Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

UN Under-Secretary-General speaks to the complexity of countering desertification

By Africa Center

On Thursday, February 6, the Africa Center hosted a roundtable with Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Kenyan president says global leaders must see Africa as “the world’s biggest opportunity”

By David A. Wemer

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta implored an Atlantic Council audience on February 5 to see Africa as “more than just a continent producing security threats or unregulated migration that must be contained,” but rather as a region that has “immense strategic importance to the security and prosperity of the transatlantic alliance.”

Prime minister promises “Sudan will never be the same again”

By David A. Wemer

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok became the first Sudanese leader to travel to Washington, DC in more than thirty years, seeking to win more international support for his transitional government as it tries to guide Sudan towards democracy. “There is a success story that is emerging” in Sudan, Hamdok told an audience at the Atlantic Council on December 5. In a “region full of crises and riddled with conflicts, Sudan provides hope,” Hamdok declared.

CCS in Norway: Propelling global innovation for decarbonization

By Lee Beck

Northern Lights, a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project backed, in part, by the Norwegian government is set to bolster European and global carbon capture innovation, accelerating climate progress and exemplifying the next wave of global CCS facilities.

In their own words: Millennium Fellows reflect

Three Millennium Fellows shared their thoughts with us on their motivations to join, where they found the most value, and shared some advice for prospective applicants and the incoming class. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Energy and the threat

By Amb. Thomas Graham, Jr.

Nuclear energy is our greatest asset in the fight against climate change. In my view, success in the struggle against climate change likely is simply not possible without a robust and immediate commitment to nuclear power.

Bioweapons, secret labs, and the CIA: pro-Kremlin actors blame the US for coronavirus outbreak

By Eto Buziashvili

Multiple narratives begin to emerge on fringe Russian outlets and social media, following a familiar playbook

China’s vision for community with a shared future for humanity belies actual action

By Craig Hart

For China to truly back the its vision of a "shared future" with action, it must drastically reduce its own carbon emissions at home and discontinue investing abroad in carbon-intensive infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative.

Sudanese Foreign Minister outlines priorities of transitional government

By Africa Center

On Wednesday, January 29, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted Sudanese Foreign Minister H.E. Asma Mohamed Abdalla. Director of Programs and Studies and Deputy Director of the Africa Center Bronwyn Bruton provided opening remarks and welcomed Abdalla to the Atlantic Council. Abdalla outlined the priorities of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government, emphasizing the need to make […]

The quiet energy transition sweeping the Midwest

By Craig Hart

A quiet energy revolution is taking hold in the American Midwest, creating a tipping point for the nation as a whole—lower-carbon natural gas and renewables are pushing out coal as the low-cost fuel for power generation.