International Organizations and Multilateralism
Rhetoric on the crisis of multilateralism is frequent. International organizations (UN, WTO, etc.) remain no less important, while other forums (G20, BRICS, etc.) are asserting themselves.
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Saudi Arabia’s Policy in Africa : Vectors and Objectives
Until recently, Saudi Arabia was the country out of the Gulf countries that had the greatest number of diplomatic missions in Africa (27[1]).
How can global governance be fixed in an age of upheaval?
Ifri’s Executive Chairman Thierry de Montbrial spoke at the 20th World Knowledge Forum in Seoul on September 25, 2019 with Robin Niblett, Chatham House's director, Ed Feulner, The Heritage Foundation's Founder and Former President and Feng Zhu, Director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University about the major governance issues of our time.
China and the New Geopolitics of Technical Standardization
China is rapidly emerging as a formidable power in the development of technical standards, transforming the international standard-setting landscape and reintroducing an element of geopolitics into what are too often considered as benign, technical processes.
Europe and Africa
In this special issue of Politique étrangère devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, discover the conversation between Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie and Thierrry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.
Ten Years Ahead: Insights Into the Agendas of International Think Tanks
A panel with Michael Fullilove, executive director, Lowy Institute (Australia), Rohinton P. Medhora, president, Centre for International Governance Innovation (Canada), Samir Saran, president, Observer Research Foundation (India), Patrycja Sasnal, head of research and senior fellow for the Middle East, Polish Institute of International Affairs (Poland), and Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, president, Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil), moderated by Thomas Gomart, director, French Institute of International Relations (France) as part of the 12th regional conference of Council of Councils (CoC), which unfolded from November 17 to 19, 2019 at Ifri.
What Does It Mean to Be a European Defense Company Today?
In many ways, defense firms in Europe should be pleased with the recent uptick in defense spending.
The Changing Political Agenda and Role of Think Tanks in the Next Decade. Video
A debate in the framework of the 12th regional conference of Council of Councils (CoC) in Paris between Thierry de Montbrial, Executive Chairman of Ifri and Richard N. Haass, President of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Moderator: Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief, The Economist.
Europe's position in the new world order
Thierry de Montbrial, Executive Chairman of Ifri, is interviewed by Yang RUI for China Global Television Network (CGTN), on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, November 2019. He analyzes the position of Europe in a world dominated by the Chinese-American competition.
Between Attraction and Repulsion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Russia’s Image Abroad
In search of a better image, Russia has created a whole arsenal of soft power since the mid-2000s according to a Western model.
China’s Ambiguous Positions on Climate and Coal
China’s 2018 energy consumption data capture the ambiguity of Beijing’s attitude toward climate change. Energy demand rose by 3.5% to 3,155 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), with an increase of coal consumption (though its share in the overall energy mix is decreasing) and an expected greenhouse gas (GHG) emission surge of 2.3%, to 9.5 gigatonnes (Gt) for the same year.
RAMSES 2020. A World without a Compass?
RAMSES 2020. A World without a Compass?, written by Ifri's research team and external experts, offers an in-depth and up-to-date analysis of geopolitics in today’s world.
International trade - Rekindling interest in a multilateral rules-based approach
International trade is one of the themes that used to constitute the very raison d’être of the G7, alongside international security and energy policy.
Think Tank 7 - Recommendation paper for the G7 Presidency
The Think Tank 7 (T7) is an engagement group that brings together the leading Think Tanks from the G7 countries in order to analyze and make recommendations on key issues of the G7 presidency.
Tackling inequalities and vulnerabilities: Why and how G7 development policies could do better
The G7 has made the fight against inequality a crosscutting issue for the Biarritz Summit. The Development Ministerial will address issues of vulnerability, especially the Sahel Alliance. This focus on inequalities and vulnerabilities is nonetheless inseparable from a general discussion on financing sustainable development.
A Global Governance That Protects? Global governance and the defence of democracy
Global governance emerged to deal with the gap between the plurality and diversity of states and the collective and transnational nature of increasingly complex global affairs.
Why Are Japan and South Korea in a Trade Fight?
Officially, Japan has “national security” concerns about technology exports to South Korea. Unofficially, World War II still casts an ugly shadow.
Ursula von der Leyen: betting on Franco-German unity in the European Commission
Germany's Ursula von der Leyen nominated to lead EU Commission.
Does a European diplomacy exist?
An interview with Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Ifri, on the occasion of his participation in the Trilateral Commission.
Democracy in Africa: A Long and Winding Road
The architecture of democracy is complex, coupling a legal framework to a social foundation that allows it to take root.
Sustaining Multilateralism in a Multipolar World. What France and Germany Can Do to Preserve the Multilateral Order
While international multilateralism is under strain, it is vital for France and Germany to defend it, since it is the most appropriate system for preserving their interests – particularly in terms of welfare, security, prosperity and environmental protection. Against this backdrop, three political fields offer opportunities for joint initiatives: trade, conventional arms control and climate change.
The G20 and the Challenge of International Financial Re-regulation
The crisis, it is now widely accepted, means that markets failed. Meeting for the first time in Washington in November 2008, the G20 embarked in a ride of re-regulation. Months of negotiations later, it dramatically appears different to agree on principles and broad objectives, and to write and enforce rules and commitments.
An Analysis of North Korea's Principal Trade Relations
The Direction of Trade Statistics by IMF is the most representative statistical data for bilateral trade with North Korea. However, IMF statistics underestimate North Korea's international trade since they do not classify inter-Korean trade as international trade. Therefore, this study restructures statistics on North Korea by combining the IMF and inter-Korean trade data, and it analyzes the structure of North Korea's international trade. In addition, it conducts a unique analysis of trade structures, since other studies have not analyzed production processes in North Korean trade.
This analysis identifies six main characteristics of North Korea's trade:
Russian Gas Diplomacy
Thank goodness our early warning systems during the cold war were not structured so we could see the flash at the same time we heard the warning. On Monday, the Russians notified the Europeans under an “Early Warning” agreement negotiated after the last Ukrainian gas cutoff that they had already cut gas flows to Belarus by 15% and that would increase cuts to 85% by the end of the week. Not very good news for the Belarusians who enjoy the most gasified economy in the world - everything there runs on gas.
Coming in from the Cold? An Update on North Korea's External Economic Relations
This brief analysis of the current external economic relations of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leads to a number of conclusions.
EU 2020: Can we afford another failed Lisbon Strategy? Shortcomings and future perspectives
On 3rd of March, the European Commission will publish its final proposal for the new EU 2020 strategy, which will replace the Lisbon Agenda. A few days ahead, we may ask: were lessons drawn from past mistakes? Does the current commission draft look different?
The Institutions of Energy Governance in China
International collaboration, in any form, requires trust, and such trust is built on understanding. In the case of collaboration in the field of energy, potential partners need to have an appreciation of frameworks for energy governance in each others’ countries. Only then can they accurately interpret the data, the statements and the declared commitments provided by other parties. Nowhere is this ignorance of greater relevance to today’s challenges than the case of China.
Ukraine - A Transit Country in Deadlock? Four Scenarios
Should we consider Ukraine a transit country in deadlock, and reduce its energy role just to that of a transit country? Definitely not, because Ukraine is at once a large gas consumer and producer, and possesses massive storage capacity. But the economic and political situation of the country is alarming, even without considering the possibility of another gas crisis Without such a crisis, however, the event of Ukrainian bankruptcy would attract less broad international attention simply because it would not have direct impact on European gas consumers.
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