Territorial self-governance and separatism: The case of (eastern) Ukraine
Territorial self-governance can take many forms, from federation, to federacy, to devolution. Provided the conditions are right, it can contribute to conflict prevention and settlement. Ukraine exhibits many characteristics in which the application of territorial...Towards a More Strategic Partnership: Strengthening the OSCE through Enhanced EU-OSCE Cooperation
With Europe’s security order becoming ever more fragile, the EU and the OSCE face very different political and structural challenges. While the EU’s new Strategic Compass emphasizes its aspirations to become a genuine security actor, the OSCE faces erosion of the...Mission (Im)Possible? UN Military Peacekeeping Operations in Civil Wars
Under what conditions can UN military peacekeeping operations (PKOs) succeed in contexts of civil war? Together with my colleagues Darya Pushkina and Markus Siewert, I explore this important question in light of the prevalence and cost of civil wars and the high, yet...China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for the OSCE
Since its inception in late 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has grown into a vast global development project with increasing geopolitical and geo-economic implications. By 2020, Belt and Road co-operation involved more than half of the OSCE’s 57 participating...Pluralism and Conflict Prevention
A pluralistic approach to conflict prevention requires practitioners to identify the divisions and exclusions in a society that can lead to violence long before conflict is imminent. Paying careful attention to these early warnings of conflict, and addressing them before they are exacerbated, can pave the way for institutional and cultural environments that foster inclusion and thus, more sustainable peace.