Mexico
Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images

Mexico

Mexico’s Elections: What to Know
Against a backdrop of widespread violence, voters are poised to elect the country’s first woman president. What could the outcome mean for trade, migration, and security?

Expert Brief by Shannon K. O'Neil May 24, 2024

Mexico

Mexico’s Long War: Drugs, Crime, and the Cartels
Violence continues to rage more than a decade after the Mexican government launched a war against drug cartels.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors September 7, 2022

Mexico

Global Conflict Tracker: Criminal Violence in Mexico Link

via Center for Preventive Action May 24, 2024

United States

United States

Remembering a Fallen Hero on Memorial Day

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The story of Corporal Charles McMahon Jr., one of the last American servicemen to die in service to his country in Vietnam.

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay May 24, 2024 The Water's Edge

United States

Five Things to Know About Memorial Day, Including Its Evolution and Controversies Link

via Associated Press May 23, 2024

United States

Remembering Ten Americans Who Died in 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, here are ten Americans we lost this year who made a mark in foreign policy. 

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay December 28, 2023 The Water's Edge

Disinformation

Election 2024

Will EU Laws Curtail Disinformation?
The European Union (EU) began implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA) this year, just in time to combat online disinformation and other electoral interference in the dozens of elections taking pl…

Article by Linda Robinson May 22, 2024 Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy

Election 2024

Addressing Foreign Disinformation and Election Interference

Play
Panelists discuss the escalating threat of foreign disinformation and other forms of election interference and what the United States and its allies can do to combat this risk.  This meeting part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Meeting Series on Democracy.

Virtual Event with Anne E. Applebaum, Jon Bateman, James P. Rubin and Dina Temple-Raston May 7, 2024

Cybersecurity

The Safest Way to Hold an Election
Election security has been a major issue since the 2020 U.S. election. Policymakers and members of the public must take several concrete steps to ensure that elections are secure and free from interference.

Blog Post by Tarah Wheeler and Barbara Simons June 29, 2023 Net Politics

Taiwan

Taiwan

What to Expect From Lai’s Presidency
In his inaugural address, Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te signaled broad continuity on cross-strait issues. China, however, is likely to respond with increased pressure. 

Blog Post by Rush Doshi and David Sacks May 21, 2024 Asia Unbound

Taiwan

Why China Would Struggle to Invade Taiwan
Although China’s ambition to gain control of Taiwan is clear, doing so through force would prove enormously difficult and costly.

Interactive by David Sacks January 10, 2024

Taiwan

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland February 8, 2024

Kenya

Kenya

Why Kenya’s State Visit Matters
During Kenya’s state visit, the United States should work toward building a more resilient model of U.S.-Africa partnerships.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 21, 2024 Africa in Transition

Sub-Saharan Africa

The Era of Good Feelings
The current diplomatic constellation presents Africa with plenty of options; the region must choose well.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 31, 2023 Africa in Transition

 

Why Biden Chose Kenya for its First State Visit by an African Leader Link

via VOA May 20, 2024

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

 

Assessing ICC Warrants for Israeli and Hamas Leaders Link

with David J. Scheffer via Council on Foreign Relations May 21, 2024

International Criminal Court

The Role of the ICC
The International Criminal Court was created to bring justice to the world’s worst war criminals, but debate over the court still rages.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo May 22, 2024

Middle East Program

Media Briefing: Iran After Raisi and New ICC Charges

Play
CFR experts discuss the implications of the death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, new International Criminal Court charges against Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leadership, and other updates from …

Virtual Event with Steven A. Cook, David J. Scheffer, Ray Takeyh and Carla Anne Robbins May 20, 2024 Middle East Program

Events
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Wars and Conflict

Climate Vulnerability and Conflict: A Conversation With John Podesta and David Miliband

Play
In a conversation with David Miliband, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta discusses the relationship between climate vulnerability and conflict zones. In the lead-up to COP29, he shares how the United States is boosting climate resiliency and adaptation to support communities around the globe affected by both climate and conflict.

