Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
After months of threatening to leave the the U.N. Human Rights Council, the United States has withdrawn from the body. This is just another example of President Trump choosing to walk away when faced with the choice of reaching an agreement or compromise with a U.N. organization.
Liberal democracy is in crisis where it was long thought most securely established. In both Western Europe and the United States, polls suggest voters are losing faith in democratic institutions.
Trump’s behavior has not wholly damaged U.S. credibility — yet. But over time, his unilateral volatility threatens to become the dominant narrative about the U.S., eclipsing past values and leadership.
Tunisia’s political challenges are in many ways typical of transitional states, but the country also possesses unusual advantages and opportunities.
Many states beset with endemic violence are not institutionally weak, but rather suffer from complicit economic and political elites that use violence in order to preserve their status, a phenomenon that should be called privilege violence.
Europe remains at fault for both failing to rebuild Libya following its 2011 intervention, and for increasingly relying on rights-abusing militias for its coast guard and migrant interdiction responsibilities.
Burkina Faso’s citizens stepped in to stop former president Blaise Compaoré from tightening his hold on power, even as several other African countries are discarding constitutional safeguards.
Civil society organizations can take certain steps to shore up their own legitimacy despite growing hostility to their work.
The Trump administration appears committed to working "by-with-through" local partners in the Middle East. Doing so effectively requires a clear political strategy and continued diplomatic engagement in the region.
Busy citizens will not engage with European politics unless they have a good chance of being heard. The EU must provide tangible and high-profile initiatives to bridge this divide.