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21. Deciphering China’s Coal Ban from North Korea:

Author:
Debalina Ghoshal
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
For years, the Chinese have remained soft towards North Korea when it came to imposing sanctions on them for their nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has prohibited Pyongyang from testing nuclear and ballistic missiles but yet Pyongyang has continued to do develop and conduct nuclear and ballistic missile tests. In February 2017, North Korea test fired a ballistic missile which was reported to be a modified version of their Musudan missile with range of 2500-4000km. At present, North Korea’s missile arsenal consists Scud-D, Nodong, Taepo Dong-1 and 2 and Musudan ballistic missiles. In addition, North Korea is also working on submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
Topic:
Energy Policy and International Political Economy
Political Geography:
China and North Korea

22. North Korea: The Agitator of East Asia?

Author:
Fuad Olajuwon
Publication Date:
05-2017
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
In recent news, North Korea has been the hot button issue with governments and bureaucrats alike. The geopolitical nature of the country leaves many world leaders apprehensive as to what will happen next. Recent missile tests conducted by Pyongyang as well as brazen rhetoric spouted by Kim Jong Un towards neighboring countries poses a threat as to what actions North Korea will take moving forward. While it’s interesting to note the movements of the country in question, the reaction of the other nations in the region have the potential to shift the geopolitical balance of power. So the questions remain the same; is North Korea an aggressive force that has the resources and capability to fracture East Asian relations? Or can countries use these events to craft a new reality to preserve the sanctity of their respective states?
Topic:
International Relations and International Security
Political Geography:
North Korea

23. The Billionaire at the Centre of the Largest Corruption Scandal in Latin America

Author:
Marcelo López de Aragón
Publication Date:
12-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
The name Odebrecht has become irremediably tied to one of the largest corruption scandals in Latin American history. In the midst of the ongoing scandal is the man bearing the company’s name, one of Brazil’s richest men, Marcelo Odebrecht; a 48-year- old executive, who went from managing one of the world's largest construction firms to having several high-ranking government officials in Latin America look on nervously as the Brazilian construction tycoon confesses and provides details on an unparalleled and sophisticated bribery and bid-rigging scheme to Brazilian judicial authorities and to US courts.
Topic:
Corruption and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Latin America

24. Momentous Change in the Nile Basin

Author:
Basel Ammane
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
The Nile Basin is among numerous areas around the world that experience water scarcity. Many of the countries that are in it fail to meet the minimum of 2,740 litres per person per day needed to avoid being listed as a country with chronic water scarcity. 1 To make matters worse, the collective population of these countries is expected to rise to around 647 million by 2030, a 52 percent increase from what it was in 2010 according to the UN Population Division
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

25. Brazil: President Temer’s Attempt to Revive the Former Latin American Powerhouse

Author:
Marcelo Lopez de Aragon
Publication Date:
08-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
Thanks to the ruling majority in the Brazilian Parliament, President Michel Temer, a self-styled political centrist, was barely saved on August 2, 2017, from undergoing a corruption trial that could have led to his dismissal and potential imprisonment. The Brazilian president is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for granting political favours to various Brazilian companies and politicians since 2010. According to secret telephone recordings taken of the president, these illegal practices reportedly continued after Temer took the presidential reigns. Regardless of the judicial fate of the Brazilian president, the fact that his mandate is peppered with scandals reflects how corruption has spread throughout the Brazilian political system like a cancer metastasized across the halls of power.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

26. The Organization of American States: The Forum of Despair and Economic Interests

Author:
Marcelo Lopez de Aragon
Publication Date:
06-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
Founded in 1948, the Organization of American States (OAS) is billed as the premier political multilateral forum of the western hemisphere with 34 member states. At its core, the raison d’être of the OAS rests on the promotion and safeguarding of four pillars: democracy, human rights, security and development.
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

27. Make Japan Great Again? The Rise of Trump and Significance of the US-Japan Alliance

Author:
Fuad Olajuwon
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
Japan is in a unique position. With the rise of Trump and the changing of the American political landscape, the world faces a new challenge. That challenge is uncertainty. If you’re from a realist background, that raises concern. The shifting of the global narrative is one to look out for, as countries across Europe and the Western world are shifting away from the “liberal world order” and more into an ideologist that puts the concerns of the host over that of the guest. With Brexit and “#AmericaFirst” rhetoric gaining momentum, what is the fate of East Asia? One thing is sure: this is a unique time as ever for Japan to stand on its own two feet.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

28. Policy Brief – Momentous Change in the Nile Basin

Author:
Basel Ammane
Publication Date:
10-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Council on International Policy (CIP)
Abstract:
The Nile Basin is among numerous areas around the world that experience water scarcity. Many of the countries that are in it fail to meet the minimum of 2,740 litres per person per day needed to avoid being listed as a country with chronic water scarcity. To make matters worse, the collective population of these countries is expected to rise to around 647 million by 2030, a 52 percent increase from what it was in 2010 according to the UN Population Division. Fortunately, however, there does not seem to be sufficient evidence to establish a strong relationship of one-way causality between water scarcity and conflict. In fact, a comprehensive study of the matter at Oregon State University in 2001 concluded that incidents of cooperation far outnumbered those of conflict among countries that shared a water resource and experienced water scarcity. This paints a substantially different picture from that portrayed by the dramatic rhetoric expressing quasi-certainty about the occurrence of water wars one typically encounters in sensationalistic pieces. What’s more, the record has shown that the typical response to water scarcity has been one of cooperation and innovation. Having said that, increasing inter-annual variability in the flow of the waters of the river and the consequent increase in instances of floods and droughts, coupled with a rise in the willingness and ability of upstream countries to challenge Egypt’s hegemonic status in addition to the demographic changes mentioned earlier will certainly test the basin countries’ capacity for cooperation, innovation and adaptation. This will ultimately be crucial in determining the state of relations among them and the future of their populations with respect to water.
Topic:
International Organization and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus