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Begin New Search Political Geography Global Focus Author Loïc Simonet

1. Happy Election Year!

Author:
Loïc Simonet
Publication Date:
01-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:
Billions of voters in 77 countries will go to the polls in 2024. Some of these elections will transform key nations’ foreign policies and might durably shape international relations. In many countries, though, elections are just a folding screen for authoritarian regimes. Even in advanced democracies, citizens’ disillusionment seems to give illiberalism a lifeline. The risk is also high that polls across the globe this year will be a ‘prime target’ for disinformation, ‘fake news’, conspiracy theory and cyber attacks.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Elections, and Disinformation
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. The UN Summit of the Future (September 2024): Which opportunities for the OSCE?

Author:
Loïc Simonet
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:
The UN Summit of the Future, scheduled for 22-23 September 2024, brings together the United Nations' 193 member states under the theme “multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow.” Despite a sour mood in New York City against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Summit can act as a ‘reset’. The OSCE, which is “multilateralism in action”, should use the event and its aftermaths to promote its remarkable contribution as a ‘regional arrangement’ under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter and its thirty-year concrete co-operation with the UN. Both UNSG Guterres’s ‘New Agenda for Peace’ and the draft ‘Pact for the Future’, the two conceptual foundations of the forthcoming Summit, resonate well with the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. By taking proactive steps in that framework, the Vienna Organization can enhance its role and effectiveness in the evolving international system. This paper’s ten recommendations include: the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration at the December 2024 Council, taking advantage of Malta’s current 'double-hatted’ status – OSCE Chair and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council -; the continuation of the joint OSCE-UN preparation in view of future opportunities in Ukraine, leveraging the SMM’s experience and lessons learned including the use of advanced monitoring technologies; the establishment of the OSCE as a ‘regional hub’ for climate change, building on Guterres’s call to address the interlinkages between climate, peace and insecurity as a “political priority”; and the increased involvement of the OSCE’s Mediterranean and Asian partners for co-operation which offer gateways to the ‘broader world’.
Topic:
United Nations, Multilateralism, OSCE, and Future
Political Geography:
Global Focus

3. Human Rights in a multi-aligned world: how to counter challenging narratives and restore universalism

Author:
Loïc Simonet
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:
This document delves into the foundational importance of the universality of human rights in the contemporary international landscape. Drawing on pivotal quotes by influential figures like Boutros Boutros-Ghali, it emphasizes the inherent nature of universality within human rights, rooted in the dignity of every individual. Highlighting the dual aspect of universality – the territorial applicability of rights and their coverage of all individuals – the paper underscores the interdependent and indivisible nature of human rights. It explores the significance of international human rights covenants and their role in critiquing governments on their adherence to these standards, stressing that upholding human rights is a collective responsibility owed to the global community. However, challenges to the universality of human rights have emerged, especially post-Cold War, with debates centering around cultural relativism and particularities versus universal standards. The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna notably reaffirmed the universality principle, although not without contention. Despite the significance of this reaffirmation, conflicts surrounding human rights have multiplied, complicating the path toward achieving true universality. 30 years after the Vienna World Conference, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, this study outlines the obstacles to universality, explores the changing dynamics in international relations, particularly focusing on the China-Russia partnership, and suggests pathways to re-establishing the essential universality of human rights. It concludes with recommendations for Austria and Europe to realign with these universal principles in the realm of human rights, emphasizing the ongoing journey and complexities inherent in striving for true universality in human rights worldwide.
Topic:
Human Rights, Multipolarity, and Universalism
Political Geography:
Europe and Global Focus