International Peace Institute
Encyclopedia
The International Peace Institute (IPI) is an independent non-profit research and policy
development institution based in New York. IPI specializes in multilateral approaches to peace and security issues, working closely with the Secretariat and membership of the United Nations
. IPI’s primary objective is to promote effective international responses to new and emerging issues and crises through research, analysis, and policy development.
in 1970, originally with the purpose of studying UN peacekeeping and developing peacekeeping doctrine, with strong financial backing from Ruth Forbes Young. Its first President was Maj. Gen. Indar Jit Rikhye
, a distinguished Indian commanding officer of UN peacekeeping forces and a former military advisor to the UN Secretary-General. Under his tenure, IPA initiated an innovative program aimed at training civilians and military officers together for the challenges of preventing conflict and building peace.
In 1990, under Olara Otunnu
, a Uganda
n diplomat and politician, IPI branched out into the political dimensions of war and peace. During this time, IPI became known for its case studies
of UN field operations and for its forward-looking analysis on new roles for the UN in the security sphere. Otunnu also initiated IPA's Africa Program, which is currently its longest-running program.
The next IPI President, in 1998, was David M. Malone
, a Canadian scholar-diplomat. Malone took IPA more deeply into the realm both of scholarship and of policy advocacy, focused in part on the work of the UN Security Council. IPA broke new ground on the economics of war, on links between the causes of conflict and conflict prevention, the nexus of security and development and on new forms of international governance, such as transitional administration. It became a source of expertise for the media in which Malone and his IPA colleagues published frequent opinion and analytical pieces.
Since 2005, IPI has been led by Terje Rød-Larsen
, a principal architect of the Oslo Peace Accords (between the PLO and the Government of Israel) and a Norwegian sociologist
and diplomat who has served the UN as its senior envoy in the Middle East
. IPI today focuses its work on crisis and the response capacity of international institutions, UN reform, statebuilding/peacebuilding, and has specific regional programs on the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Rød-Larsen serves simultaneously as the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559
.
, and its Board of Directors is chaired by Rita Hauser
.
(now of Columbia University), Robert Orr
(Assistant Secretary-General of the UN), Thant Myint-U
, Margaret Vogt, Simon Chesterman
(now at the NYU School of Law), Ameen Jan, Karin Wermester, Necla Tschirgi, Karen Ballentine, John Hirsch, Adekeye Adebajo (now Director the Center on Conflict Resolution in Cape Town), W.P.S. Sidhu (now Director of the New Issues in Security Course at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy), Chandra Lekha Sriram (Professor of Law, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies), Heiko Nitzschke, Sebastian von Einsiedel, Jake Sherman, Angela Muvumba, Aida Mengistu, Charles Cater, Ruth Iyob, Ian Martin (UN Special Envoy in Nepal), Agnes Hurwitz and Chetan Kumar.
The body of IPI's scholarship over the past fifteen years is considerable and much cited.
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
development institution based in New York. IPI specializes in multilateral approaches to peace and security issues, working closely with the Secretariat and membership of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. IPI’s primary objective is to promote effective international responses to new and emerging issues and crises through research, analysis, and policy development.
History
The International Peace Institute (formerly the International Peace Academy) was created with support from UN Secretary-General U ThantU Thant
U Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in September 1961....
in 1970, originally with the purpose of studying UN peacekeeping and developing peacekeeping doctrine, with strong financial backing from Ruth Forbes Young. Its first President was Maj. Gen. Indar Jit Rikhye
Indar Jit Rikhye
Indar Jit Rikhye was a major general in the Indian army who served as military adviser to the United Nations secretaries-general Dag Hammarskjöld and U Thant in the 1960s.-External links:**...
, a distinguished Indian commanding officer of UN peacekeeping forces and a former military advisor to the UN Secretary-General. Under his tenure, IPA initiated an innovative program aimed at training civilians and military officers together for the challenges of preventing conflict and building peace.
In 1990, under Olara Otunnu
Olara Otunnu
Dr.Olara A. Otunnu is a Lawyer and the President of the Uganda Peoples Congressand a Presidential Aspirant for the 2011 General elections in Uganda...
, a Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n diplomat and politician, IPI branched out into the political dimensions of war and peace. During this time, IPI became known for its case studies
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
of UN field operations and for its forward-looking analysis on new roles for the UN in the security sphere. Otunnu also initiated IPA's Africa Program, which is currently its longest-running program.
The next IPI President, in 1998, was David M. Malone
David M. Malone
David M. Malone, born in 1954, is a Canadian author on international security and development, as well as a career diplomat. He is a former president of the International Peace Institute, and a frequently quoted expert on international affairs, especially relations between the United States and the...
, a Canadian scholar-diplomat. Malone took IPA more deeply into the realm both of scholarship and of policy advocacy, focused in part on the work of the UN Security Council. IPA broke new ground on the economics of war, on links between the causes of conflict and conflict prevention, the nexus of security and development and on new forms of international governance, such as transitional administration. It became a source of expertise for the media in which Malone and his IPA colleagues published frequent opinion and analytical pieces.
Since 2005, IPI has been led by Terje Rød-Larsen
Terje Rød-Larsen
Terje Rød-Larsen is a Norwegian diplomat, politician and sociologist.He came to wide international prominence as a key figure in the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords, when he served as the Director of the Fafo institute...
, a principal architect of the Oslo Peace Accords (between the PLO and the Government of Israel) and a Norwegian sociologist
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and diplomat who has served the UN as its senior envoy in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. IPI today focuses its work on crisis and the response capacity of international institutions, UN reform, statebuilding/peacebuilding, and has specific regional programs on the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Rød-Larsen serves simultaneously as the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, adopted on September 2, 2004, after recalling resolutions 425 , 426 , 520 and 1553 on the situation in Lebanon, the Council supported free and fair presidential elections in Lebanon and called upon remaining foreign forces to withdraw from the...
.
Officers
Its President is Terje Rød-LarsenTerje Rød-Larsen
Terje Rød-Larsen is a Norwegian diplomat, politician and sociologist.He came to wide international prominence as a key figure in the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords, when he served as the Director of the Fafo institute...
, and its Board of Directors is chaired by Rita Hauser
Rita Hauser
Rita Eleanor Hauser is an international lawyer known for persuading Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization to renounce violence in 1988. She also served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1969 to 1972. George W...
.
Alumni
Published alumni of IPI, today widely spread across the academic and policy worlds, include Michael DoyleMichael Doyle
Michael W. Doyle is an international relations scholar best known as a theorist of the liberal “democratic peace” and author of “Liberalism and World Politics,” the 16th most cited article in the 100 year history of the American Political Science Review...
(now of Columbia University), Robert Orr
Robert Orr
Robert Orr may refer to:* Bobby Orr , Canadian hockey player* Bobby Orr , jazz drummer* Robert Orr , American businessman in Japan, President of Boeing Japan, Vice President of Motorola...
(Assistant Secretary-General of the UN), Thant Myint-U
Thant Myint-U
Thant Myint-U is an historian and a past Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He is also the author two bestselling and critically acclaimed books, The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma and Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia .He was born in...
, Margaret Vogt, Simon Chesterman
Simon Chesterman
Simon Chesterman is Vice Dean and law professor at the National University of Singapore, and "Global Professor and Director" of the Singaporean branch of the NYU School of Law. His research concerns international law, conceptions of public authority, state-building and post-conflict reconstruction...
(now at the NYU School of Law), Ameen Jan, Karin Wermester, Necla Tschirgi, Karen Ballentine, John Hirsch, Adekeye Adebajo (now Director the Center on Conflict Resolution in Cape Town), W.P.S. Sidhu (now Director of the New Issues in Security Course at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy), Chandra Lekha Sriram (Professor of Law, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies), Heiko Nitzschke, Sebastian von Einsiedel, Jake Sherman, Angela Muvumba, Aida Mengistu, Charles Cater, Ruth Iyob, Ian Martin (UN Special Envoy in Nepal), Agnes Hurwitz and Chetan Kumar.
The body of IPI's scholarship over the past fifteen years is considerable and much cited.