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.
Michael A. Levi says natural gas is a good and inexpensive alternative to coal and oil, but it's still a fossil fuel. Keeping in mind that gas is far from a permanent climate solution, delegates meeting in Doha for the UN climate change negotiations "should strengthen their efforts, individually and collectively, to promote innovation and development of cost-effective zero-carbon energy options."
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 regardinga 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.
Joshua Kurlantzick asseses the current limitations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and prescribes recommendations for both the United States and ASEAN that will enable ASEAN to firmly establish itself as the essential regional organization in Asia.
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 a 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.
Speaker: János Martonyi Presider: Nancy G. Brinker
Nancy Brinker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Susan G. Komen for the Cure interviews Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Janos Martonyi on the state of the European Union today.
The EU's Nobel Peace Prize selection comes as the bloc struggles to resolve its debt crisis. Nevertheless, the EU represents one of the great peacemaking accomplishments of the modern era.
Authors: Daniel Gros, Oliver Stuenkel, Nikita Maslennikov, and Pradumna B. Rana
The IMF and World Bank leaders meet in Tokyo this week for their fall meetings. Four experts discuss the failure of IMF leaders to implement agreed-upon governance reform.
Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose party won last week's parliamentary elections in Georgia, will forge a foreign policy based on pragmatism, not ideology, says RFE/RL's Elizabeth Fuller.
Ignore the commentariat: Susan Rice isn't to blame for the complicated intelligence process following the Benghazi attack, writes Leslie H. Gelb in Newsweek.
The interactive Global Governance Monitor tracks, maps, and evaluates multilateral efforts to address today's global challenges.
CFR Experts Guide
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.