Our research agenda

Relations between North Korea and Russia have developed rapidly from a cash-for-weapons exchange to the deployment of North Korean troops. Their partnership now endangers regional and global security, and the US and its partners must take the threat seriously.

This paper examines the policy challenges arising from the commercialization of cyber intrusion capabilities, and puts forward a set of principles to help governments and wider society navigate markets in which these capabilities can be bought and sold as products and services by states, companies and criminals.

The examples of Afghanistan and Ukraine offer insights and lessons for policymakers and private sector actors on how to build and maintain a resilient internet in future conflict and crisis situations.

Cybercrime is a growing threat to global prosperity and national security. Recent attacks against critical services across the world have highlighted the need for countries to take a collaborative and strategic response.

Russia seeks to rebuild and modernize its armed forces, both to make up for combat losses in Ukraine and to apply lessons from that theatre. The outcome of this project matters deeply for Western security.

Increasing use of nuclear energy – due partly to innovations in reactor design – will make it more important than ever to protect civil nuclear facilities from cyberthreats, including by applying existing international law.

A principles-based approach to cyber capacity-building offers significant advantages for countries developing the essential capabilities to defend themselves against ever more sophisticated cyberattacks.

Technologies developed by the private sector can exacerbate gendered cyber harms, but also have the potential to counter and mitigate them.

By identifying and understanding the connections between gendered cyber harms, states can take steps to better counter and mitigate these harms.

This paper provides a detailed analysis of how and when states can respond to violations of international law through the use of countermeasures, with a particular focus on the cyber context.

Whichever party wins the general election, limited resources will prevent an expansive foreign agenda. ‘Realistic ambition’ should be the guiding principle, with a focus on adapting to risks around the US and China, improving relations with the EU, and strengthening the UK’s role in international governance and development.

Tanzania’s rising economic influence and its ambitions for major cross-border infrastructure projects demand a more proactive approach to foreign policy. The policy review currently under way is a chance for the country to reach its potential as a regional leader and reliable global partner.

This paper explores how the remote border district of Sinjar in Iraq became a transnational conflict hub that threatens wider security in the Middle East.

As diverse forms of cooperation between states, international organizations and non-state groups increasingly shape armed conflicts, the need for legal clarity on who qualifies as a party to conflict has never been greater.

Protracted and increasingly complex armed conflicts are impacting the ability of assistance organizations to work in accordance with humanitarian principles. Coherent and shared approaches to the principles and greater local participation are central to improving civilian outcomes.

International humanitarian efforts are disconnected from the people affected by armed conflict contexts. This paper looks at how the international humanitarian system should respond to rejections of humanitarian principles and improve systems of accountability.

This paper assesses Russia’s cyber and information operations against Ukraine, considers why Ukrainian responses have often been so effective, and outlines potential lessons for other states.

Given the continuing existence of rival political institutions and a competitive and divided security sector in Libya, discussion of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration is often viewed as premature. But while there is no blueprint for DDR across Libya as a whole, there is already scope for planning according to local contexts.

Behavioural insights have already been used to enhance the choice architecture in several areas of public policy. This research paper explores their potential for improving decision-making in nuclear weapons policy.

Political settlements in Iraq, Lebanon and Libya have long relied on deals between elites to ensure ‘stability’, but the resulting power-sharing systems fuel corruption and have led to disastrous governance failings. To improve the daily lives of citizens under these settlements, international policymakers must focus on increasing the accountability of elites.

In this research paper, Juliet Skingsley investigates democratic states’ strategies for balancing utility and risk in offensive cyber operations.

This paper explores the regional dimensions of the two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and the potential for successful implementation of the November 2022 peace agreement.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

This report makes the case for dramatically increased Western military assistance to Ukraine, and counsels against concessions to Russia.

How might a post-Putin Russia look to the outside world? Duncan Allan presents some potential outcomes based on a scenario of a Russian defeat in Ukraine.

Many of the assumptions that underpin current AI policies are entrenched despite the fact that they are unproven and face criticism for not representing the interests of all stakeholders.

More cohesive international engagement is needed to support stability in Ethiopia and Sudan and resolve damaging cross-border disputes that jeopardize security and development across the Horn of Africa.

