News & Blogs

Latest news and views from NZCGS experts and contributors.

Samoan Constitutional Crisis

by Jayden van Leeuwen | Jun 21, 2021 | Young Global Scholars Group, Board

Although Samoan’s went to the polls on 9 April 2021, the wait for a clear winner of that election is still ongoing, and the outcome could have wide-ranging implications for the region – not only because Samoa is a well-respected Pacific democracy, but also because of...

Myanmar pleads for the world to honour R2P

by Ramesh Thakur | Apr 12, 2021 | Board

This is not a blog I had expected, intended or wanted to write. I have politely declined requests to write on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in relation to the current crisis in Myanmar and the climbing civilian death toll. The turning point was visuals of...

The Challenge of US Electoral Instability

by Tapio Kanninen | Mar 10, 2021 | International Advisory Panel

When Joseph Biden won the 2020 US election many hoped that there would be a quick return to an old globalist agenda and support for international institutions. However, the US has changed politically, socially, and culturally, which will seriously...

New United States Leadership

by Abbas Nazari | Mar 4, 2021 | Young Global Scholars Group

In his address to the Munich security conference (his first international speech as president), President Biden told European leaders the US wants to “earn back our position of trusted leadership.” In a clean break from the isolationist policies of his predecessor,...

Military Cooperation

by Hugh Steadman | Mar 1, 2021 | Guests

On 22nd January, 2021, the TPNW came into force with the requisite fifty nations having ratified the treaty. Since then, several others, including Cambodia and Philippines have joined. The background has been dealt with at some length in my recent article. The key...

Trump’s Exit

by Chris Williams | Feb 23, 2021 | International Advisory Panel

What might future historians note as the epoch-making aspects of Donald Trump’s exit? Perhaps it will include something that is attracting less academic attention at present - social media companies closing down Trump’s accounts. Twitter and later Snapchat permanently...

Unhinged Leaders and Nuclear Weapons

by Tanya Ogilvie-White | Jan 8, 2021 | International Advisory Panel

I’ve spent my life studying the risks posed by nuclear weapons. I’ve always worried that one day an unhinged leader would emerge in a nuclear-armed country, with the authority to launch a nuclear attack. To me, the assumption that nuclear-armed leaders will act...

The United States in 2021

by Pooran Pandey | Dec 17, 2020 | Guests

The US presidential election has now concluded with the Electoral College confirming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the winners (by 306 to 232 votes). It remains for Congress to certify the Electoral College votes on 6 January, before the Inauguration on the...

War crimes, international law, and the global community

by Abbas Nazari | Dec 9, 2020 | Young Global Scholars Group

How is the emerging global community to deal with alleged war crimes, within the context of contemporary international law and national political integrity? This is one of the more critical questions of the early 21st century. War crimes are many, and...

Building Back Better – Globally

by Alex Kazaglis | Nov 19, 2020 | International Advisory Panel

At first glance the decision to delay the largest climate conference in history – COP 26 (1) – appears to have been made on practical grounds. COVID-19 had made convening 30,000 delegates from 197 countries impossible. For the conference, it is also true that its...