18 Results for:

June 21, 2023

Georgia
The Dangers of Democratic Backsliding in Georgia

Georgia was once a beacon of democracy in the South Caucasus, but today it is backsliding toward authoritarianism and headed back into Russia's sphere of influence. 

Supporters of the Georgian Dream coalition gather outside the central election commission to wait for official results in Tbilisi, October 2, 2012. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili conceded on Tuesday that his ruling party had lost an election to a coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, increasing the chances of a peaceful transfer of power in the former Soviet republic.

May 12, 2023

Japan
Japan’s G7 Moment

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio hosts the G7 summit as an outspoken champion of the rules-based international order. Japan hopes to galvanize support and recognition of its own security concerns in the …

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tokyo.

February 21, 2023

International Law
Congress Should Close the ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Loophole

The last Congress delivered a big win for atrocity accountability by passing the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in January of this year. The law clos…

December 20, 2022

Japan
How Japan Is Doubling Down on Its Military Power

Japan’s new national security strategy and related defense plans herald a major military modernization effort in response to perceived threats in Northeast Asia, particularly China.

Military vessels sail in Sagami Bay during the International Fleet Review, held by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

February 24, 2022

Nigeria
Nigeria’s All Too Familiar Corruption Ranking Begs Broader Questions Around Normative Collapse

Released last month, the 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) confirmed what many Nigerians know intuitively—that a steady stream of official antigraft rhetoric has hardly made a dent on what many agree is the most formidable perennial challenge to the country’s long-term stability. President Buhari’s sentiment to the effect that “if Nigeria does not kill corruption, then corruption will kill Nigeria,” is widely shared. Not only is Nigeria down five places from its 2020 ranking, its total score of twenty-four out of a maximum one hundred points represents a drop for the third successive year, making it West Africa’s second most corrupt country. Guinea-Bissau, still reeling from a failed military takeover in early February, holds the dubious honor of being the most corrupt.  

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari wearing gray traditional clothing and glasses sitting with a binder on his lap.