Belarus – seen as a ‘vassal state’ of Russia – presents challenges for Western policymakers seeking to end repressions and support its pro-democracy movement.

Russian nuclear threats have been highly successful in constraining Western responses to the war on Ukraine. Actual use of nuclear weapons by Russia is unlikely – but must be more firmly deterred.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

Against a backdrop of rising tensions, this paper examines the internal and external influences that are shaping China’s policy towards the US and the implications for the wider world.

Whichever party wins the general election, limited resources will prevent an expansive foreign agenda. ‘Realistic ambition’ should be the guiding principle, with a focus on adapting to risks around the US and China, improving relations with the EU, and strengthening the UK’s role in international governance and development.

Achieving Xi Jinping’s ambitious agenda of self-reliance in critical technologies will become all the more difficult as the space for creative thinking within China narrows, and opportunities diminish for Chinese scientists to work with peers internationally.

More cohesive international engagement is needed to support stability in Ethiopia and Sudan and resolve damaging cross-border disputes that jeopardize security and development across the Horn of Africa.

With consistent and long-term support from the US, the Abraham Accords could have a transformative impact on Middle East economic cooperation and regional security.

A global approach is the only way to tackle debt distress in Africa. This will require strategic cooperation between China, the West and African nations.

This paper assesses plans for investment in a sustainable economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines how such efforts could transform international development cooperation.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) has become the main platform for US–EU trade and tech cooperation. But the US and the EU must turn ambitions into tangible outcomes if the TTC is to tackle significant global issues.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

In 2021 G7 leaders pledged to build back a better world. They now need to redouble their efforts to make sure that this ambition is fulfilled.

The rise of China is one of the greatest challenges for the transatlantic relationship. Despite similar concerns, fundamental differences could prevent a joined-up European and US approach.

China has increased its humanitarian aid and diplomatic engagement in displacement crises, but obstacles to deeper involvement remain.

Russia’s increasingly militarized approach to polar politics threatens to end the era of low tension in the Arctic and to undermine the stability of the Antarctic Treaty System.

After two decades as a member of the WTO, how has China’s approach to global economic governance enabled the country to achieve its core objectives?

Understanding the role of national and subnational institutions in determining China’s foreign policy is key to working with the country on major global issues.

This paper offers a public policy ‘toolkit’ for governments in the US and Europe to support firms in securing resilient and sustainable supply chains

This paper takes a closer look at how South Korea manages its economic and security relations with the US and China in the context of increased rivalry.

This paper takes a closer look at the EU’s approach to China and how this may change as US–China tensions intensify.

Important political shifts in 2021 could bring greater clarity on Germany’s changing China policy, no matter who succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor, writes Noah Barkin.

Getting to a security framework for the Middle East needs the buy-in of all regional actors, enabled by critical external partners. The time to act is now, argue Sanam Vakil and Neil Quilliam.

China’s expansion into the Indo-Pacific is meeting growing resistance from a range of countries that are looking to further their own interests in the region.

China’s highly restrictive approach to online freedom of expression has not only intensified under COVID-19, the government is also increasingly trying to shape global online technology governance.

The authors of this paper consider the most pressing foreign policy challenges for the next US president, and examine how the outcome of the 2020 election will affect these.

A modernized and fully functioning WTO is more essential than ever. This paper makes the case for transatlantic cooperation as a necessary condition for reform.

Critics of the BRI accuse China of pursuing a policy of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’: luring poor, developing countries into agreeing unsustainable loans to pursue infrastructure projects so that, when they experience financial difficulty, Beijing can seize the asset, thereby extending its strategic or military reach.

Canadian attitudes towards China have undergone a dramatic shift – from ambivalence to distrust – since the two countries became locked in a diplomatic dispute in late 2018. This paper argues that these hardened sentiments are unlikely to dissipate and Canada–China relations seem to have entered a new, warier phase.

This paper summarizes the US mission in Somalia, analyses how it is being implemented, and assesses whether US policy in Somalia is working. It also outlines three scenarios for future US engagement.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is having profound impacts on recipient countries. This paper examines the benefits and costs of the BRI and its projects to Sri Lanka and the lessons that may improve future BRI projects in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

This paper examines the risks of greater strategic competition as well as potential solutions for mitigating the impacts of the US–China economic confrontation.

