(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
In connection with Norway's year as a member of the Security Council (2021–2022), PRIO, NUPI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold thematic meetings to discuss issues on the Security Council's agenda. The first meeting took place on April 29 and dealt with global health and security. The purpose of these meetings is to open up for strategic discussions between experts, researchers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
PRIO has a number of ongoing research projects. Recent projects include Adapted to War (AWAR), RegulAIR: The integration of drones in the Norwegian and European Airspaces, and Geographies of Conflict-Induced Migration (CONMIG).
And for example, researcher at the PRIO Cyprus Center, Zenonas Tziarras, gave a digital and public lecture on April 29 on patterns of cooperation and competition in the eastern areas of the Mediterranean. The lecture is part of the series Deep Dive Politics and deals with how the international system and the states' own interests have contributed to a new security architecture in the area. [The lecture can be found on YouTube.]
In April, PRIO researcher Julia Palik published an article on the monitoring of the ceasefire in Yemen. She points to four main reasons for the problems with the UN mission in Yemen from 2018 to 2020. First, the Stockholm Agreement was weakly drafted, due to external pressure. Thus, disagreement arose about the interpretation of agreements between the parties to the conflict. Second, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen and the UN Mission in Support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) were accused of taking sides in the conflict. Third, UNMHA was only stationed in Houthi-controlled areas, while developments in other parts of the country challenged the ceasefire. Fourth, the parties' willingness to implement the ceasefire was far too low, or simply absent. This research will be important for future assignments of the same kind. [The article is published in International Peacekeeping.]
Norwegian peace education
Bachelor of Peace in Oslo: Bjørknes Høyskole offers a bachelor's degree in peace and conflict studies. The program is interdisciplinary and is based on knowledge from a number of disciplines, such as political science, history, law, economics, cultural studies and security studies. The aim is to help students understand contemporary international conditions and gain further opportunities in both private and public institutions, non-profit and international organizations, research institutions and academia. Some key issues that are discussed and analyzed during this study are: Why do armed conflicts arise ?; are there really rules in war ?; Why is it so difficult to reform the UN ?; is war exclusively negative ?; and can human rights violations be justified in the fight against terrorism? Peace Master in Tromsø: The Center for Peace Studies is a unit at the University of Tromsø (UiT) engaged in peace education and peace research. The master's program in peace and conflict transformation is internationally oriented, in English and admits students from all over the world. Among other things, they will promote the dissemination of peace and conflict-related research at UiT; contribute to the development of collaboration with educational institutions, research institutions and other relevant partners locally and internationally within peace and conflict issues; participate in the realization of UiT's sustainability efforts and commit itself to promoting and incorporating the UN's sustainability goals in its work. Master in Peace and Conflict in Oslo: The Master's Program in Peace and Conflict (PECOS) will provide students with analytical tools and empirical insight to understand the multifaceted challenges associated with war and conflict. The program combines training in research methods and techniques with practicing perspectives. The goal of this master's is a future career in public, international organizations or academia. The program is intended for students who want to combine in-depth analysis with real perspectives on some of the most complex challenges facing states and the wider international community.