International Organizations

Atlantic Council’s leadership outlines vision for the future

By David A. Wemer

“You rise and fall based on your ability to change when the environment around you changes,” said Atlantic Council’s outgoing interim chairman, retired US Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones, Jr., “If you cannot change... you [will] fail.”

TRADE IN ACTION December 14, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program

Mitigating Iran sanctions: The case for a humanitarian SPV

By Axel Hellman

As part of its efforts to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, Europe is on the verge of launching a special purpose vehicle (SPV)—a payment mechanism described as “a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran.” Yet while Europeans see this mechanism as both legitimate and necessary, the SPV is regarded by the Trump administration as an […]

Iran Leans on UN Security Council Legitimacy to Blunt US Pressure

By Noah Annan

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used to denigrate United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions as “worthless paper.” That is not the case anymore. In the aftermath of the US unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal codified by UNSC resolution 2231, Iranian diplomats are embracing this element of international legality to accuse the Trump administration of wrongdoing.

Brexit and the Irish Backstop: the fear that dare not speak its name

By John M. Roberts

Responding to comments from a plethora of critics in the wake of her statement, May told Parliament on December 10 that the British government “retains its commitment to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and the commitments the government made within that agreement.”

OPEC attempts to recast its relationship with the United States

By Randolph Bell and Reed Blakemore

Though previous US administrations have taken an interest in OPEC and oil prices, Trump’s consumer-oriented approach to the oil market—and his willingness to use his Twitter account to advocate for that approach—has made always-difficult OPEC negotiations that much more challenging.

At the G20, a battle to reaffirm the value of a multilateral system

By Paula Garcia Tufro

As we look at key issues on the G20 agenda, trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development, and pandemics remain transnational issues that require global solutions.

UN migration agreement leads to splits in the European Union

By Miranda L. Prosdotti

In reality, since the height of the migrant crisis European leaders have cut unauthorized migration by 90 percent, and UNHCR data shows that the number of arriving migrants is back to its pre-crisis level.

TRADE IN ACTION November 30, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program