"One of the misconceptions about the Syrian refugee crisis is that it mainly involves people in large camps, above all in Jordan and Turkey....But according to UN figures, a full three quarters of the Syrian refugee population throughout the region are surviving on their own in towns and rural areas."

Watch this meeting live on Wednesday, October 2, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. (ET).

Experts explore how governments, the private sector, and civil society should address the effects of international migration and discuss possible outcomes of transnational challenges.

Heidi Crebo-Rediker, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of State, has joined the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) as a senior fellow. Her work will focus on the role of economics in U.S. diplomacy, and she will also participate in CFR's Renewing America initiative, which studies the domestic economic underpinnings of U.S. power.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon weighs in on the U.S. government shutdown.

John Campbell explains Boko Haram's presence in Nigeria and potential implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Jendayi Frazer argues that the United States "should work closely with Kenya to the East/Horn of Africa coalition against terrorism."

"Suleimani took command of the Quds Force fifteen years ago, and has sought to reshape the Middle East in Iran's favor: assassinating rivals, arming allies, and directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq. And yet he has remained mostly invisible to the outside world. 'Suleimani is the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today,' a former C.I.A. officer in Iraq, told me, 'and no one's ever heard of him.'"

Mariano Rajoy, president of Spain, discusses Spanish foreign policy and the current state of U.S.-Spain relations.

The Obama administration is demonstrating a renewed interest in African economic partnerships after largely ignoring the continent during the president's first term. During his summer 2013 trip to Africa, President Obama articulated a policy focus on energy and business ventures. He announced that the United States would aim to expand sub-Saharan Africans' access to electricity and committed $7 billion over five years to the "Power Africa" initiative. He also vowed to send more trade missions to Africa and invite African leaders to a U.S. summit in 2014.

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The main activity of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to publish regular reports on the state of knowledge about climate change.

A diplomatic dance will be no waltz for either Iran or America, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass.

"'[Putin's] worldview is that the world is in such a chaotic, incomprehensible state, that all attempts to influence it with direct action are counterproductive and only bring the opposite of the intended result,' says Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor of Russia in Global Affairs, who is seen as a good decoder of the Kremlin's thinking. Furthermore, the trope of U.S. obligation to do this or enforce that is more than galling to Putin, Lukyanov says. It is incomprehensible."

Elliott Abrams review Like Dreamers, by Yossi Kelin Halevi, for the Wall Street Journal.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution regarding Syrian chemical weapons on September 27, 2013.

Fred Kaplan urges the United States to work with Iranian president Rouhani in light of his speeches at the United Nations General Assembly this week.

As a top destination for foreign investment, the United States seeks to strike a balance between national security and its commitment to open markets, explains this Backgrounder.

Hassan Rouhani, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, discusses Iranian foreign policy.

Hassan Rouhani, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, discusses Iranian foreign policy.

"China's approval process for inbound foreign direct investment drives many of the headline economic issues currently being discussed between China and its trading partners, as well as internally within China."

Hassan Rouhani, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, discusses Iranian foreign policy.