In the context of recent developments, this paper reviews US President Donald Trump’s Iran strategy and explores possible pathways to a new nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic.

Whichever party wins the general election, limited resources will prevent an expansive foreign agenda. ‘Realistic ambition’ should be the guiding principle, with a focus on adapting to risks around the US and China, improving relations with the EU, and strengthening the UK’s role in international governance and development.

As climate change and the trade of water-intensive goods exacerbate global water scarcity, how can importers of commodity products improve the sustainable use of water at sites of production?

Cutting aviation carbon emissions is vital for achieving net zero, but near-term, scalable decarbonization options are limited. This paper explores the possibility of reducing demand for flights to help keep the sector on track for net zero.

Sustainable finance taxonomies could help incentivize additional investment for circular economy initiatives. The EU’s taxonomy offers lessons on how to leverage taxonomies to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

This paper assesses plans for investment in a sustainable economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines how such efforts could transform international development cooperation.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) has become the main platform for US–EU trade and tech cooperation. But the US and the EU must turn ambitions into tangible outcomes if the TTC is to tackle significant global issues.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

How increasing economic and political inequality and the ‘depoliticization’ of economic policymaking, through technocratic management insulated from national-level parliamentary scrutiny, have contributed to the crisis of democracy in Europe.

Although the UK is less exposed to the direct effects of the war in Ukraine than other European countries, the indirect and longer-term impact will be significant.

In 2021 G7 leaders pledged to build back a better world. They now need to redouble their efforts to make sure that this ambition is fulfilled.

To help sustain the unity of response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK needs to rebuild its relationship with the EU, expand the role of the G7, and deploy its trade and development policies more strategically.

To forge an effective Russia policy post-Brexit, the UK needs a clear, coherent Russia strategy based on a realistic assessment of its own power and influence.

Specialist international engagement roles within the British armed forces may prove crucial to achieving the objectives of the UK’s Integrated Review.

Efforts to understand the rise of populist parties and movements in Europe need to take into account the diverse contexts in which anti-establishment protest has flourished.

The UK’s current approach to anti-kleptocracy damages its rule of law, its standing as an opponent of international corruption and the integrity of important domestic institutions.

A new paper assesses the impacts of the pandemic on UK food and nutrition security, as the country establishes its post-Brexit priorities for trade and agriculture.

The use of forest biomass for energy is growing rapidly, but existing EU and UK policies ignore its contribution to increased carbon emissions.

This paper offers a public policy ‘toolkit’ for governments in the US and Europe to support firms in securing resilient and sustainable supply chains

The EU and the UK need to take the lead in addressing long-standing concerns over lack of transparency and accountability in the use of armed drones, write Jessica Dorsey and Nilza Amaral.

The post-Brexit context makes the E3 more difficult as a format for cooperation between France, Germany and the UK. The three countries are more likely to be able to develop a shared strategic agenda by identifying specific problems which they need to solve together.

China’s expansion into the Indo-Pacific is meeting growing resistance from a range of countries that are looking to further their own interests in the region.

A proposed blueprint for Britain’s future foreign policy argues that the country can remain internationally influential post-Brexit by acting as the broker of solutions to global challenges.

This paper presents scenarios in which performance enhancement of military personnel would be ethically permissible, given the unique nature of warfare.

This paper explores the origins of the E3 format of diplomatic coordination between France, Germany and the UK, and its possible future development.

The COVID-19 crisis could lead to a wider rethink of Europe’s political economy. This paper explores what such a model might look like, and what it would mean for the governance of the European Union.

Many middle powers have been warning of the dangers inherent in the decline of the liberal international order. The time has come for these countries to translate their warnings into concerted action.

This report makes the case that a stronger relationship between the UK and Japan could advance each country’s ability to address shared global concerns.

Brexit, for better or worse, means a major structural change in how people in the UK think about the food they eat. There is an opportunity to reformulate food policy for the better, but this could be easily squandered if not managed carefully.

Turkey’s experience shows the challenges facing a non-member state in a formal customs arrangement with the EU. Post-Brexit Britain should seek a more intimate arrangement with the EU.

The UK government’s words and deeds are still not synchronized. That is a recipe for trouble.

