Podcast 20+ minutes

Event Recordings

Please find below recordings of Crisis Group’s expert panels, events and presentations related to our field research and policy work. Most are video recordings but there are some audio versions too. We hope all are a podcast-like way to listen in to our public discussions and catch up with any of our events that you may have missed.

EU Watch List: 10 Cases Where the EU can Build Peace in 2023 (Event, 1st February 2023)

On 31 January 2023, Crisis Group launched its EU Watch List 2023, our yearly publication that identifies ten countries and regions at risk of conflict or escalation of violence, where stronger engagement and early action driven or supported by the EU and its member states could help generate stronger prospects for peace and stability. The Watch List 2023 includes a President’s Take on global trends, followed by detailed conflict analysis and EU-targeted recommendations on the ten following cases: Afghanistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Brazil’s Regional Role, Global Commodity Shocks, Gulf Regional Security, Iraq, Mozambique, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine.

This event starts with a moderated high-level panel between the Secretary General of the European External Action Service Stefano Sannino and Crisis Group’s President and CEO Comfort Ero discussing ‘The Role of the EU as a Global Peace Actor’. A second panel features senior Crisis Group staff who present Crisis Group’s Watch List 2023 in more detail, discussing regional trends in Europe, Africa and the Middle East that the EU should watch in 2023 and unpacking some of the Watch List’s main recommendations for the EU. Both panels are followed by a short Q&A exchange with the audience.

Ten conflicts to watch in 2023 - Chatham House Event (Online event, 11 January 2023)

What far-reaching repercussions and knock-on effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine will have for Europe and the rest of the world? Which crises beyond Ukraine warrant our collective attention in the year ahead? How do rising tensions among major powers impact multilateral efforts to resolve these conflicts, impede progress on global challenges and impact institutions working on crisis prevention? 

This one-hour event delves deeper into our flagship annual publication “10 Conflicts to Watch in 2023”.

Dr Comfort Ero, International Crisis Group’s President and CEO, and Dr Patricia Lewis, Chatham’s House Research Director for the International Security Programme, discussed today’s and tomorrow’s most impactful wars and crises.

The Impact of the Midterms on U.S. Foreign Policy (Online event, 28 November 2022)

How will the new U.S. Congress affect U.S. foreign policy?

In our panel of Crisis Group experts they analyse the results and give a 360-view of how the election could impact U.S. strategy towards the war in Ukraine, China, and Latin America.

Michael Hanna, Program Director for the U.S. moderates the panel with Ivan Briscoe, Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Amanda Hsiao, Senior Analyst for China and Olga Oliker, Program Director for Europe and Central Asia.

Tackling the Impact of Climate Change on Conflict and Security (Twitter Space, 9 November 2022)

Why do countries who suffer from both the impacts of climate change and violent conflict receive less funding than war-free states?

World leaders should address this imbalance at COP27 and ensure that countries reeling from the consequences of this deadly combination receive their fare share of funding.

In this Twitter Space Nazanine Moshiri, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Climate and Security in Africa, Andrew Ciacci, Crisis Group’s Researcher for Climate Environment and Conflict, and Giorgio Gualberti, Climate and Environmental Finance for the OECD, talk about the link between climate change and conflict for COP27.

How can Climate Risk Management be Strengthened in Conflict Zones? (Online event, 20 October 2022)

Climate change's destabilising impact is increasingly visible across the globe, with more frequent and severe weather events and temperature extremes contributing to insecurity and conflict. While climate change's relationship with conflict is complex, areas experiencing instability, poor governance, and poverty tend to be more vulnerable to both climate change and deadly violence; half of the most climate fragile countries also experience conflict. In order to effectively address this volatile mix, climate policy and financing must take account of conflict dynamics. This panel investigates how to do so in terms of both climate change's relationship to conflict and the challenges that climate insecurity poses to humanitarian relief. 

El Salvador’s #WarOnGangs: Risks and results (Online event, 6 October 2022)

In late March, El Salvador’s criminal gangs spearheaded a killing spree that left 87 people dead over a weekend. In response, President Nayib Bukele imposed a state of exception and launched a #WarOnGangs that has jailed over 53,000 alleged gang members in six months, elevating the country’s prison population rate to the world’s highest. Tiziano Breda, Crisis Group’s Analyst for Central America; Susan Cruz, Consultant; and Roberto Valencia, Journalist, discuss the consequences of this popular and controversial strategy.

