Archives for 2024

On March 25th the international conference will take place, titled From Negotiations to Integration. Polish experience of the accession process and the road to membership of Ukraine in the European Union. The event is organized by the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Polish Society for European Studies and Rule of Law Institute Foundation and it will take place in Lublin.

Program of the conference [PDF File, 458 KB].

On February 26th (15:00-16:30 CET) the online seminar will take place, titled Advocacy and Change in International Organisations. The event is organized by the Department of International Organizations and Global Security Studies of the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences.

What is the influence of advocacy when it comes to driving change in international organisations? By unpacking UN peacekeeping as a case study, the seminar delves into three key areas – strategic communication, protection of civilians, and quick impact projects – illustrating how different advocacy strategies lead to adopting and institutionalizing new ideas within organisations. While notable successes are noted, challenges persist with regard to staffing, accountability, and ongoing contestation. The speakers will discuss the importance of understanding various advocacy strategies for achieving lasting change by dissecting the complexities of navigating internal and external pressures within international organisations. The seminar offers valuable insights into the dynamics of international organisations’ evolution and the pivotal role of advocacy therein.

List of participants:

Moderator:

Reference – Advocacy and Change in International Organizations. Communication, Protection, and Reconstruction in UN Peacekeeping, by Kseniya Oksamytna (Oxford University Press 2023).

Registration to the event via the Google form.

On January 22nd (5:00-6:30pm CET) the online seminar will take place, titled Proxy wars: strategic competition and irregular warfare in the 21st century. The event is organized by the Department of International Organizations and Global Security Studies of the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Since the end of World War II, proxy warfare has become a dominant form of the conflict. From great powers avoiding nuclear confrontation during the Cold War, to lesser powers with regional ambitions in the complex, post-Arab Spring Middle East, states have frequently turned to proxy warfare to avoid escalation risks and costs of direct conflict. But proxy wars incur many hazards for the sponsors and proxies alike. Sponsors often struggle to control their partners and proxy wars still carry significant costs, whereas conflict delegation rarely delivers strategic breakthrough. As to proxies, they deal with overbearing or fickle sponsors and may suffer devastating loss of local legitimacy or international opprobrium for the provenance of received assistance. Given these drawbacks, why is proxy warfare nonetheless ubiquitous? Why do state and non-state actors outsource violence when they know proxy war is likely to yield a less than ideal outcome? Why do proxies seek out and accept their help?

List of participants:

Moderator:

Reference – Routledge Handbook of Proxy Wars, 2023, Edited By Assaf Moghadam, Vladimir Rauta , Michel Wyss.

Registration to the event via the Google form.