Peru has the potential to play a major role in supply chains for the global energy transition. But its fractured politics is holding it back. Broad-based, inclusive dialogues between government, civil society and private sector interests are essential to build a more equitable and sustainable mining economy.

International cooperation can help governments manage the costs and risks of reliance on BECCS and DACCS in net zero strategies. But even where costs are minimized, this does not mean that these technologies are low-cost solutions.

There remains a huge gap between the trillions of dollars of financing needed to support climate action and the amounts of money currently being deployed. This paper proposes new approaches to mobilizing private climate investment to help close this gap.

Sustainable bioeconomies can play a significant role in the climate transition and in protecting nature, but this will only be possible with more strategic coordination on innovation, investment and international policy.

Amid concern about lack of progress on the SDGs, an opportunity is emerging to put the ‘circular economy’ at the heart of international action on everything from tackling climate change to reducing poverty.

Amid civil war and territorial rivalry on both sides of the Ethiopia–Sudan border, sesame has become central to a conflict economy that perpetuates violence and political instability.

As climate change and the trade of water-intensive goods exacerbate global water scarcity, how can importers of commodity products improve the sustainable use of water at sites of production?

Competing demands for land will increasingly complicate resource security and climate action, threatening international and environmental stability. This report explores the pressures, and sets out how the risks can be mitigated.

Cutting aviation carbon emissions is vital for achieving net zero, but near-term, scalable decarbonization options are limited. This paper explores the possibility of reducing demand for flights to help keep the sector on track for net zero.

The war is making the challenges of climate change harder to overcome, both in Ukraine and worldwide.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Sustainable finance taxonomies could help incentivize additional investment for circular economy initiatives. The EU’s taxonomy offers lessons on how to leverage taxonomies to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The ‘net zero’ transition will require a massive reallocation of private capital from high- to low-carbon assets in coming decades. Action by central banks, financial regulators and industry coalitions will be critical to this process.

Public facilities are key to managing human displacement crises. With strained resources, sustainable upgrades to buildings can enable states to meet multiple welfare objectives.

Integrating nature-based solutions into the forest bioeconomy can help address the funding gap for these activities by tapping into existing flows of sustainable finance.

Zambia’s recent approach to international relations has boosted the country’s prominence, but further domestic focus is needed to make this a sustainable policy shift.

While current food systems hinder efforts towards climate and biodiversity goals, a transformation in the way food is produced could enable progress on these crises this decade.

International trade is an essential component of the transition to a circular economy. Collective action at the global level can help ensure that all countries benefit equally from the circular economy transition.

The global ambition of SDG 7 to provide clean, safe and sustainable energy for all cannot be achieved if displaced people are left outside energy policy and planning in host countries.

From the international through to the local level, inclusive approaches are needed to ensure effective governance of forests and promote the sustainable use of land.

What might a transformed, healthy and sustainable global food system look like? Two contrasting models of sustainability show the options for targeting policy and investment.

While the war in Ukraine is having significant global impacts for energy, food and fertilizer markets, it may also aggravate wider economic and social upheaval.

This paper examines the collection and disbursement of forest sector revenues in three African countries following efforts to improve transparency and accountability.

Progress towards SDG2: Zero Hunger has slowed in recent years; reform of the Rome-based UN agencies may hold the key to getting this initiative back on track.

Venezuela’s recovery from economic collapse and the future prosperity of its citizens depend on the reconstruction of its crisis-ridden electricity system.

A new paper assesses the impacts of the pandemic on UK food and nutrition security, as the country establishes its post-Brexit priorities for trade and agriculture.

Mozambique’s government has an opportunity to redress human rights failings and help establish durable security relationships in the vital extractives sector.

Analysing a crucial opportunity for enhancing ambitions on climate finance, adaptation, and ‘loss and damage’, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The international community must partner effectively with Brazilian stakeholders to conserve the Amazonian forest and foster sustainable economic development.

In the near term, climate change adaptation efforts must prioritize tackling socio-economic vulnerabilities in the most at-risk regions. Failure to act will worsen climate impacts across the world.

As COP29 host, Azerbaijan must dispel doubts about its own capability and commitment by helping countries reach an ambitious climate finance deal.

Sustainable bioeconomies can play a significant role in the climate transition and in protecting nature, but this will only be possible with more strategic coordination on innovation, investment and international policy.