Atrapados por el conflicto: cómo reformar la estrategia militar para salvar vidas en Colombia (Bogotá, 27 September 2022)

Launch event of Crisis Group’s report Trapped in Conflict: Reforming Military Strategy to Save Lives in Colombia, based on extensive fieldwork in different regions of Colombia and dozens of interviews with the military and communities. It was held in Bogotá on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at 8:30 am. In the report, Crisis Group analyses why military strategy in Colombia’s rural areas has failed to contain the conflicts that arose following the 2016 peace accord with its largest guerrilla movement (FARC). Crisis Group also proposes new civilian government leaders to prioritise community protection in rural areas and embrace new indicators for gauging the military’s success.

The panel was composed of Martha Maya, Latin America Program Director at the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFI), Elizabeth Dickinson, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Colombia, and Ivan Briscoe, Crisis Group's Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Alberto Lara Losada couldn't attend. 

UN General Assembly: Ten Challenges for the UN (Twitter Space, 15 September 2022)

In this Twitter Space from 15 September 2022, Richard Gowan, Crisis Group’s UN Director, joins Ashish Pradhan, our Senior Analyst for UN Advocacy and Research for a live discussion on the ten security challenges facing the United Nations that the General Assembly must seek to address.

Iran Nuclear Deal: The Window Closes? (Twitter Space, 12 September 2022)

As negotiations between the U.S. and Iran oscillate between conclusion and collapse, what can be done to prevent the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from definitively sinking? In this Twitter Space from September 12, Ali Vaez, Crisis Group’s Iran Project Director, Naysan Rafati, our Iran Senior Analyst, and Ellie Geranmayeh, the Deputy Director of ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, tackle this question.

Afghanistan's Challenges One Year After the Taliban Takeover (Twitter Space, 15 August 2022)

This Twitter Space examines the situation in Afghanistan exactly one year after the Taliban seized power on 15 August 2021. This discussion was hosted by Laurel Miller, our Asia Program Director, Graeme Smith, our Senior Consultant on Afghanistan, and Ibraheem Bahiss, our Afghanistan Analyst.

Violence in Colombia and Venezuelan Migrants (Twitter Space, 10 August)

Crisis Group experts talk in this Twitter Space about what can be done to better protect Venezuelan migrants fleeing to Colombia from exploitation by criminal armed groups. The discussion was hosted by Bram Ebus, consultant for Latin America, Mariano de Alba, our senior advocacy advisor for Latin America and Glaeldys González, Giustra fellow for Latin America.

What did the G7 Summit Achieve on Ukraine and Climate Security? (Twitter Space, 29 June 2022)

In this Twitter Space, Crisis Group colleagues have a conversation about the G7 summit and how two priority issues – climate change and the war in Ukraine – were handled during the meeting.

Russia/Ukraine: Insights into an Evolving War (Online Event, 10th March 2022)

Russia’s assault on Ukraine threatens to become the largest European conflict in decades. A vigorous but judicious global response is critical to limit the damage.

In this panel discussion, Crisis Group experts and trustees share their insights into an evolving war.

Women and the Search for Peace in Cameroon (Online Event, 3rd March 2022)

In this virtual roundtable, Crisis Group's Cameroon Senior Analyst and invited experts discuss the current situation in the Anglophone regions and the role of women in setting the foundations of future peace.

Crisis Group’s latest report on Cameroon: "Rebels, Victims, Peacebuilders: Women in Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict", published on 23 February 2022, shows how women play active roles in the conflict. Many support the Anglophone cause, with some fighting side by side with male insurgents, while others campaign for peace. Women and girls continue to suffer differentiated harms with too little attention directed to addressing them. The publication advocates for better protection for women from conflict-related sexual violence and enhanced efforts to meet the needs of the displaced, reissuing civil papers, providing health care and offering economic relief. It also calls to include women in conflict resolution and mitigation efforts.

EU Watch List: 10 Cases Where the EU can Build Peace in 2022 (Online Event, 28th January 2022)

EU Watch List: 10 Cases Where the EU can Build Peace in 2022 (Online Event, 28th January 2022)

Crisis Group invites you to join the launch of the EU Watch List 2022, our yearly publication identifying ten countries and regions at risk of conflict or escalation of violence, where a stronger engagement and early action driven or supported by the EU and its member states could help generate stronger prospects for peace and stability.

