Diplomacy & Defense Think Tank News

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The historic decision on loss and damage (L&D) at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) calls for a new fund and funding arrangements focused on addressing L&D. It also tasks a Transitional Committee with preparing recommendations on the new fund and funding arrangements for adoption at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. IPI President Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein describes this decision made at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh as one of the most significant developments since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

IPI together with Oxford Climate Policy cohosted a policy forum on June 30th entitled “Innovative Finance for Loss and Damage: Capitalizing the New Fund.” During the event, participants discussed deficiencies and shortfalls in L&D funding and underscored innovative ways to capitalize on the new fund. Panelists also emphasized the need to take into account the global economic and political context, including the effects of COVID-19 and other crises.

With roughly six months left until COP28, the Transitional Committee will need to work efficiently to achieve its mandate, which includes determining the fund’s financial inputs or sources of capitalization. A new fund for addressing loss and damage will almost certainly require capitalization through a combination of old and new paths. Based on trends in official development assistance, contributions from developed country governments, though important, are unlikely to be sufficient to capitalize a new fund at the scale needed. Thus, it will likely be necessary to include new or “innovative” sources of finance. One idea is to combine conventional (public) contributions from donor countries and contributions from private donors using a specially designed tax, as countries have done with air travel to fund Unitaid. Such a tax could involve levies on air travel, bunker fuel, fossil-fuel extraction, greenhouse-gas emissions, or financial transactions. Another idea is to “frontload” contributions through the issuance of bonds, as the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) has done with its “vaccine bonds.”

Discussants asserted that multiple solutions are needed and presented several innovative options. IPI Research Fellow Michael Franczak noted the failure of developed countries to meet Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments and introduced the option of a shipping levy. According to World Bank findings, putting a price on carbon could raise 40 to 60 billion dollars from the shipping industry between 2025 and 2050. While 22 countries have declared support for the principle of a levy on carbon emissions, many developing countries have been wary of tax burden transfers. Franczak noted the need for common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) to effectively operationalize a carbon tax levy.

“The adverse impacts that we are already experiencing are both attributed and associated with changes in global systems,” stated Koko Warner Director of the Global Data Institute, International Organization for Migration. In many cases these impacts are irreversible and deeply challenging for our financial systems, we need to think about flexibility in the real economy. Long recognized as an authority on loss and damage, Managing Director of Oxford Climate Policy and Director of the European Capacity Building Initiative Benito Müller discussed his proposal for international climate solidarity levies and levy on air travel to finance the Loss and Damage Fund. Chris Canavan put forward the idea of using bonds or frontloading to make the Loss and Damage Fund’s financing immediately available. Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College Stacy-Ann Robinson affirmed that the conversation about innovative finance for loss and damage is about livelihood: “People matter and we need to center equity and justice.”

The panel contextualized for the New York audience current discussions on innovative finance for L&D, including within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Paris at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, and at the International Maritime Organization, as well as best practices and examples from existing entities like Unitaid and IFFIm.

Opening Remarks:
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President and CEO, International Peace Institute

Speakers:
Michael Franczak, Research Fellow, International Peace Institute
Koko Warner, Director, Global Data Institute, International Organization for Migration
Benito Müller, Managing Director of Oxford Climate Policy and Director of the European Capacity Building Initiative
Chris Canavan, Senior Advisor, Cygnum Capital
Stacy-Ann Robinson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Colby College

Moderator:
Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Peace Institute

Vom 17. bis 21. Juli findet zum zehnten Mal die Konferenz der European Survey Research Association (ESRA) in Mailand statt. 12 Wissenschaftler*innen aus dem SOEP leiten Sessions oder präsentieren in mehr als 20 Vorträgen ihre Arbeit. Eine Übersicht zu den SOEP-Vorträgen finden Sie hier.

Außerdem ist das SOEP mit einem eigenen Infostand auf der Konferenz vertreten. Kommen Sie vorbei und erfahren Sie mehr über Neuigkeiten aus dem Institut und der Datenwelt des SOEP.

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How have recent conflicts impacted global peace and what can the changing geopolitical landscape tell us about the likelihood of future conflict? On June 28th, IPI together with the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) cohosted a policy forum entitled “A Measure of Peace: Key Findings from the 2023 Global Peace Index,” to address these questions and discuss how they could impact multilateral efforts and national priorities of member states in the future.

Produced by the IEP, the Global Peace Index (GPI) is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. It presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to date on trends in peace, the economic value of peace, and how to develop peaceful societies. The GPI covers 163 countries comprising 99.7 percent of the world’s population, using twenty-three qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace across three domains: the level of societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and the degree of militarization.