Amid concern about lack of progress on the SDGs, an opportunity is emerging to put the ‘circular economy’ at the heart of international action on everything from tackling climate change to reducing poverty.

Russia seeks to rebuild and modernize its armed forces, both to make up for combat losses in Ukraine and to apply lessons from that theatre. The outcome of this project matters deeply for Western security.

Increasing use of nuclear energy – due partly to innovations in reactor design – will make it more important than ever to protect civil nuclear facilities from cyberthreats, including by applying existing international law.

A principles-based approach to cyber capacity-building offers significant advantages for countries developing the essential capabilities to defend themselves against ever more sophisticated cyberattacks.

Tanzania’s rising economic influence and its ambitions for major cross-border infrastructure projects demand a more proactive approach to foreign policy. The policy review currently under way is a chance for the country to reach its potential as a regional leader and reliable global partner.

Amid civil war and territorial rivalry on both sides of the Ethiopia–Sudan border, sesame has become central to a conflict economy that perpetuates violence and political instability.

It is increasingly difficult for assistance organizations to provide aid in an impartial and neutral manner, particularly where gender-based marginalization is systemic. Project planning that considers gender and inclusivity can boost the reach of aid and provide more equitable assistance.

International humanitarian efforts are disconnected from the people affected by armed conflict contexts. This paper looks at how the international humanitarian system should respond to rejections of humanitarian principles and improve systems of accountability.

Protracted and increasingly complex armed conflicts are impacting the ability of assistance organizations to work in accordance with humanitarian principles. Coherent and shared approaches to the principles and greater local participation are central to improving civilian outcomes.

Based on a new global review of laboratory accident reporting, this Chatham House research paper presents the case for a sustainable and risk-based approach to biosafety.

In this research paper, Juliet Skingsley investigates democratic states’ strategies for balancing utility and risk in offensive cyber operations.

Placing the global challenges of inequality, climate change and technology at the heart of the human rights agenda does not mean turning away from other human rights priorities.

This paper explores the regional dimensions of the two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and the potential for successful implementation of the November 2022 peace agreement.

Efforts to finance the global HIV response were the product of a unique era of collaborative thinking and partnerships. This research paper seeks to draw lessons for the benefit of future core global health priorities.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

This report makes the case for dramatically increased Western military assistance to Ukraine, and counsels against concessions to Russia.

To reinvigorate multilateral human rights diplomacy and overcome the challenge of US–China polarization, powerful states must engage with innovative ideas and new leadership emerging from the Global South.

More cohesive international engagement is needed to support stability in Ethiopia and Sudan and resolve damaging cross-border disputes that jeopardize security and development across the Horn of Africa.

The number of people living in fragile and conflict-affected states where relations between national authorities and major donors are estranged is rising. This research paper from Chatham House and NYU’s Center on International Cooperation identifies emerging best practice and strategic shifts in donor approaches to reflect this new reality.

Global economic and financial institutions have been ill equipped to date to support climate action. What reforms are realistically possible?

Russian nuclear threats have been highly successful in constraining Western responses to the war on Ukraine. Actual use of nuclear weapons by Russia is unlikely – but must be more firmly deterred.

Zambia’s recent approach to international relations has boosted the country’s prominence, but further domestic focus is needed to make this a sustainable policy shift.

Global trade continues to face multiple challenges as the risks of deepening tensions between the US and China, along with those of an escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, weigh on economies.

A global approach is the only way to tackle debt distress in Africa. This will require strategic cooperation between China, the West and African nations.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) has become the main platform for US–EU trade and tech cooperation. But the US and the EU must turn ambitions into tangible outcomes if the TTC is to tackle significant global issues.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

While current food systems hinder efforts towards climate and biodiversity goals, a transformation in the way food is produced could enable progress on these crises this decade.

International trade is an essential component of the transition to a circular economy. Collective action at the global level can help ensure that all countries benefit equally from the circular economy transition.

Peru has the potential to play a major role in supply chains for the global energy transition. But its fractured politics is holding it back. Broad-based, inclusive dialogues between government, civil society and private sector interests are essential to build a more equitable and sustainable mining economy.

Corruption is a persistent problem in Nigeria’s judicial system and public procurement. This paper presents survey data on public attitudes, and explores how these can be harnessed to drive anti-corruption efforts forward.