The Watch List 2022 includes an overview on key salient international dynamics and global conflict trends confronting policy-making in the next year, followed by detailed conflict analysis and EU-targeted recommendations on the following ten cases: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Ethiopia, Israel/Palestine, Kashmir, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia, and Venezuela.

Ten conflicts to watch in 2022 (Online event, 20 January 2022)

2021 saw Russia massing troops on Ukraine’s border, the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan and Ethiopia’s civil war intensifying, but what does the past year tell us about the state of international peace and security? How do rising tensions among major powers impact multilateral efforts to make peace? What change has new U.S. president Joe Biden brought? What about the impact of the pandemic, particularly as new variants emerge, and the worsening climate crisis?

This one hour event delves deeper into our flagship annual publication “10 Conflicts to Watch in 2022” available here and summarised in our visual explainer here

Richard Atwood, International Crisis Group’s Executive Vice President and Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Chatham House’s Director, US and the Americas Programme, discuss today and tomorrow’s most dangerous wars and crises and take a look at what people should expect in the year ahead.

Global Warning: How Climate Change Drives Risks of Conflict

Global Warning: How Climate Change Drives Risks of Conflict (Online Event, 16th November 2021)

This event brings together Crisis Group analysts, EU officials and member states, as well as experts from civil society, in a participatory roundtable discussion. They provide insights on how policymakers might best influence and respond to these complex climate changes to mitigate conflict risks.

Afghanistan: What needs to happen now?

Afghanistan: What needs to happen now? (Online Event, 2nd November 2021)

Moderated by Crisis Group’s Interim President Richard Atwood, this virtual event on Afghanistan explores what the future looks like for Afghanistan under Taliban rule. During this session, Crisis Group’s Trustee Saad Mohseni, Asia Program Director Laurel Miller and Independent Consultant Rahmatullah Amiri discuss what can be expected from the Taliban in the coming months as they try to consolidate their power, how other governments' relations with the Taliban might evolve and what can be done to address Afghanistan's worsening humanitarian crisis.

The War on Terror: Twenty More Years?

The War on Terror: Twenty More Years? (Online Event, 20th October 2021)

In an effort to assess this current moment in the United States’s 20 years so-called War on Terror, the International Crisis Group recently released a report, Overkill: Reforming the Legal Basis for the U.S. War on Terror, which charts how the executive branch expanded the use of military force over the last two decades.

After twenty years of counterrorism efforts by the U.S. and its allies, what is the result? Where to next? 

FR Search 1 Avatar image Virtual Roundtable - Haiti: Paths to Stability for a Nation in Shock

Virtual Roundtable - Haiti: Paths to Stability for a Nation in Shock (Online Event, 20th October 2021)

The assassination in July of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, perpetrated with no apparent resistance from his elite security detail, and a bout of natural disasters weeks later have further destabilised an already fragile Haiti and intensified its humanitarian crisis at a time of extreme insecurity.

This roundtable examines the causes of violence and instability in Haiti and will explore the ways in which Haitians, with the support of the international community, can take actions to overcome the current crisis.

Virtual Roundtable: What Happens After Nicaragua's One-sided Poll?

Virtual Roundtable: What Happens After Nicaragua's One-sided Poll? (Online Event, 13th October 2021)

In recent years, Ortega appeared to have consolidated his hold on power. Yet the latest crackdown on political opposition would indicate that the government seems unwilling to take the risk of confronting an electoral challenge, opting instead for an iron fist approach. The repression on political opponents has turned November’s elections into a potential flashpoint and spurred a sharp deterioration in relations between President Daniel Ortega and other Latin American nations, the U.S. and the European Union. 

This roundtable looks at the aftermath of the poll that will likely result in  Ortega's perpetuation in power. Invited experts assess the risks of turmoil and political violence, the aggravation of the country’s humanitarian predicament resulting in a surge of emigration and its significance for the region’s democratic backslide. In doing so, the panellists seek options for national and international players to respond to the consequences of a rigged election, de-escalate tensions, and restore conditions for a negotiated way out of the crisis.  

The UN in the Biden Era: Challenges in the Year Ahead (Online Event, Wednesday 29 September)

Following President Biden's first speech to the UN General Assembly, what are the main challenges for the U.S. and UN in the year ahead?

