The presidential elections in the United States this November come with incredibly high stakes – both for US democracy and for US allies across the world. A new PRIF blog series on the consequences of the elections will address the possible fallout of a second Trump term for PRIF’s research areas and examine ways that German and European policymakers could prepare for and respond to the elections.
Backlash Against LGBTIQ+ Rights in Peacebuilding: Raising Awareness During Pride Month
June is celebrated as pride month worldwide. It highlights the achievements that have been made regarding the rights of people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, or sex characteristics. It also raises awareness about ongoing structural discrimination, inequality and violence. In peacebuilding contexts, individuals with diverse SOGIESC encounter severe backlash from anti-feminist actors aiming at the reversal of achievements as well as resistance from those trying to maintain the status quo.
Shattered Lives: The Global Crisis of Sexual Violence in Conflict
June 19th is the international day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict. It is a day of silent remembrance, as the crime of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is not a priority on political agendas. Survivors are often too traumatized to report, or experience further criminalization and stigmatization. The recent annual report of the UN Secretary General stresses the continuous prevalence and the global scale of this horrific crime. This blog summarizes its core findings.
Politisierung in Zeiten schwacher politischer Normen: Zum Klima-Gutachten des Internationalen Seegerichtshofs
Ende Mai legte der Internationale Seegerichtshof ein mit Spannung erwartetes Gutachten vor. Eine Gruppe kleiner Inselstaaten hatte den Seegerichtshof im Dezember 2022 angerufen, um die Frage zu klären, was die Pflichten der Vertragsstaaten des Seerechtübereinkommens für den Klimaschutz umfassen. Der Seegerichtshof kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Staaten verpflichtet sind, die Meeresverschmutzung zu verhindern. Auch wenn das Gutachten rechtlich nicht bindend ist, dürfte es Auswirkungen auf die weitere Entwicklung der Rechtsprechung zum Klimaschutz haben. Zugleich ist fraglich, wie groß die normative Wirkung des Gutachtens sein kann, da die über den Kern des Völkerrechts hinausgehende regelbasierten Ordnung zurzeit an Bedeutung verliert.
The 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference: An opportunity to push gender responsive action
In preparation of the UN Climate Change Conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November of 2024, subsidiary bodies will meet 3-13 June at the Bonn Climate Change Conference to discuss which urgent issues shall be decided in Baku. Compared to the early years of the UN Climate Change Conferences that were established in the 1990s, it is no longer contested to see gender among the focal points. Gender has become an established topic to be addressed, and the necessity is recognized of implementing climate policies in gender-responsive ways. Nevertheless, related political practice still leave a lot to be desired.
Jugend in der Krise – Überforderung, Bewältigung und Radikalisierungspotenziale
Jugendliche stehen in dem Ruf, besonders radikal zu sein. Medial erregt derzeit die Studie „Jugend in Deutschland“ Aufmerksamkeit, in der sich ein Rechtsruck junger Menschen ablesen lässt. Auch die Debatten um „Krawallnächte“, in denen Jugendliche sich zu Hochzeiten der COVID-19 Pandemie eskalative Auseinandersetzungen mit der Polizei lieferten oder Diskurse über Jugendliche, die ins Ausland reisen, um sich der Terrormiliz „Islamischer Staat“ anzuschließen, prägen das Bild einer „radikalen“ Adoleszenz. In diesem Beitrag zeichnen wir eine doppelte Belastung aus den allgemeinen Herausforderungen des Heranwachsens und den spezifischen gesellschaftlichen Spannungen für Jugendliche nach. Wir erläutern, inwieweit sich aus dieser Doppelbelastung Radikalisierungspotenziale ergeben.
Resisting Energy Transition? Understanding Roadblocks in Northern Colombia
La Guajira in northern Colombia has seen a disproportionate number of roadblocks recently, especially connected to wind park construction sites, staged by people demanding that the state implement economic, social, and physical security improvements. This conflict is an example of local impacts of the global energy transition on historically marginalized people. In this Spotlight we argue that La Guajira is a prime case showing how the energy transition is leveraged to indirectly address the state through private companies.
Small Sparks, Big Flames: Why Resolving Local Conflicts Matters for Wider Security – The Case of Bawku Conflict in Ghana.
In the Sahel region, terrorist groups have exploited existing local conflicts to expand their activities and reach. In recent years, countries especially in coastal West Africa, have experienced terrorist activities in their territories. While Ghana has been resilient against terrorist attacks on its soil, the country continues to grapple with enduring ethnic conflicts, among them the Mamprusi and Kusai conflict in Bawku. In this blog post I argue that the Bawku conflict has persisted over an extensive period, and if left unresolved, could potentially open the door for extremist exploitation and infiltration, signaling a troubling extension of Sahel terrorist activities.
Der militärische Einsatz künstlicher Intelligenz braucht Regeln: Nur welche, darüber besteht keine Einigkeit
Der Einsatz Künstlicher Intelligenz ist nicht auf zivile Zwecke begrenzt. Die Kriege in der Ukraine und in Gaza zeigen, wie umfassend KI bereits aktiv von militärischen Akteuren eingesetzt und getestet werden. Diese Entwicklung wirft jedoch erhebliche völkerrechtliche Fragen zum Einsatz solcher Systeme auf: Wie können maschinelle Entscheidungen kontrolliert und für eine Zuschreibung von Verantwortung nachvollzogen werden? Welche Rolle spielt der Mensch in diesen Prozessen? Dieser Blog diskutiert internationale Regulierungsinitiativen, die in der EU und den Vereinten Nationen im vergangenen Jahr angestoßen wurden.
Time for True Stories: Stereotypes Absolve Gendered Violence against Indigenous in Canada
Across North America, May 5 is a day to commemorate the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender diverse people. Beyond giving space for remembrance and mourning, May 5 is connected to the aims of building knowledge, raising public awareness, stimulating solidarity and underlining the need for action to end the disproportionate deadly violence. While politics and the judicial system are reminded on this day to deliver rights and justice, another important factor for change should also gain attention: the collective imagery of the Indigenous needs to be decolonized to transform the systemic structures of violence.
