Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Zero nuclear enrichment is no longer solely an American position, and it will isolate the Iranian regime even further at a volatile time in the Middle East.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Iran’s nuclear program and missile arsenal—particularly reports of a growing enriched uranium stockpile—garnered increased international scrutiny before becoming the primary targets of an attack by Israel in June.
Climate Change
The president’s UN speech criticized efforts to combat climate change, but the global clean energy transition will continue and some—like China—will take advantage of the U.S. retreat.
The 2009 determination that greenhouse gases endanger Americans empowers the government to regulate six of greenhouse gases. CFR experts discuss the potential consequences of the Trump administration’s efforts to rescind this powerful regulation.
The United States is pulling back from large-scale demonstration projects for emerging energy technologies, even as China steps up.
Palestinian Territories
Palestinians have pursued statehood for over a century. As the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip continues, several countries have recognized the Palestinian territories as a sovereign nation—but many hurdles stand in the way of full independence and UN membership.
Representative Ro Khanna discusses whether the United States should recognize Palestine as a sovereign state and the future of the region.
If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question-and-answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
In an essay in Mosaic, I ask why is there no Palestinian state today and explain why one will not be created.
U.S.-China Relations
To protect its strategic interests in Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China, the United States should consider investing more time, energy, and resources towards an often-overlooked arena of defense competition: space superiority.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a call on Friday for the second time this year. CFR President Michael Froman and Senior Fellow Rush Doshi break down the issues at stake, and the high-level planning that goes into presidential phone calls.
The United States and China have one of the world’s most important and complex bilateral relationships. Since 1949, the countries have experienced periods of both tension and cooperation over issues including trade, climate change, and Taiwan.
Trade
New Delhi has doubled down on domestic reforms and international engagement in the face of Washington’s tariffs, seeking faster growth and a wider web of economic and security ties. Continued tensions could have deep implications for U.S. economic security and grand strategy in Asia.
Four CFR fellows examine the knock-on effects of Trump’s tariff drama on five of the United States’ closest allies—Canada, the European Union, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
The “core” U.S. trade deficit is still expanding, thanks to strong electronics imports.
Foreign Policy
Building on a wide-ranging career in academia and think tanks, Michael Werz is the senior advisor for North America and multilateral affairs to the Munich Security Conference. He sat down with CFR to discuss his interest in studying changing societies and the uniqueness of Washington, DC’s political culture.
Following an illustrious diplomatic career, John Sawers became the chief of the United Kingdom intelligence service, MI6. He sat down with CFR to talk about the importance of overseas postings and what it’s like to run a spy agency.
Farah Pandith has spearheaded efforts to counter violent extremism in both Republican and Democratic administrations. CFR sat down with her to understand where such efforts stand today and what it’s like to pioneer new roles in the government.
Strategic Initiatives
Securing Ukraine’s Future
Timely, informed analysis and practical policy recommendations for both the public and policymakers.
General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action
Events
Prime Minister Mark Carney discusses Canada's foreign policy priorities and the new global economy.
Inaugurated in 1969, the Russell C. Leffingwell Lecture was named for Russell C. Leffingwell, a charter member of the Council who served as its president from 1944 to 1946 and as its chairman from 1946 to 1953. The lecture is given by distinguished foreign officials, who are invited to address Council members on a topic of major international significance.
If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question-and-answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid event will be posted on the CFR website.
In partnership with Columbia University's School on International and Public Affairs, panelists discuss what effective crisis decision-making looks like in practice, how to understand America’s adversaries, and lessons for future leaders navigating crises in national security.Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Columbia SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo's new book, Inside the Situation Room, offers a window into how presidents and policymakers weigh risks, build consensus, and communicate their decisions to the wider public. Blending fresh case studies with insights from political science, and inspired by their popular class at Columbia, the book offers a framework for understanding leadership under pressure and the art of managing crises in real time. Copies of Inside the Situation Room will be available for purchase during the event.The David A. Morse Lecture was inaugurated in 1994 and supports an annual meeting with distinguished speakers. It honors the memory of David A. Morse, an active Council on Foreign Relations member for nearly thirty years.
The head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston discusses the U.S. economic outlook and monetary policy.
If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk discusses the most pressing human rights issues around the world.
For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. The audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
The Sorensen Distinguished Lecture on the United Nations was established in 1996 by Gillian and Theodore C. Sorensen to highlight the United Nations and offer a special occasion for its most distinguished and experienced leaders to speak to the Council membership.
Explainers
What Is the BRICS Group?
As BRICS grows in both membership and global sway, it is creating a counterweight to Western influence in global institutions.
Expert Spotlight
Max Boot
Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies
Alice C. Hill
David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment
Laura Taylor-Kale
Senior Fellow for Geoeconomics and Defense
Featured Publications
An approachable guide to the political, social, and demographic changes happening in Africa and why they matter for the rest of the world.
David J. Scheffer and Mark S. Ellis provide an introduction to the UN Charter and make the case that it is the most important secular document in the world.
Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for more than sixty years. Moving among the United States, China, and Taiwan, he has encouraged legal reforms, promoted economic cooperation, mentored law students—including a future president of Taiwan—and brokered international crises.
In this compelling, conversational memoir, Cohen recounts a dramatic life of striving for a better world from Washington, DC, to Beijing, offering vital first-hand insights from the study and practice of Sino-American relations. In the early 1960s, when Americans were not permitted to enter China, he met with émigrés in Hong Kong and interviewed them on Chinese criminal procedure. After economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, Cohen’s knowledge of Chinese law took on a new importance as foreign companies began to pursue business opportunities. Helping China develop and reconstruct its legal system, he made an influential case for the roles of Western law and lawyers. Cohen helped break political barriers in both China and Taiwan, and he was instrumental in securing the release of political prisoners in several countries. Sharing these experiences and many others, this book tells the full story of an unparalleled career bridging East and West.