While the Biden administration has promised that "multilateralism is back", crises including the Afghan collapse and Tigray war in Ethiopia are stretching UN humanitarian mechanisms to their limits. Can the U.S. find common ground with China and Russia in the Security Council to manage these challenges? What should the UN's priorities be on the ground?

Our Crisis Group experts reflected on the president's speech and other takeaways from the UN General Assembly, and addressed how the U.S. can work through the UN to handle major crises, with a focus on Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

How will the Taliban Victory Impact Other Conflicts Involving Jihadist Militants? (Online Event, 28 September 2021)

Could the seizure of Afghanistan by the Taliban just before the twentieth anniversary of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks be a turning point for jihadist militancy worldwide? Two decades after those attacks, the U.S. administration withdrew its forces from Afghanistan and the Taliban quickly took control of the country. This followed direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban and an agreement they reached in February 2020 for the U.S. to pull out troops from Afghanistan in exchange for – amongst other things – guarantees the Taliban would not allow transnational militants to use Afghan soil for plotting attacks abroad.

As part of our series The Legacy of 9/11 and the “War on Terror”, this online event explored the impact of the Taliban takeover on other wars involving al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked groups. Crisis Group analysts discussed the perceptions of jihadists and their enemies in the Sahel, Somalia and Syria of the dramatic events in Afghanistan and what they might mean for those conflicts in which they are fighting.

Climate, Conflict & Demography in Africa (Online Event, 14 September 2021)

Climatic and demographic change are global trends that are already having a profound impact on Africa. Both create growing pressure on natural and human resources, and increase the risk that political, economic, and social tensions and disagreements turn violent. Conflict often exacerbates the problems and hinders mitigating action. Neither climate nor demography are susceptible to quick or easy solutions, so long-term strategies to reduce the risks are increasingly necessary and urgent.

To address these policy dilemmas and look at actions that governments and the international community should take, Africa Confidential, the International Crisis Group and the Royal African Society jointly hosted a major, high-level virtual conference on 14th September to ensure that African voices can be heard in advance of the COP-26 Climate Conference to be held in Glasgow in November.

Besides top-level keynote speakers, the conference included expert panels focussing on the three main issues: the economic consequences of climate and demographic change, the security implications, and the international dimension. The aim is to draw up key messages and recommendations to pass to COP-26 itself and for follow-up action with African governments and their international partners.

Session 1: Climate and demography: Managing Economic Pressures

Session 2: Climate, Conflict and Security: Managing the Politics

Session 3 & 4: Climate and Global Change: Getting Africa’s Voices Heard / Taking the Agenda Forward

Rising Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean (Online Event, 8th July 2021)

The Eastern Mediterranean has always been an area of important political and cultural developments, dense migration, but also a hotspot of international tensions. The past decades have been no different: the region remains a bridge for trade between Europe and Asia, whereas geopolitics have divided the island of Cyprus, and more migrants crossed the waters to escape hardship.

During this virtual Crisis Talks event, panellists navigated the topic through three important lenses: Turkey-Greece tensions: views from Ankara and Athens; EU and US roles and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean; and regional dimensions of energy competition and disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Insurrection in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado - Preventing a New Jihadist Front (Online Event, 17th June 2021) 

Militant attacks and security force operations in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province have claimed nearly 3,000 lives, while displacing hundreds of thousands of people. 

We partnered with the South African weekly newspaper Mail & Guardian for a discussion on how to prevent the Cabo Delgado insurrection from escalating into a new frontier for global jihadism.

How New Technologies Shape Conflict - the Case of Social Media (Online Event, 16th June 2021) 

The rise of social media has been a welcome boost for free speech and equal representation, particularly in parts of the world where government-controlled outlets dominate the media space. But this freedom can come with risks of destabilization, as propaganda, misinformation, and hate speech exacerbate offline tensions.

Bringing together Crisis Group researchers in a roundtable discussion with external experts and discussants from the European Union and specialised institutions, this event explored the impact of social media in fragile contexts. We looked at the importance of state actors in cases such as Myanmar, El Savador and Syria, but also of opposition and non-state actors in countries like Cameroon, Venezuela and Libya.

