Is There Hope for Gaza Under International Law?

Winter 2024 / Essays

Why has international law failed to hold Israel responsible for its destruction of Gaza? It was built to enable the colonizer, not to protect the colonized, explains legal expert Jason Beckett.

Failures of International Law and Violence in Gaza

October 31, 2023 / Midan

The recent attacks on Gaza have raised important questions regarding the effectiveness of international law in preventing violence

Navigating R2P Between Norm and Practice

Fall 2022/Winter 2023 / Essays

The idea that states are responsible for the protection of their own people is a powerful normative and transformative one, but is far from complete or conclusive

Democratizing International Relations

Fall 2022/Winter 2023 / Essays

Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali deserves to be remembered for his defense of the application of democratic principles to the international order. Today, the multipolarity of the contemporary world can help further Botrous-Ghali’s vision

For A Worse Tomorrow

Fall 2021 / Q & A

Journalist Dahr Jamail stresses the severity of the climate crisis—and asks everyone to start acting like it.

Syria: The Illusive Settlement Part 2

October 5, 2021 / Essays

Resolving the Syrian conflict offers an opportunity to bring stability to the Middle East, but only if compromises can be made, starting with UN resolution 2254.

The Climate Crisis Needs a Global Green New Deal

September 23, 2021 / Midan

A Global Green New Deal would equitably prevent dangerous levels of warming, but it must be implemented soon.

The Renaissance Dam after the Security Council

Summer 2021 / Essays

Egypt and Sudan continue to insist on a tripartite agreement to manage Ethiopia’s contentious plan to execute its Renaissance dam on the Nile.

Africa is Climbing the Prosperity Ladder but Some Rungs are Broken

Summer 2021 / Essays

Africa is a continent with six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies, but can it overcome its major challenges?

The Long Road to African Tourism Recovery

Summer 2021 / Essays

The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the tourism industry in 2020, but this year a slow vaccine rollout and new variants means it will take a while to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Doughnut Economics: Living in a Sustainable World

/ Midan

How humanity can transform from traditional growth-first economic policies to a 21st century vision centered around sustainable development.

Can the Arab Region meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

Winter 2021 / Midan

There are multiple challenges which need to be confronted in both data collection and public policy so that the SDGs can be attained.

Learning from a Diplomatic Trailblazer to Tackle Global Inequalities

November 21, 2020 / COVID-19: Global Crisis

Guest speaker at the 16th Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture, Dutch Minister Sigrid Kaag, presented ideas for geopolitical challenges in the Middle East and North Africa during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

Restoring (Some) Impartiality to UN Senior Appointments

Fall 2020 /

At the root of UN appointments lies a tension between member states’ interests, and a commitment to impartial and effective world leadership. Today, the pendulum has swung too far; a rebalance is in order.

The United Nations at 75: Multilateralism at a Crossroads

Fall 2020 /

If the UN survived the Cold War and a later unipolarity, shouldn’t it be thriving in a multipolar world?

The United Nations: Tension, Progress, and Failings

Fall 2020 /

The United Nations has taken great strides toward increased global justice and equality, but more needs to be done.

Five Years after Agreeing on the Sustainable Development Goals: Where are We?

October 21, 2020 /

Much more needs to be done on the SDGs, how they are reported, and how they are ultimately evaluated.

The Charter of the United Nations After 75 Years: Personal Reflections

August 8, 2020 / Global Forum

On the 75th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, President of the International Court of Justice, reflects on the Charter’s world-changing history.

Challenges to Migration Governance in the Arab Region

June 3, 2020 / Global Forum

Since its endorsement in 2018, a wealth of challenges have delayed the full implementation of the Global Compact for Migration in the Arab region.

Deconstructing Fukuyama

Spring 2020 / Book Reviews

Taking apart the arguments of division that underscore the populist movements emerging in today’s liberal democracies

Reinventing Governance for a Fragile and Complex New World

May 15, 2020 / COVID-19: Global Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the weaknesses of the international system; to fix the present and prepare for the future, we must pivot to a resilience paradigm.

Egypt’s Most Vulnerable and COVID-19

May 13, 2020 / Midan

Are refugees and asylum seekers protected by its strong domestic laws and international commitments?

Are We Seeing a COVID-Created New World Order Emerge?

May 8, 2020 / Midan

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted stark deficiencies in the post-World War II international system, and forces us to choose between the status quo and a new world order.

Sustainable Solutions for an Economic Crisis

May 1, 2020 / Essays

As the world grapples to mitigate a looming economic crisis, a roadmap already exists: the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Country to City Continuum

December 6, 2019 / Midan

Government leaders and public policy experts attended the Regional Workshop on Strengthening Migration Governance Across the Rural Urban Continuum.

Beyond Sanctions

Fall 2019 / Essays

Understanding how North Korea circumvents sanctions offers key insights into the world of WMD finance—and ways to stop other would-be proliferators

Libya’s Dangerous Political Stalemate

October 8, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Until now, most of the external actors involved in Libya relied on a Cold-War “zero sum game theory”, based on the dichotomic vision amicus/hostis (friend/enemy) of classical realpolitik. It is time this changes.

Cohesion through Decentralization

Summer 2019 / Essays

The rebuilding process in Libya will be complex and arduous but must be done with a focus on local actors and an acknowledgment of the realities on the ground

Reforming UN Peacekeeping

February 10, 2019 / Global Forum

How Cairo views efforts at reforming United Nations’ peacekeeping, especially in the Middle East and Africa.

Civil Society for the Displaced

January 29, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

To meet the challenges of massive human displacement in the Middle East and North Africa, civil society actors need a common platform where they can advocate. The MENA Civil Society Network for Displacement or CSND sets out to be that.

SDG 16 and the Lessons for Egypt

August 2, 2018 / Global Forum

The lessons learnt for Egypt from the 2018 United Nations Public Service Awards which were held to recognize nations achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 16.

UN Deputy Envoy for Syria: “It’s an Emotional Rollercoaster”

March 22, 2018 / Q & A

As the fighting in Syria enters its eighth year, the United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy speaks about efforts to end the conflict.

The UN’s Crimes of Omission

March 15, 2018 / Global Forum

As conflicts keep erupting worldwide, the UN must seriously consider limiting the P5’s veto power.

Failure of the International Security System

March 3, 2018 / Global Forum

Since its inception, the United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by the political agendas of the great powers. If the Council is to achieve its main goal of maintaining peace and security, the international community must reconsider the veto power and its impact on the Council’s effectiveness.

Flawed Diplomacy in Libya

Winter 2018 / Essays

For years, many actors have tried to mediate peace efforts for the Libyan crisis, but instead of an end to hostilities, conflicts remain.

Acts of Annihilation

Winter 2017 / Essays

Perceptions of the Islamic State’s attack on the Yazidis focus on the enslavement of women and girls, but the barbarous gender-based assaults on women as well as men are an integral part of the group’s campaign of genocide to eradicate a religious minority.