Michael Collins, IEP Executive Director Americas provided an overview of key findings from the 17th edition of the GPI. Collins noted that peacefulness has continued to deteriorate this year and is the lowest it has been since the inception of the index. On a positive note, there have been improvements in peacefulness, which include a reduction in political terror, and surprisingly, in terms of military expenditure. While there has been an increase in military expenditure, in terms of GDP it has decreased on a global average. Unfortunately, the 2023 GPI found that “expenditure on peacebuilding and peacekeeping totaled $34.1 billion in 2022, which equals only 0.4 percent of military spending.”

Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships Roselyn Akombe stressed that because the economic impact of conflict is so vast, we need to rethink and focus on peace. Akombe also outlined four takeaways from the GPI, beginning by emphasizing that “numbers count” and economists provide valuable contributions by effectively quantifying peace and providing the data that situates where we are in terms of peace. Second, the GPI is making a business case for prevention. Measuring the cost of war and comparing returns of investment demonstrate the need to collectively work towards peacebuilding and sustaining peace. Third, through reading the 2023 GPI and looking at the key asks of the UN Secretary-General in the New Agenda for Peace, there exists confirmation that we are on the right path. Ending on a positive note, Akombe highlighted that when there are systematic responses towards building peace, it makes a difference. She cited the example of terrorism, which has decreased as a result of concerted efforts to prevent violent extremism and address its underlying causes.

In terms of the devastation that we are witnessing in the world, the trend of internationalized intra-state conflict is egregious. IPI Vice President Adam Lupel expressed gratitude for IPI’s partnership with IEP and appreciatively acknowledged IEP’s work on the positive findings of peacefulness. Lupel and Collings further discussed the positive peace angle, clarifying that while the 2023 GPI found 84 countries became more peaceful, 74 countries became less peaceful. It is much more difficult to build peace than it is to destroy it.

Welcome Remarks:
H.E. Mitchell Peter Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN

Speaker:
Michael Collins, Executive Director Americas, Institute for Economics and Peace

Discussant:
Roselyn Akombe, Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships, UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs

Moderator:
Adam Lupel, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, International Peace Institute

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Spring 2023 marked the fifth anniversary of the publication of the flagship UN-World Bank report “Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict.” The report reviewed conflict trends, drew lessons from emerging research, including growing evidence on the importance of addressing patterns of exclusion and inequality, and building on 19 case studies, identified lessons of successful national prevention efforts. The report also made recommendations for ways to strengthen the international prevention architecture, including early warning and early response. Over the past five months, the UN and the World Bank have benefited from a series of reflections from Member States, think tanks, civil society, and multilateral and regional partners on the relevance of the findings of this report.

On June 26th, in partnership with PBSO and the World Bank, IPI cohosted a policy forum entitled “Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict: 5th Anniversary of Pathways for Peace Report,” to reflect and discuss its contemporary significance and ways forward for prevention and peacebuilding in rapidly evolving global and regional contexts. During opening remarks, Farhad Peiker, Acting Special Representative to the UN World Bank Group, highlighted several noteworthy advancements catalyzed by the report. These advancements include a notable shift in the perceptions of fragility, conflict, and violence within the World Bank, UN, and other institutions. Acknowledging that these issues pose critical developmental obstacles that threaten efforts to alleviate extreme poverty in both low- and middle-income countries. The influence of the Pathways for Peace initiative has prompted the World Bank to actively incorporate and prioritize the integration of the concept of a “livable planet” into its core mission and vision, while still prioritizing the eradication of extreme poverty.

The Pathways for Peace initiative has produced a series of papers as well as consultative workshops and digital exchanges hosted by the Cairo Center (CCCPA), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESWCA), the International Dialogue for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS), the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Quaker UN Office. Kavita Desai, Quaker UN representative outlined some significant opportunities to strengthen the international architecture: First is the New Agenda for Peace which presents the opportunity to enhance peacebuilding and prevention, and incorporate innovation which can help put prevention back at the heart of the UN’s work; Second is the follow-up to last year’s resolution on financing for peacebuilding which creates space to achieve more prevention-focused financing strategies that also offer the flexibility to improve evidence bases and be informed by civil society; Third is strengthening existing data tools and coordination among them, including monthly regional reviews along with recovery peacebuilding assessments, early warning mechanisms and other analytical tools.