The U.S. War on Terror in Somalia: How to End an Endless War (Online Event, 3rd June 2021)

Fifteen years after the creation of al-Shabaab in Somalia, despite the involvement of the U.S. military against the group, the reality on the ground just shifted more in their favour - before leaving office, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the 700 U.S. troops in Somalia.

Vice News reporters, Michael Anthony Adams and Joe Hill, have traveled to the frontline of Somalia’s war against al-Shabaab to see what the U.S. pullout means for the next chapter in the war on terror. You can watch the Vice report in full here.

During this event, Joe Hill disucsses "Inside the U.S. War on Terror in Somalia" with Crisis Group experts, Comfort Ero and Steve Pomper.

From War to Peace: The Challenges of Libya’s Transition (Online Event, 1st June 2021)

After more than six years of political feuds, intermittent conflict and a foreign-backed assault on the capital that ended last June, Libyans appear to have turned the page. Rival factions signed a ceasefire agreement last October and since March the country has had a unified interim government. Despite the progress made, the new authorities face numerous challenges as they try to knit a war-torn country back together and prepare the ground for elections in late 2021.

This online conversation on the challenges of Libya’s transition brought together the experience of the UN’s former chief mediator, whose efforts contributed to the success of Libya’s political transition, and Crisis Group’s fieldwork and analysis reflected in its recent report entitled “Libya Turns the Page”.

Crimen y violencia en la frontera colombo-venezolana (evento online del 22 de abril)

Los recientes enfrentamientos en el estado de Apure entre grupos disidentes de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) y el ejército venezolano han llamado la atención internacional sobre la volátil situación y las cambiantes alianzas a lo largo de la conflictiva frontera de 2.200 kilómetros entre ambos países.

Este panel de expertos debate la situación,  basándose en la investigación de campo de Crisis Group durante el año pasado y el trabajo de destacados académicos.

Bringing Women Back in to Yemen’s Political Process

Bringing Women Back in to Yemen’s Political Process (Online Event, 20th April 2021)

Moderated by award-winning BBC Special Correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi, our Gender Project Director Azadeh Moaveni, Yemen Senior Analyst Peter Salisbury, and special guests – Sawsan Al-Refai, Belquis Al-Lahabi and UN Senior Gender Advisor Laura Mitchell – discuss how women should play a stronger role in the peace talks, and reflect upon our recent report The Case for More Inclusive – and More Effective – Peacemaking in Yemen.

Coca and Violence in Colombia (Online Event, 5th March 2021)

Amid an alarming rise in rural violence in Colombia, the country’s U.S.-backed drug policy is facing a new test. Bogotá argues that eliminating coca – the raw material for cocaine – is the only route to improving security in the countryside. Yet its hardline approach of forcefully eradicating the crop is having the opposite effect, exacerbating conflict in rural Colombia and undermining the country’s ability to consolidate the 2016 peace agreement. Eradication places the poorest, most vulnerable farming communities in jeopardy, while having little impact on drug supply to the United States. 

As the Biden administration reframes priorities in Latin America, the panel joined WOLA’s expertise on drug policy, Viso Mutop’s field-level experience and the analysis of a new International Crisis Group report entitled ‘Deeply Rooted: Coca eradication and violence in Colombia’.

EU Watch List: 10 Cases Where the EU can Build Peace in 2021 (Online Event, 2nd February 2021) 

Crisis Group’s Senior staff were joined by representatives from the European Commission and the European External Action Service to analyse the relevance and the policy suggestions of the ten cases presented in the 2021 EU Watch List.

The briefing began with a high-level panel on global conflict trends, followed by a presentation of the Watch List with interventions from EU senior officials and Crisis Group Program Directors. A Q&A with participants concluded the event.

How to Relaunch the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue (Online Event, 28th January 2021)

The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is at a standstill, despite past EU and U.S. led mediation efforts, and will require a shift in thinking to revive.

In this conversation, we discussed what currently stands in the way of a new status quo and what it will take to relaunch the process with the Pristina elections in view.

Rebels for Whose Cause? Stories from the Frontline of Gendered Counter-Terrorism (Online Event, 18th December 2020)

A discussion marking Crisis Group's new report on the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the WPS agenda's prospects and troubled implementation. In this talk, panellists explore how WPS work has been integrated with the complement to counter-terrorism known as "countering violent extremism." Panellists describe their experiences and field research from Nigeria to Tunisia to Afghanistan, examining how activism has become tangled in and sometimes subordinated to states' efforts to combat Islamist militancy. The panellists also discuss practical recommendations for governments and donors promoting a safer and more equitable vision of the WPS agenda.

