International Organizations and Conflict Resolution in the Time of COVID-19

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated a number of negative trends in international politics, including great power rivalry, inter-state territorial disputes, proliferation of various weapons as well as fueling of regional and international conflicts. All these challenges, which demand cooperative solutions, have made the work of conflict resolution organizations even more timely. At the same time, however, the ability of international organizations to function in this environment has been constrained as summits, negotiations and fact-finding missions have gone digital or have been curbed.

How will the present crisis affect the future of multilateral efforts in conflict resolution and arms control? How can international institutions and their civil society partners carry forward their vital work amidst a global health emergency?

Join us on December 7, from 9:00-10:00am EST (3:00–4:00pm CET), for an engaging discussion of the challenges posed to conflict prevention by an environment where digital communications have replaced face-to-face interactions.

The webinar will discuss the impact of the pandemic on international organizations dealing with conflict prevention or resolution (particularly the UN and OSCE). It will elaborate on how the pandemic has challenged the institutional capacity of these organizations and affected their ability to carry out their missions, especially disarmament and arms control. It will also discuss the need to reevaluate conflict prevention and conflict resolution efforts to adjust them to the new reality.

Program Overview

Hon. Izumi Nakamitsu is the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations which promotes nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation as well as the strengthening of the disarmament regimes in respect to other weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons. Prior to taking on this post, Nakamitsu served as Assistant Administrator of the Crisis Response Unit at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She has many years of experience within and outside the United Nations system including serving as a member of the Foreign Exchange Council to Japan’s Foreign Minister. In 2018, Fortune Magazine named her one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.” FULL BIO

Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä is Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) and currently serves as Officer in Charge in the absence of an OSCE Secretary General. As CPC Director, she co-ordinates and develops the OSCE’s activities aimed at reducing tensions, responding to crises and conflicts, and addressing the root causes of conflict and instability through structural prevention and peace building. Under her leadership, the CPC facilitates the work of the OSCE’s 16 field operations in Eastern Europe, South East Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. With over 30 years of experience in the Finnish diplomatic service, she has previously served as Finland’s Roving Ambassador to Central Asia and as its Ambassador to Egypt and Sudan; she has also served as Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. FULL BIO

Bruce W. McConnell is the President and CEO of the EastWest Institute. He leads and manages all the institute’s work to reduce and mitigate security conflict among nations, engaging with government and corporate policymakers in China, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, South Asia and the United States. McConnell joined EWI in 2013, having served for four years at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he was Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity. FULL BIO

Dr. Mark Meirowitz is a Professor of Humanities at SUNY Maritime College in New York and a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute. He is an expert in Turkish Foreign Policy and U.S.-Turkish relations. Meirowitz has lectured and written extensively on these subjects and frequently appears in the U.S. and Turkish media to analyze these issues, as well as issues related to American Foreign Policy and International Relations. FULL BIO

Nvard Chalikyan is a consultant for the Russia and the United States program at the EastWest Institute and is currently writing a paper on the implications of the COVID pandemic for Track 2 diplomacy. She conducts research, writes articles and organizes events on various aspects of the U.S.-Russia relations, with a particular focus on the post-Soviet space. Prior to joining EWI, Chalikyan worked at a leading think tank in Armenia and collaborated with international organizations; she has also contributed articles and interviews with international experts to media outlets. FULL BIO

Agenda

Date: Monday, December 7, 2020
Time: 9:00-10:00am EST | 3:00-4:00pm CET

How to Join

The webinar will be conducted via the video conferencing platform Zoom, which works on PC, Mac and mobile devices. Participants will have the option to join the meeting through the Zoom application, or by calling in via phone. You must register in advance in order to participate in the webinar.

Please feel free to submit questions in advance to Nvard Chalikyan at nchalikyan@ewi.info.