In the second session, participants focused on identifying and addressing the shortcomings of the Pathways for Peace report, particularly with regard to issues of exclusion and inequality. H.E. Arlene B. Tickner, Deputy Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN, drew on her academic expertise to shed light on these gaps, highlighting the case of Colombia’s peacebuilding efforts as an illustrative example. Participants also engaged in a comprehensive discussion on various approaches to peace and the different methodologies to measure it. IPI Senior Adviser Youssef Mahmoud played a crucial role in facilitating the latter part of the discussion, stressing the importance of moving beyond the restoration of norms and instead emphasizing the need for their transformation.

Overall, the event distilled some of the lessons of these reflections, identified critical outcomes for prevention and peacebuilding, and provided a hybrid space to discuss future opportunities to reinforce shared prevention and peacebuilding lessons in rapidly evolving global and regional contexts.

Welcoming/Closing Remarks:
Adam Lupel, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, International Peace Institute
Farhad Peikar, Acting Special Representative to the UN, World Bank Group
Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support
Asif Khan, Director of Policy and Mediation Division, UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Franck Bousquet, Deputy Director, Fragile and Conflict-affected States, International Monetary Fund

Speakers/Moderators:
Roselyn Akombe, Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships, UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Adam Day, Head of the Geneva Office, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (virtual)
Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group
H.E. Arlene B. Tickner, Deputy Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN
Saji Prelis, Child and Youth Programmes, Search for Common Ground
Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute

Discussants:
Representatives from the Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS), Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Quaker UN Office

Die Mindestlohnkommission hat heute beschlossen, dass der Mindestlohn ab dem 1. Januar 2024 auf 12,41 Euro erhöht werden soll. Dazu ein Statement von Marcel Fratzscher, Präsident des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin):

Die Erhöhung des Mindestlohns von 12 Euro auf 12,41 ab dem 1. Januar ist eine bittere Enttäuschung für die mehr als elf Millionen Beschäftigten in Deutschland, die im Niedriglohnbereich arbeiten. 41 Cent, also 3,4 Prozent mehr, ist so wenig, dass die Erhöhung nicht einmal die durchschnittliche Inflation von sieben Prozent im Jahr 2022, voraussichtlich sechs Prozent 2023 und wahrscheinliche drei Prozent 2024 ausgleicht. Menschen mit geringen Einkommen haben eine individuell deutlich höhere Inflation als der Durchschnitt, da sie einen größeren Anteil ihres Einkommens für die Dinge ausgeben müssen, die sehr viel teurer geworden sind, allen voran Lebensmittel, die sich in den vergangenen 15 Monaten um weit mehr als 20 Prozent verteuert haben. 

Für die Beschäftigten im Niedriglohnbereich bedeutet die geringe Erhöhung, dass sie weiterhin einen deutlichen Verlust der Kaufkraft erleiden und somit den Gürtel enger schnallen müssen. Die Konsequenz für viele Menschen ist, dass sie auf zusätzliche Leistungen, beispielsweise der Lebensmittel-Tafeln, angewiesen sein werden, oder sich überschulden müssen. Diese Krise ist unsozial, Menschen mit geringen Einkommen und Ersparnissen sind in der Inflation die größten Verlierer, während der Staat von der hohen Inflation durch einen Anstieg der Steuereinnahmen profitiert. Der Staat gibt allein in diesem Jahr 15 Milliarden Euro der zusätzlichen Steuereinnahmen durch ein Absenken der kalten Progression bei der Einkommensteuer an die Spitzenverdiener zurück.

Die Entscheidung der Mindestlohnkommission widerspricht der ökonomischen und auch der sozialen Logik. Sie widerspricht EU-Richtlinien, die einen Mindestlohn von mindestens 13,50 Euro, oder 60 Prozent des mittleren Lohns, vorgeben. Und die Entscheidung stellt die vom Mindestlohn betroffenen Menschen deutlich schlechter als viele andere Beschäftigte mit geringen Löhnen. So erhalten Beschäftigte mit geringen Löhnen im öffentlichen Dienst eine Lohnerhöhung von 16 Prozent im kommenden Jahr. Demzufolge hätte der Mindestlohn von zwölf Euro auf 14 Euro erhöht werden müssen. 

Die Entscheidung der Mindestlohnkommission unterstreicht einmal mehr, dass die Festlegung des Mindestlohns grundlegender Reformen bedarf. Eine unabhängige Mindestlohnkommission wie in Großbritannien sollte auf den ökonomischen und sozialen Nutzen für die Gesellschaft und nicht auf das Aushandeln von Kompromissen ausgerichtet sein. Die Festlegung des Mindestlohns sollte zudem zukunftsgerichtet sein und sich nicht an der Lohnentwicklung in der Vergangenheit orientieren.

