally—shares this challenge. How can aid providers and activists alike think more strategically about women's political empowerment?

After meeting as part of the intergovernmental P5 process, representatives from the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons participated in a public discussion on the future of arms control and strategic stability. They debated questions such as: What is the current relationship between disarmament and strategic stability? How might arms control and disarmament change in the twenty-first century? What relevance does the security environment have in current and future arms control initiatives? The event consisted of two panels—one comprised of nongovernmental experts from each P5 country and the other consisting of senior government officials—and allowed time for audience questions.

Myanmar’s abundant natural resources have served as the country’s main export revenue, but have also been a primary driver of conflict in ethnic areas. What should the newly elected government do to improve the governance of resource wealth in the country, and how can the international community assist?

Charles Clover depicts the intellectual ferment that has brought provocative strands of Russian nationalism at the heart of the Kremlin’s policy-making apparatus under Vladimir Putin.

The oil market has been turned upside down over the past two years. How will future policies, designed to meet the Paris climate agreement, shape the future of oil demand?

Can and should the United States do more to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategy and the number of weapons in its arsenal? This question is particularly timely given the lively international debate on nuclear disarmament. Brad Roberts will discuss his assessment of this question and the analysis in his new book, The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century. Carnegie's George Perkovich moderates.

The topic of information and communication technologies diplomacy has been a dynamic aspect of U.S.-Japan cooperation since 2010 when U.S. President Barack Obama and then Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan first launched a U.S.-Japan Policy Cooperation Dialogue on the Internet Economy. The two countries have led efforts to promote national interests and ensure a global digital economy based around an open, free, and secure Internet. Yet not all countries agree on priorities, and some governments seek greater state control of this space. Meanwhile, technology and the Internet economy are rapidly evolving. In this podcast, Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda, Minister Kanji Yamanouchi, and ITI President Dean Garfield discuss U.S.-Japan cooperation to promote data localization, cross-border data flow, and privacy protection as well as how these issues are managed with broader policies and politics. Commentary by Tim Maurer. Moderated by Jim Schoff.