Global Governance

Ask CFR Experts

How long will it take southern Europe to rebound from the eurozone crisis, and how will that affect the rest of Europe?

Asked by Jackson Ryan, from King HS

The debt crisis that has hammered southern Europe since 2010 will have long-lived economic effects, despite the moderation in Spanish and Italian government borrowing costs since the European Central Bank's "Outright Monetary Transactions" initiative last September.

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Do you foresee UN Security Council reform in the near future, and if so, in what form?

Asked by Andrew K

The UNSC is unlikely to be altered any time soon. Any resolution to expand the UNSC would need to garner the support of two-thirds of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), or 129 votes, as well as endorsement by the five permanent members to succeed.

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Primary Sources

Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare

In 2009 the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence (NATO CCD COE) asked a panel of international law experts to "apply standards of international law to a virtual battlefield." The panel released this report on March 28, 2013, as "an expression of opinions of a group of independent experts acting solely in their personal capacity."

See more in Cybersecurity, Wars and Warfare, International Law

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What is the way forward for the territorial disputes in the East China Sea?

Asked by Go Katayama, from New York University

The East China Sea is a source of vital resources, especially fisheries and natural resources like gas and oil. Regional cooperation on fisheries conservation as well as joint energy development projects could go a long way to offsetting tensions over territorial disputes.

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Interview

A Growth Strategy for Greece

George Papandreou interviewed by Christopher Alessi

The EU and IMF should loosen the austerity requirements of Greece's bailout package to allow the indebted country to implement needed growth-enhancing policies, says former prime minister George Papandreou.

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What can international organizations do to support civil institutions in developing states?

Asked by Jack Glore, from William Paterson University

Civil institutions are critical pillars of democratic accountability—without them, democracy remains elusive, regardless of the laws written in constitutions. This is particularly true in countries dependent on oil and other natural resource wealth, and those struggling to realize democratic transitions.

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See more in Democracy and Human Rights, Natural Resources Management, International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Rule of Law

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What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of the proposed U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement?

Asked by Bill Wanlund
Author: Robert Kahn

A U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) could provide a significant boost to U.S. jobs, growth and trade. Conversely, the primary pitfall to the agreement would be if it caused a retreat from multilateralism, divert trade trom emerging markets and weaken institutions such as the World Trade Organization.

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Have U.S. relations with Somalia improved since stronger maritime security measures have decreased piracy?

Asked by Charlotte Stafford, from Columbia University

The United States restored official relations with Somalia in January 2013 after years of civil unrest there, reflecting an increasingly stable Somali political environment. Better relations with Somalia, however, have little to do with the decrease in piracy, and the drop in offshore piracy cannot be attributed to Somali government efforts.

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Foreign Affairs Article

The Long Arm of International Law

Author: Pierre N. Leval

Thanks to a once-obscure law passed in 1789, foreign victims of foreign human rights abusers can use U.S. courts to sue their abusers. But the Supreme Court may soon ban such suits. That would be a shame, since they offer victims some measure of solace and give substance to underenforced human rights laws. The law should be upheld, and other countries should follow the U.S. lead.

See more in Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Courts and Tribunals