Insights and impact

About the Council

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build, the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world.

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Featured content

NATO 20/2020

Twenty bold ideas to reimagine the Alliance after the 2020 US election

More than two decades after NATO’s inspired decision to invite former adversaries to join its ranks, the Alliance is in need of equally captivating ideas. The essays in this volume are intended to push the Alliance to think boldly and creatively in the service of recapturing the public’s imagination.

Read our provocative essays on the future of NATO

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Explore the podcast series

NATO 20/2020 Podcast

NATO 20/2020 is a weekly podcast that explores 20 bold ideas to push NATO to be more visionary, more capable, and more self-evidently valuable to the security of more people.

Making a difference

Learn more about the Atlantic Council’s insights & impact through these stories of how our regional and thematic programs are making a difference not only in shaping how we view global issues but also in shaping their outcome.

Artwork by Peter Kuper

In the News

Dec 17, 2020

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center partners with LEADERS Magazine to dedicate an entire issue to resilience

For its Fall/Winter issue of 2020, LEADERS Magazine, asked the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center to produce an issue dedicated to resilience. The Resilience Issue assembles a broad range of global thought leaders and experts who are currently tackling the challenges and crises facing the world from different perspectives.

Insights & Impact

Mar 3, 2020

Peering Around the Corner: The Geopolitics of Coronavirus

By Atlantic Council

On February 11, 2020 the DFRLab hosted "Peering Around the Corner: The Geopolitics of Coronavirus," a timely series of panels on the potential geopolitical and economic consequences of Coronavirus, and how misinformation about the crisis may influence its impact.

China Disinformation

Program Impact Story

Feb 6, 2020

US energy priorities abroad: A conversation with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette

By Global Energy Center

On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Atlantic Council hosted newly appointed US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette for a public address and moderated discussion about US government energy priorities abroad.

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Latest commentary and analysis

MENASource

May 4, 2026

Syria needs a trustworthy digital ecosystem to support its revival

By Nadia Farra

Robust digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and cybersecurity are no longer luxuries for high-income nations but fundamental requirements for national stability and economic resilience.

Freedom and Prosperity Inclusive Growth

EnergySource

May 4, 2026

Chinese electric vehicle exports rise amid the oil crisis, posing a dilemma for importing countries

By Joseph Webster and Tony Jing

China is exporting a large number of electric vehicles around the world amid today's oil shock. The cars' internet connectivity, however, could make importers vulnerable to cyberattacks.

China Energy & Environment

Podcast

May 1, 2026

The IEA’s Fatih Birol on ‘the greatest energy security threat in history’

By The Atlantic Council

The war in Iran continues with no clear end in sight, fueling economic turbulence and concerns of a global energy crisis. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol spoke at an AC Front Page event on April 13th, and argued the conflict is the greatest energy security threat in history. He warned that oil prices will soon “converge” with the on-the-ground reality, knocking the global economy further into disarray.

Economy & Business European Union
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Latest in-depth research and reports

Report

May 4, 2026

Powering data centers in emerging markets

By Phillip Cornell

This report examines how emerging markets are increasingly powering the next wave of data centers, with recommendations for policymakers.

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Issue Brief

Apr 30, 2026

How Colombia can reduce security threats ahead of its presidential election

By the US–Colombia Strategic Alignment Coalition

Though Colombia's recent legislative elections were largely peaceful, the security environment has worsened in recent weeks amid death threats against candidates and escalating violence by armed groups. The upcoming weeks present a narrow, but critical, window to reduce risks ahead of the May 31 presidential election.

Americas Civil Society

Issue Brief

Apr 29, 2026

Does liberal democracy drive inequalities?

By Yi Zhou

There has been much debate about the relationship between liberal democracy and social and economic inequality, but data shows that free societies remain more equal than their less free counterparts.

Freedom and Prosperity Inclusive Growth
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Content

In the News

Sep 9, 2020

Pandemic puts pressure on innovators to speed up

By Atlantic Council

“Necessity is the mother of invention, and right now, COVID-19 has created the need for tools to treat the current pandemic and mitigate the effects of future outbreaks, Dr. Bray said. The situation reminds him of how the risk from house fires prompted innovators to design a system to warn occupants before it was too late. ‘Can we instrument the planet in such a way that we’ll have earlier warning signs about new viruses and infections, analogous to smoke detectors?’”

Civil Society Coronavirus

In the News

Sep 9, 2020

Mihailescu writes in Foreign Policy on strategy regarding North Korea

By Andrea R. Mihailescu

Read the full article here.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion International Organizations

In the News

Sep 9, 2020

Roberts speaks before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission

By Atlantic Council

On September 9, Dexter Tiff Roberts, nonresident senior fellow at the Asia Security Initiative and a veteran China journalist, spoke before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s hearing on “U.S.-China Relations in 2020: Enduring Problems and Emerging Challenges.” In his testimony, he discussed the state of the Chinese economy, particularly the prospects of the […]

China East Asia

In the News

Sep 8, 2020

Ashford’s Power Problems podcast: With friends like these

By Atlantic Council

On the September 8 Power Problems podcast, Emma chats with Rachel Rizzo of the Truman Project about the prospects for transatlantic relations. More about our expert

Conflict South Asia

In the News

Sep 8, 2020

Pandemic accents federal need for identification technology

By Atlantic Council

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans have become increasingly reliant upon digital tools for their very survival. Whether in digital workspaces, or online applications for essential aid through unemployment insurance and other forms of relief, Americans have depended on digital resources to get through this tumultuous time. The crisis, though, has highlighted the weakness of much of the country’s digital infrastructure for handling such transactions, particularly in the lack of sufficient forms of digital identification. Dr. David Bray spoke to Signal magazine of the AFCEA on how Canada has implemented a form of digital identification that allowed them to overcome some of the hurdles faced by the US Government as it attempted to support the population.

Civil Society Coronavirus

In the News

Sep 8, 2020

Nawaz joins ThinkFest Pakistan to discuss his book, “The Battle for Pakistan”

By Atlantic Council

Pakistan Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Sep 8, 2020

Carpenter and Kobets in Foreign Affairs: What Russia really has in mind for Belarus

By Atlantic Council

Belarus Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Sep 7, 2020

Mack quoted in Al Jazeera on UAE-Israel normalization
Arabic Israel

In the News

Sep 7, 2020

Nooruddin in Scroll.in: The science of coronavirus art: Assessing India’s Covid-19 behavioral change campaigns

By Atlantic Council

Coronavirus India

Article

Sep 7, 2020

Garlauskas mentioned by The National Interest on North Korea SLMB

By Atlantic Council

Markus Garlauskas, the former US National Intelligence Officer for North Korea and nonresident senior fellow with the Asia Security Initiative, was mentioned in an analysis by The National Interest published on September 7, 2020. Garlauskas expressed his opinion on the latest satellite imagery report by CSIS, commenting that the latest development of Sino shipyard in […]

Arms Control East Asia
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