The EU should do more to support UN peacekeeping in Africa
June 2009
Europeans should talk to the US about deploying more EU peacekeeping missions to support the UN in Africa if and when they pull back from Afghanistan, Richard Gowan writes for the Centre for European Reform . If the Afghan campaign has shown the limitations of Europe’s military clout, working with the UN could give the EU a chance to show that its talk of ‘effective multilateralism’ is backed up by muscle.
 Read "The EU should do more to support UN peacekeeping in Africa"
Building More Effective UN Peace Operations
May 2009
Following a decade of unprecedented growth, UN peace operations are under increasing strain. The current level of overstretch, coupled with demands for new or expanded missions, presents a fundamental strategic challenge for the UN and its member states. As the Secretariat and the Security Council examine future peacekeeping challenges, it is important that the voices of all member states are heard.
In support of this objective, the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in cooperation with the Center on International Cooperation, will convene a series of panel discussions to explore critical issues confronting the future of UN peace operations. The series will draw on expertise from the practitioner, NGO, academic and UN communities.
The first event, on May 26, 2009, will survey the symptoms and causes of peacekeeping overstretch. Subsequent discussions will be organized over the following twelve month period to allow for more in-depth discussion of priority challenges.
 Visit The Thematic Series Project Page
 Read Peacekeeping Overstretch:Symptoms, Causes, and Consequences
Read a map of the the Thematic Series "Building More Effective UN Peace Operations"
The Future of Peacekeeping Operations: Fighting Political Fatigue and Overstretch
April 2009
Drawing from the insights of an international policy debate on peacekeeping overstretch co-organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Richard Gowan identifies major stresses of the UN and non-UN peacekeeping system. Analyzing the biggest UN (DR Congo) and NATO (Afghanistan) peace operations, he blames "risk transferral" and mistrust as key obstacles, driving political divergences and operational mismanagement. He proposes five policy options for greater transparency and trust, allowing better peacekeeping strategies, including a heads-of-government conference to foster strategic discussion.
Read The Future of Peacekeeping Operations: Fighting Political Fatigue and Overstretch
Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes
January 2009
Richard Gowan argues that the EU's failure to agree on a military mission in Congo comes at a time of deepening mistrust within Africa of Europeans' intentions.
 Read Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes
Parlimentary Hearing at the United Nations
November 2008
On November 21st, CIC's Global Peace Operations Program and Research Coordinator, Dr. Sarjoh Bah took part in this year's Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations titled: Towards effective Peacekeeping and the Prevention of Conflict. Dr. Bah Chaired the session on "Major challenges facing UN peacekeeping operations today." The Hearing, which brought together over 150 legislators from around the world was organized by the UN and the Inter Parliamentary Union.
Read Dr. Bah’s Speech
Africa seeks new relationship with U.S.
November 2008
Sarjoh Bah and Martin Savidge of World Focus discuss the evolving relationship between Africa and the United States.
Watch Video 
Somalia Crisis
September 2008
Sarjoh Bah speaks with Martin Savidge of PBS's World Focus about the chaos on the ground in Somalia. He calls the country the “world’s longest running failed state” and discusses the U.S.’s role in stabilizing the country.
No bed of roses for Le Roy
August 2008
The new UN peacekeeping chief has a tough job ahead: to find an effective role for the blue helmets in a multipolar world. Richard Gowan comments on the challenge in this article from the Guardian.
Dr. Bah interviewed by the Sudan Tribune
August 2008
In this article about the ICC's indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Sarjoh Bah comments on the reaction of the African Union and the Arab League.
The Strategic Context: Peacekeeping in Crisis, 2006-2008
July 2008
There is a consensus that the UN needs a stronger strategic culture, but its strategic circumstances militate against this. In this article from International Peacekeeping, Richard Gowan discusses how the UN may be able to achieve more limited but politically credible goals.
Dr. Bah on Radio France Internationale
July 2008
A. Sarjoh Bah recently commented on the conviction of Simon Mann by a court in Equatorial Guinea for his part in an attempted coup plot.
The 2008 Annual Review in the News
May 2008
This year's Review has been featured in both May and March articles in Financial Times, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, El Mundo, the PBS Online NewHour, EFE, and EuropaPress, based on interviews and commentary from Dr. Sarjoh Bah. Figures from the Review appeared in a recent article in The Economist
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Read the Greeting to the Official Launch of the Annual Review of Global Peace Operations as given by Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, Dr. Martin Ney 