Die am DIW Berlin angesiedelte forschungsbasierte Infrastruktureinrichtung Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP) sucht zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt zwei studentische Hilfskräfte (m/w/div) für je 10 Wochenstunden.

Die Abteilung Forschungsinfrastruktur sucht zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt eine studentische Hilfskraft (w/m/div) für 10 Wochenstunde.

Die Einstellung soll im Rahmen des DFG-Projektes „Wochenbericht digital in Wort und Zahl (WBdigital)“, DFG-Projektnummer 491276359 erfolgen.

IPI is very pleased to announce that Jean Todt was elected as Chair of IPI’s Board of Directors on June 21, 2023. Mr. Todt has served as IPI’s interim Chair since March 6, 2023. IPI is grateful for the contributions he has provided to the organization since first joining the Board in 2015 and is looking forward to his leadership as the organization expands the breadth of its work on pivotal issues of our time, including climate action.

Mr. Todt is a well-known and respected philanthropist who devotes his time to several charitable causes. He is one of the Founders and Vice-President of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM), an institute focused on medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders.

He started his career in 1966 as a rally co-driver and participated in the World Rally Championship that he won with Talbot Lotus in 1981. Between 1981 and 1990, he was Director of Racing and Founder of Peugeot Talbot Sport and then Director of Sporting Activities of PSA Peugeot Citroën, between 1990 and 1993. Between 1993 and 2006, he was Team Principal of Formula 1, Ferrari. He then became Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari between 2006 and 2009.

He is the former President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and was first elected to this post in October 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017 until 2021.

Mr. Todt was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the United Nations Association of New York in 2016 and the Lifetime Achievement for Contribution to Road Safety by the European Commission in 2022.

At present, Jean Todt holds the position of UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and is deeply committed to IPI’s mission. He succeeds the Honorable Kevin Rudd who served as Chair since June 1, 2018.

IPI President Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein strongly endorses this decision:

“Jean Todt is a visionary. His successful leadership in business, including his role as the leader of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)—a complex international organization—and his commitment to improving the lives of others, particularly through his philanthropy and work as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, have perfectly prepared him to lead IPI as Chair of the Board. We are honored to work together as we address the most pressing challenges facing our planet today.”

Am 26. April 2023 veröffentlichte das Entwicklungsministerium (BMZ) eine Pressemitteilung mit der Nachricht, dass das Bundeskabinett die Unterzeichnung eines internationalen Abkommens zwischen der EU, ihren 27 Mitgliedstaaten und den 79 Mitgliedern der Organisation der afrikanischen, karibischen und pazifischen Staaten (OACPS) beschlossen hat. Zum Zeitpunkt der Abfassung dieses Artikels – Ende Mai und einen ganzen Monat nach dem Beschluss des Bundeskabinetts – haben sich die EU-Mitgliedstaaten allerdings noch nicht auf eine Unterzeichnung des Abkommens geeinigt.

Am 26. April 2023 veröffentlichte das Entwicklungsministerium (BMZ) eine Pressemitteilung mit der Nachricht, dass das Bundeskabinett die Unterzeichnung eines internationalen Abkommens zwischen der EU, ihren 27 Mitgliedstaaten und den 79 Mitgliedern der Organisation der afrikanischen, karibischen und pazifischen Staaten (OACPS) beschlossen hat. Zum Zeitpunkt der Abfassung dieses Artikels – Ende Mai und einen ganzen Monat nach dem Beschluss des Bundeskabinetts – haben sich die EU-Mitgliedstaaten allerdings noch nicht auf eine Unterzeichnung des Abkommens geeinigt.

Am 26. April 2023 veröffentlichte das Entwicklungsministerium (BMZ) eine Pressemitteilung mit der Nachricht, dass das Bundeskabinett die Unterzeichnung eines internationalen Abkommens zwischen der EU, ihren 27 Mitgliedstaaten und den 79 Mitgliedern der Organisation der afrikanischen, karibischen und pazifischen Staaten (OACPS) beschlossen hat. Zum Zeitpunkt der Abfassung dieses Artikels – Ende Mai und einen ganzen Monat nach dem Beschluss des Bundeskabinetts – haben sich die EU-Mitgliedstaaten allerdings noch nicht auf eine Unterzeichnung des Abkommens geeinigt.