Violence, Patronage and Dwindling Exports: Fixing Zimbabwe's Gold Mining Sector (Online Event, 10th December 2020)

Scenes of gang violence have multiplied in Zimbabwe’s gold mining sector over the past years, costing hundreds of lives. While the media and government blame the booming industry of artisanal mining, it is clear that Zimbabwe’s flawed centralised gold buying scheme, patronage-based economy and obsolete regulatory system have played a major role in the escalation of the violence. Significantly, the growing instability has now eroded export revenue when it is most needed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to keep the country’s struggling economy afloat.

On Thursday, 10 December, our Africa Program Deputy Director, Dino Mahtani, and his guests, Piers Pigou, Crisis Group’s Senior Consultant for Southern Africa, Mukasiri Sibanda, Tax and Natural Resource Governance Advisor at Tax Justice Network Africa, and Anouk Rigterink, Former Economics of Conflicts Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Durham, discussed the need for reforms and development in the Zimbabwean mining industry during an online conference entitled “Violence, Patronage and Dwindling Exports – Fixing Zimbabwe’s Gold Mining Sector”.

This online event followed the publication of a report entitled All That Glitters is Not Gold: Turmoil in Zimbabwe’s Mining Sector. In it, we argue that the government and mining companies, as well as civil society and international actors, can all take progressive measures to prevent these violent outbursts, which are strongly destabilising one of the country’s leading industries.

Somalia Elections 2020-2021: Lowering the Prospects of Turmoil (Online Event, 1st Dec 2020)

Somalia is currently organising presidential and parliamentary elections after the mid-September agreement between the federal government and regional states unblocked an impasse that threatened to delay the contests past the current government’s constitutional term limit. Today, the threat of political violence still lingers as the tensions among key parties remain high and electoral preparations are lagging. 

On Thursday, 1 December, our analyst Omar Mahmood and guests, Executive Director of the European Institute for Peace and former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Somalia Michael Keating and Kulan Consulting’s Hodan Hassan, discussed inclusivity, transparency and insecurity in the upcoming elections in an online conference titled Somalia Elections 2020-2021 – Lowering the Prospects of Turmoil. 

This online event follows the publication of a briefing entitled Staving off Violence around Somalia’s Elections, which is available in full in English on our website. In it, we argue that Somalia’s stakeholders and its international partners should make the indirect election another step toward democratisation, even if it does not get all the way to universal suffrage as some had hoped. With the help of international observers on technical issues, the 2020-2021 elections could gain credibility and lower the prospects of violent confrontations in the country. 

Myanmar's 2020 elections: Path to stability or flashpoint for conflict? (Online Event, 26 Oct 2020)

Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy seem set to win a second five-year term in general elections on 8 November. But a major democratic test will be whether the poll can convince the country’s minorities that they are getting fair representation, or whether some will see no alternative to the well-trodden path of insurgency.

Beyond the faltering peace process, our panel discussion on Myanmar's second elections since emerging from military rule in 2011 will address the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, the growing economic crisis and the abiding need for constitutional reform.

The UN at 75: Requiem or Renewal?  (Online event, 22 September 2020)

In its 75 anniversary year, the UN faces a series of daunting crises. The Security Council is divided over issues from Venezuela to Iran. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated tensions between China and the U.S. across the UN system. A widely-praised appeal by Secretary-General Guterres for a global ceasefire in response to the pandemic made little real differences to conflicts worldwide. Can the organisation continue to play a significant role in international peace and security in an era of geopolitical competition?

The panel features Wendy Sherman, former U.S Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Lord (Mark) Malloch-Brown, former UN Deputy Secretary-General and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Gérard Araud, former Ambassador of France to the United Nations and to the U.S. Richard Gowan, Crisis Group UN Director moderates the discussion.

Miracle or mirage? Gangs and the collapse of violence in El Salvador (Online Event, 21st July 2020)

Join us for an online panel discussion on the drop in homicide rates in El Salvador and the security policies of President Nayib Bukele.
 

