Antarctica is often celebrated as a continent of peace and science. All ‘measures of a military nature’ – other than logistic and technical support for scientific endeavours – are prohibited by the Antarctic Treaty, which remains widely observed some 66 years after it was negotiated in 1959. However, conversations about ‘Antarctic security’ appear to be increasing in frequency and salience. Rather than chasing military and national security spectres at the South Pole, we should invest more in diplomatic and political efforts to ensure the ongoing effective and peaceful management of the Antarctic.
Chemical Weapons Disarmament in Syria – A Door Opening?
On March 5, 2025, the caretaker foreign minister of Syria, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, delivered a speech at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in which he promised that his government would eliminate the Syrian chemical weapons programme and bring the country back into compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). If implemented, this would end over a decade of Syrian violations of the CWC, offer the opportunity to hold those responsible to account, and reaffirm the global norm against chemical weapons. Deeds will have to follow these words, but this announcement at least allows for some cautious optimism in an otherwise gloomy international disarmament climate.
US Halts Defensive Cyber Activities Against Russia: A Digital ‘Withdrawal’ from Europe
In a major shift in U.S. cybersecurity policy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt all planning against Russia, including offensive cyber operations. This policy change, made behind closed doors, represents a significant reversal of the approach taken under the Biden administration, which had identified Russia and China as the most significant intelligence threats to the United States. The decision aligns with the broader foreign policy direction of the Trump administration, which aims to “de-escalate” tensions with Russia, though it seems to be more of an appeasement. And this policy shift obviously comes at the expense of national and allied security, as has become frighteningly clear in recent days with the example of the – one can hardly call it anything else – ‘blackmail’ of Ukraine, which was temporarily denied military and intelligence support by the US.
The Arrest of Rodrigo Duterte: A Turning Point for Justice and Accountability?
After years of efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC), former President Rodrigo Duterte was finally arrested by the Philippine National Police and transferred to The Hague. What at first glance appears to be positive news, on the other hand, demonstrates the lack of will and abject failure of Philippine politics and authorities to prosecute the former president on their own soil. While the arrest is a first step to accountability and justice, it is also a dramatic testimony to the continued existence of a political elite that has no interest in taking responsibility for the common good themselves.
Maha Kumbh Mela: Integrating The Pursuit of Spirituality With Political Dynamics
Maha Kumbh is a major Hindu festival in India, noted as the largest human gathering by UNESCO. Occurring every 144 years, in 2025 it was held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP), with an estimated 600 million attendees worldwide. This article examines the symbols of the festival, their political significance, and the blending of faith and politics under the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The focus of the study is on methodologies for achieving political goals, as opposed to the customary strategy of employing religion within the context of Indian politics; a stratagem that the majority of prominent national political parties have utilised.
On International Women’s Day: Feminist Peace Perspectives for Ukraine
February 24 marked the third anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Various options for peace are being debated internationally, often without focusing on Ukrainian perspectives and interests. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, PRIF researcher Clara Perras conducted a written Interview with Olena Zinenko, a Ukrainian feminist peace activist and researcher from Kharkiv who currently lives and works in Bochum. She is lecturer at Karazin Kharkiv National University (online), guest researcher in IFHV Ruhr University Bochum and project coordinator at KRF “Public Alternative”.
The Politics of Teaching Conflict: Memory and Education in Kenya
Kenya has worked to position itself as a global and regional peace maker, however these efforts stand in contrast to its ability to handle peace internally. Continued political violence has impacted Kenyan governance, yet new school curricula remain largely silent, particularly on the 2007/2008 post-election violence and broader patterns of state repression. Despite total education overhaul, education in Kenya avoids addressing past conflicts instead using vague calls for peace. Drawing on interviews with Kenyan educators, post-conflict education in Kenya will be examined as a vehicle for peace that ignores the question of why peace is needed.
Going Back or Going Global: The End of the West and the Future Role of the MSC
In hindsight, the 2025 Munich Security Conference marked a pivotal moment. Once again the forum brought together decision-makers from around the world to discuss major global security issues, with widespread hope that it would set the stage for a sustainable peace process for Ukraine. Instead, the prospects for such a process have greatly declined, while the conference itself only further demonstrated the diminishing relevance of the ‘global West’. Originally established as a Military Security Conference (Internationale Wehrkunde-Begegnung) focused on European and transatlantic security, the MSC now stands at a crossroads: return to its European roots or expand politically and thematically? Both options come with a price tag.
Gewalteskalation im Kontext der kolumbianischen Bemühungen um Frieden: Ursachen und Auswirkungen der humanitären Krise in Catatumbo
Im Januar 2025 führten gewaltsame Zusammenstöße zwischen konkurrierenden bewaffneten Gruppen in der Region Catatumbo zu einer der schlimmsten humanitären Krisen in der jüngeren Geschichte Kolumbiens. Mindestens 55 Zivilisten starben und mehr als 50.000 Menschen wurden vertrieben. Obwohl die Regierung von Gustavo Petro den nationalen Notstand ausgerufen und das Militär eingesetzt hat, bleibt die Lage angespannt. In diesem Artikel, der auf einem englischsprachigen TraCe Policy Brief basiert, identifizieren wir die Hauptursachen für die jüngste Eskalation der Gewalt und erörtern die Auswirkungen auf laufende und künftige Versuche, Frieden in Kolumbien zu schaffen.
Bones of Injustice: Political Frictions in Restitutions of Human Remains from Colonial Contexts
In recent years, many museums and universities have begun to address past colonial injustices by critically examining their collections of human remains, often leading to their restitution to their assumed countries of origins. Such efforts are usually framed as acts of recognition, reconciliation, and repair. However, the diverse difficulties and frictions that accompany restitutions often escape public attention. This post introduces some of such difficulties that need to be taken into account to understand the complexity of restitution processes.
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