The sustained backing of reform-minded officials within Iraq, alongside durable support from international stakeholders, will be essential to fostering an environment in which young political and civil society actors and entrepreneurs can work together to overcome systemic barriers to change.

Tanzania’s rising economic influence and its ambitions for major cross-border infrastructure projects demand a more proactive approach to foreign policy. The policy review currently under way is a chance for the country to reach its potential as a regional leader and reliable global partner.

For Western governments, India’s status as the world’s largest democracy is one of the key pillars for engagement with New Delhi, even though India rarely uses democracy promotion as an overt tool of its foreign policy. There is potential, too, for an erosion of India’s democratic credentials to limit the scope for cooperation in particularly sensitive areas, and to raise questions about India’s claim to offer a worldview that is non-Western but not explicitly anti-Western.

This paper explores how mechanisms nominally designed to deliver democratic and accountable governance in Iraq often fail to do so in practice. It offers a plan to tackle the problem by connecting and mobilizing networks of reformers across state and society.

Political settlements in Iraq, Lebanon and Libya have long relied on deals between elites to ensure ‘stability’, but the resulting power-sharing systems fuel corruption and have led to disastrous governance failings. To improve the daily lives of citizens under these settlements, international policymakers must focus on increasing the accountability of elites.

Civic freedoms and space are critical to stable, profitable and sustainable business environments. But investor awareness remains limited.

How might a post-Putin Russia look to the outside world? Duncan Allan presents some potential outcomes based on a scenario of a Russian defeat in Ukraine.

To reinvigorate multilateral human rights diplomacy and overcome the challenge of US–China polarization, powerful states must engage with innovative ideas and new leadership emerging from the Global South.

Belarus – seen as a ‘vassal state’ of Russia – presents challenges for Western policymakers seeking to end repressions and support its pro-democracy movement.

This paper explores the ever-shifting identity and political strategy of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and offers a sociological analysis of his voter base.

From the international through to the local level, inclusive approaches are needed to ensure effective governance of forests and promote the sustainable use of land.

How increasing economic and political inequality and the ‘depoliticization’ of economic policymaking, through technocratic management insulated from national-level parliamentary scrutiny, have contributed to the crisis of democracy in Europe.

Nigeria’s young democracy has been undermined by corruption in the form of vote markets. Using survey evidence, this paper examines the drivers of vote-selling.

Populist partisanship remains a feature of South Korean politics, but is the country really in the grip of ‘democratic decay’?

Political and religious elites are increasingly capturing Iraq’s cultural heritage for sectarian and commercial purposes, reducing its role as a public good and further dividing Iraqi society.

The UK’s current approach to anti-kleptocracy damages its rule of law, its standing as an opponent of international corruption and the integrity of important domestic institutions.

This paper examines why successive updates to Iraq’s electoral laws have failed to reform the dynamics of government formation.

This paper examines why some Nigerian parents, often acting against their own beliefs, pay bribes to ensure their children’s exam success.

The resilience of Ukraine’s system of crony capitalism is the underlying obstacle to the development of fully functioning democratic institutions and rule of law, writes John Lough

For Hezbollah, having hybrid status is ideal for maintaining its objective of possessing and exercising power without responsibility to the Lebanese people, writes Lina Khatib.

Corruption has led to the near collapse of the state in Lebanon. While the introduction of legal measures to tackle this issue is a positive step, the effectiveness of these reforms remains uncertain.

This paper explores how political parties compete and cooperate for power in formal institutions in the Iraqi state, notably through appointing senior civil servants to do their bidding.

Ukraine’s media sector faces a wide range of challenges – not least the influence of oligarchs and politicians. This paper explores efforts to improve professional standards and public trust.

This paper explores European populist movements and their impact on the liberal international order.

The paper proposes a definition of sustainable procurement so goods, services, works and utilities achieve value for money on a life-cycle basis.

Over the past 20 years, initiatives to strengthen governance in the forest sector have improved transparency and participation in tropical forest countries.

To the extent that perceptions of a crisis in liberal democracy in Europe can be confirmed, this paper investigates the nature of the problem and its causes.

Although some digital platforms now have an impact on more people’s lives than does any one state authority, the international community has been slow to hold to account these platforms’ activities by reference to human rights law.