Researching peace operations in a multipolar world remains a challenge. Some argue that the shift of influence from established to emerging powers runs the risk of destabilizing international conflict management.
While disagreements over international responses to the conflicts in Libya, Syria and Ukraine seem to confirm this, the preliminary results from an ongoing SIPRI research project suggest that consensus between emerging and established powers over the future peace operations landscape remains possible, particularly in Africa.
In 2012 SIPRI's New Geopolitics of Peace Operations Initiative embarked on an examination of the effects of multipolarity on the future of peace operations and conflict management. At its core the initiative aims to better understand the points of view of emerging powers and troop-contributing countries, and to stimulate discussions on peace operations.
To that end, SIPRI and its project partner, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, organized a series of regional dialogue meetings with diplomats, military representatives and academics in eight locations: Addis Ababa, Amman, Astana, Brasília, Brussels, Hanoi, Kathmandu and Ulan Bator. Reports from each of the dialogue meetings are now available for download from the SIPRI website. The final report will be published in late 2014.
SIPRI's New Geopolitics of Peace Operations Initiative is supported by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and is conducted in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. For more information contact Jaïr van der Lijn.