Avoiding Conflict in DR Congo’s Mining Heartland (Online Event, 13th July 2020)

Competition between industrial and artisanal miners has been a source of tension in the DR Congo's mineral-rich provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, leading to interventions by state security forces. Crisis Group's latest report, "Mineral Concessions: Avoiding Conflict in DR Congo’s Mining Heartland" discusses how the government and international mining companies can best address this conflict risk.

Rethinking Approaches to Peacebuilding in Yemen (Online Event, 7th July 2020)

Crisis Group's major new report, "Rethinking Peace in Yemen", is based on a year and a half of extensive field research inside Yemen, and more than 100 in-person and telephone interviews with Yemeni actors, and regional and international stakeholders. The report maps out shifts in Yemen’s political geography over five years of conflict, recommends that policy makers rethink the requirements for peace and argues that a wider range of actors need to be included in UN-led talks. It calls for a more limited agreement to end the war focused on securing a ceasefire and the resumption of services, while avoiding too rapid a recentralisation of power in the capital.

How is Turkey dealing with its ISIS returnees? (Online Event, 2nd July 2020)

The Islamic State's diminished stature and measures adopted by the Turkish authorities have spared Turkey from ISIS attacks for more than three years. But while the threat should not be overplayed, it has not necessarily disappeared. That Turkish returnees turn their back on jihadist militancy is important for national and regional security. Crisis Group's latest report looks at Ankara’s approach toward returnees, with recommendations to further ensure former ISIS members steer clear of militancy.

Chief Negotiators' Advice: Next Steps on North Korea (Online Event, 15th June 2020)

Two years have passed since U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's historic Singapore summit. But nuclear diplomacy remains stuck and the 2018 June Singapore Joint Statement has not been implemented. The coronavirus pandemic and U.S. presidential elections in November might convince both capitals to kick the can down the road until next year, at the earliest. But Pyongyang's nuclear weapons capability continues to advance without restrictions.

In this conversation, former chief envoys from the U.S. and South Korea who negotiated the 1994 Agreed Framework, the 2005 and 2007 Six Party Talks agreements, and the 2012 Leap Day deal with North Korea during the Clinton, Roh, Bush, and Obama administrations look back and advice on next steps towards denuclearization, peace, and regional stability.

Defeating the Spike in Jihadist Attacks in Niger’s Tillabery (Online Event, 10th June 2020)

Crisis group's Sahel Senior Analyst Hannah Armstrong and Africa Deputy Program Director Dino Mahtani held a panel moderated by our Director for Africa Regional Advocacy Elissa Jobson, on the renewed spike in jihadist attacks in Niger’s Tillabery region and Niamey’s response to it.

Una guerra cotidiana: Guerrero y los retos a la paz en México (evento online, 10 de junio de 2020)

Panel en línea con la participación de los expertos de Crisis Group Falko Ernst y Jane Esberg, quienes presentan sus últimos informes sobre la violencia en México, comentarios a cargo del destacado investigador y columnista Sergio Aguayo y moderado por la subdirectora del Programa de América Latina y el Caribe, Renata Segura. Las palabras de apertura estan a cargo del director del Programa de América Latina y el Caribe de Crisis Group, Ivan Briscoe.

Helping Isolated Post-Soviet De Facto Statelets During the Pandemic (Online Event, 12th May 2020)

Crisis Group organised an online event to discuss its briefing on the COVID-19 challenge in post-Soviet breakaway statelets.
 

The Regionalisation of Libya's Civil War (Online Event, 5th May 2020)

Crisis Group's Libya Senior Analyst Claudia Gazzini and Turkey Project Director Nigar Göksel participated in a panel discussion, moderated by our Communications & Outreach Director Hugh Pope, focusing on Crisis Group's 29 April report on outside intervention in Libya.

Gulf Tensions In The Time Of COVID - 19 (Online Event, 5th May 2020)

Tensions in the Gulf have spiked long before the pandemic. COVID-19 is likely to intensify conflicts between Gulf rivals and renders the need for de-escalation mechanisms even more necessary, particularly between the U.S. and Iran. Oil prices have collapsed and could lead to a geopolitical reset. How will the crisis play out in the Gulf? What are the prospects for a long-overdue inclusive regional dialogue?

More for you

Subscribe to Crisis Group’s Email Updates

Receive the best source of conflict analysis right in your inbox.