Event with John D. Podesta and David Miliband May 22, 2024

Middle East and North Africa

2024 International Affairs Fellowship Conference: A Conversation With Philip Gordon

Play
Dr. Phil Gordon was the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2009–2011) and Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf Region (2013–2015). He is currently the National Security Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris. For more information about the International Affairs Fellowship (IAF), please visit CFR’s Fellowship Affairs Page.  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.

Virtual Event with Philip H. Gordon, Mona Yacoubian and Michael Froman May 22, 2024

Immigration and Migration

The Strategic Impact of the Global Movement of People: A Conversation With the Council of Councils

Play
Foreign policy institute leaders from around the world discuss the dynamics of global migration, including the importance of international cooperation in managing both the documented and undocumented movement of people. The Council of Councils (CoC) is an international initiative created by the Council on Foreign Relations to connect leading foreign policy institutes from around the world in a dialogue on issues of global governance and multilateral cooperation. The CoC is composed of twenty-eight major policy institutes from some of the world’s most influential countries. It is designed to facilitate candid, not-for-attribution dialogue and consensus-building among influential opinion leaders from both established and emerging nations, with the ultimate purpose of injecting the conclusions of its deliberations into high-level foreign policy circles within members’ countries.

Event with Fonteh Akum, Sergio M. Alcocer, Michael Froman, Stefania Kolarz and Katharine M. Donato May 21, 2024

Middle East Program

Iran After Raisi and New ICC Charges

Play
CFR experts discuss the implications of the death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, new International Criminal Court charges against Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leadership, and other updates from …

Virtual Event with Steven A. Cook, David J. Scheffer, Ray Takeyh and Carla Anne Robbins May 20, 2024 Middle East Program

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Experts in the News

David J. Scheffer
Link

Scheffer: ICC Warrants Can Diminish an Indicted Individual's Political Power

Via CBS News May 21, 2024

Steven A. Cook
Link

Cook: Iran Wants to Push the U.S. Out of the Middle East by Sowing as Much Chaos in the Region as Possible

Via Bloomberg Surveillance May 21, 2024

Ray Takeyh
Link

Takeyh: The Death of Iran’s President Does Not Bode Well

Via New York Times May 20, 2024

View All

Explainers

South China Sea
China’s Maritime Disputes
South China Sea
China’s Maritime Disputes
Timeline by Beina Xu, Eleanor Albert, Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong
Disputes between China and its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam, in the South China Sea have intensified in recent decades. This timeline traces the recent developments.
The Push to Conserve 30 Percent of the Planet: What’s at Stake?
Energy and Environment The Push to Conserve 30 Percent of the Planet: What’s at Stake?
Article by Lindsay Maizland
What Is Avian Flu?
Public Health Threats and Pandemics What Is Avian Flu?
Backgrounder Redesign by Mariel Ferragamo
Why Fentanyl Is a Huge Foreign Policy Problem
United States Why Fentanyl Is a Huge Foreign Policy Problem
Article by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy
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Expert Spotlight

Shannon K. O'Neil
Shannon K. O'Neil

Vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies

Trade Supply Chains Democracy

Mexico’s Elections: What to Know

Expert Brief May 24, 2024

Alyssa Ayres
Alyssa Ayres

Adjunct Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia

Asia India Emerging Markets

Edward Alden
Edward Alden

Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow

Trade Immigration and Migration Economics

Republicans Make Illegal Immigration Top Issue in NH

Offsite Via New Hampshire Business Review April 29, 2024

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Featured Publications

Colombia

From Peril to Partnership
Paul J. Angelo provides the first headlining case studies of Plan Colombia and the Mérida Initiative.

Book by Paul J. Angelo March 8, 2024 Latin America Studies Program

Political History and Theory

The World That Wasn’t

A dramatic and powerful new perspective on the political career of Henry Wallace—a perspective that will forever change how we view the making of U.S. and Soviet foreign policy at the dawn of the Cold War.

Book by Benn Steil January 9, 2024 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Radicalization and Extremism

God, Guns, and Sedition
A riveting exploration of the current state of far-right terrorism in the United States—and recommendations to stop its rise.

Book by Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware January 2, 2024 National Security and Defense Program

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