Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdullatif bin Rashid Al- Zayani read this joint statement to conclude the 33rd GCC Summit in Bahrain on December 25, 2012.

John B. Bellinger III says, "Over the last 230 years, the Senate has approved more than 1,500 treaties. In 2013, Mr. Obama must demonstrate leadership by putting greater effort in securing Senate approval of essential treaties that advance American interests, including the Law of the Sea Convention."

Absent a muscular effort by political leaders to contain the crisis, Egypt could be heading into a new season of political violence.

"She currently holds the fate of Europe in her hands. If the euro is rescued, Merkel will get most of the credit, and if it falls apart, she will be forced to shoulder the blame. No other German chancellor has had as much power on the European continent as the current one. And yet, ironically enough, none of Merkel's predecessors were as dispassionate about the European Union as the woman currently governing from the Chancellery."

EU leaders at this week's summit are expected to advance a banking union crucial to restoring confidence in the eurozone, but its full implementation is a long way off, says CFR's Robert Kahn.

With the passing of International Human Rights Day, Jerome A. Cohen says China still has no effective means of enforcing the rights enshrined in its constitution. Yet, once again, new Communist Party leaders reignite hopes for bringing government and the party under the rule of law.

Kenneth Anderson and Matthew C. Waxman say some view automated technology developments as a crisis for the laws of war. But provided we start now to incorporate ethical and legal norms into weapons design, the incremental movement from automation to genuine machine autonomy already underway might well be made to serve the ends of law on the battlefield.

The quest by Palestinian officials for statehood recognition could have major repercussions for the Mideast peace process. This Backgrounder outlines the potential impact of the UN vote.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gave these remarks to the UN General Assembly on November 29, 2012 following the UNGA's vote to grant Palestine observer status.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice gave this statement explaining the United States' vote on Palestine's non-member observer state status, on November 29, 2012.

UN General Assembly draft resolution A/67/L.28, according Palestine non-member observer state status in the United Nations, passed by a vote of 138 to 9 on November 29, 2012.

Charles A. Kupchan argues that David Cameron's changes to Britain's relationship with the European Union run the risk of a British exit from the union and a weakening of Britain's role as a bridge between the United States and Europe.

Acrimony among European leaders regarding a new EU budget is indicative of larger challenges the union faces in facilitating further economic integration, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby.

The eurozone crisis has consequences far beyond the continent's economic performance, such as the EU's ability to forge coherent defense and foreign policy.

The Boyuan Foundation, headed by former investment banker He Di, is possibly the most ambitious, radical, and consequential think tank in China, according to Foreign Policy.

ASEAN is the most significant multilateral institution in Asia but is unequipped to handle the region's most pressing economic and security challenges. CFR Fellow Joshua Kurlantzick makes recommendations for how ASEAN can bolster its capacity—and how the United States can help.

Elizabeth C. Economy says corruption and the failure to develop rule of law in China now define much of the country's political and economic life. With Xi Jinping poised to take over, the focus should be on significant political reform.

Jerome A. Cohen says that while Bo Xilai and Chen Kegui "hail from opposite ends of China's political, economic and social hierarchies, they now have much in common, including the determination of the authorities to punish them for political reasons."

International efforts to ease Syria's crisis have been limited by divisions in the UN Security Council and wariness about a military response, explains this Backgrounder.

Matthew C. Waxman argues that international law still plays a powerful role in justifying or delegitimizing the case for military action. Just like in the Cuban missile crisis, the United States needs to present a plausible case for self-defense in order to strike Iran.