Why is North Korea Suddenly Launching So Many New Missile Tests?

North Korea has already launched more than six missile tests since the start of the new year.

Why is North Korea is suddenly launching so many new missile tests — and what can be done about?  Three experts weigh in:

Jeffrey Lewis is a Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterrey and an open source researcher at the James Martin Center for non proliferation studies

Ankit Panda is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Michelle Kae is the Deputy Director of the 38 North Program at the Stimson Center

Transcript available here

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What Was Behind A Coup in Burkina Faso?

On Monday January 24th, mutineers in Burkina Faso overthrew the democratically elected president, Roch Kabore.

This was the fourth military coup in the region in the past 17 months, including two coups in Mali and a coup in Guinea.

To better understand the significance of the coup in Burkina Faso and its broader international and humanitarian implications, I am joined by three guests.

Brice Bado is a political scientist and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Center for Research and Action for Peace (CERAP)/Jesuit University, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Andrew Lebovich a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Alexandra Lamarche, the senior advocate for West and Central Africa at Refugees International.

Transcript available here

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The Conflict in Yemen is Escalating Sharply

After nearly eight years, the conflict in Yemen is getting worse.

Scott Paul, the senior manager for humanitarian policy at Oxfam America, explains the significance of a recent attack in Abu Dhabi and the latest bombardment of Yemen’s capital before having a broader discussion about the trajectory and impact of this years long crisis.

Transcript available here

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The Swift Demise of Free Press in Hong Kong

Hong Kong used to have one of the most vibrant media ecosystems in all of Asia. But not today.

There is an ongoing crackdown on independent media in Hong Kong. Outlets large and small are being shut down, ostensibly for violating newly enacted laws intended to suppress the pro-democracy movement.

On the line with me from Hong Kong to discuss the plight of independent media there is Austin Ramzy of the New York Times.

“For the Love of Hong Kong: A Memoir from My City Under Siege” by Hana Meihan Davis

Austin Ramzy’s New York Times story

Transcript available here

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Bosnia is on the Brink of Political Disintegration

Bosnia is facing its deepest political crisis since the civil war in the 1990s.

In 1995, the United States helped broker an agreement between the waring parties known as the Dayton Accords. This agreement created a new political order in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been an uneasy agreement, certainly tenuous at times, but it has held.

Now, the agreement is unraveling — and very quickly.

On the line to explain why and how Bosnia is on the verge of potential political disintegration is Jasmin Mujanovic, a political scientist and analyst of southeast European and international affairs.

Transcript available here

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How Should the United States and Europe Respond if Russia Invades Ukraine?

The likelihood that Russia will invade Ukraine seems to be growing by the day. If Russia indeed attacks Ukraine, how should the United States and Europe respond?  Joining me to take on that question and more are four excellent speakers:

Andrew Weiss of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Nina Jankowicz the Woodrow Wilson Center

Jim Goldgeier of Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation

Melinda Haring of The Atlantic Council

Transcript available here

David Miliband on the “Systems Failure” in the World’s Crisis Zones

David Miliband is the president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, one of the larger global humanitarian organizations with relief operations around the world.

At the end of 2021 David Miliband, the former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, delivered a lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations identifying and defining what he called a “Systems Failure” in global crisis response. This is the topic of much of our conversation today. 

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Kazakhstan Protests: Why They Started And What Comes Next”

For the last week, massive protests have swept across the large Central Asian country of Kazakhstan.  The spark was a decision by the government to increase fuel prices in the country, which is a major fuel producer.  But as my guests today explain, though the fuel price hike was the proximate cause of the protests, they are rooted in deep and widespread disaffection with Kazakhstan’s ruling class. 

Three Kazakstan political and security experts contribute to this episode: 

Dr. Erica Marat, a professor at the National Defense University in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Diana T. Kudaibergenova, a professor at the University of Cambridge 

Dr. Jen Brick Murtazashvili a professor at the University of Pittsburgh

The United Nations Year in Review

As 2021 comes to a close, I thought it may be worthwhile to gather some veteran United Nations watchers to reflect on the key events that shaped the work of the United Nations this year. I’m joined in this conversation by Margaret Besheer, the UN Correspondent for Voice of America, Anjali Diyal, Assistant Professor of International Politics in the Political Science Department at Fordham University, and Louis Charbonneau, UN Director for Human Rights Watch. We recorded our conversation live via Twitter Spaces.

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Is the Energy Transition an Opportunity or Risk for Climate Security? | Climate Security Series

Today’s episode was recorded live in front of a virtual audience in partnership with CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural innovation network. It is part of a series of episodes examining the relationship between climate and security.

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into how the transition to low carbon energy economies impacts security. The episode kicks off with introductory remarks by Jesús Quintana-Garcia ()
Director General, CIAT, Managing Director of the Americas, Alliance Bioversity International and
CIAT, CGIAR

I then moderate a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of experts on this issue, whom I introduce I the top of the moderated session. 

Professor Doctor Karen Smith-Stegen, is Professor at Jacobs University in Bremen; and  Chair of the International Relations, Politics and History Department 

Claudia Ringler, is Deputy Director of Environment and Production Technology at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Bessma Mourad, is Operations and Planning Lead at Energy Peace Partners