Diplomacy & Defense Think Tank News

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the global framework establishing 17 universal and interconnected goals to guide sustainable development efforts – was adopted in 2015 following a uniquely participative and ambitious process. A decade on, it is increasingly evident that most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are unlikely to be achieved by 2030 as originally envisioned. Discussions about a follow-up framework beyond 2030 are gaining momentum ahead of the SDG Summit in September 2027. This paper evaluates the process design, inclusiveness, negotiating strategies, fora and fault lines in 2015 and discusses to what extent the lessons learned can be applied to negotiations for a potential follow-up framework. We find that several process design elements and negotiation strategies, as well as actor composition, fostered trust and ownership, reduced polarisation and enabled agreements on ambitious targets. In particular, the process benefited from the inclusion of diverse, non-hierarchical actor communities, a long, science-based stocktaking phase, the breaking up of traditional negotiating blocks, transparency, and emphasis on common interests. We also identify several recurring fault lines that are overwhelmingly still relevant today. Apart from the above best practices of the process leading to the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, we identify several shortcomings that should be addressed in the beyond-2030 negotiations: inefficiencies due to competing tracks for the development of the goals; top-down agenda-setting processes leading to less ambitious outcomes; barriers to participation of and accountability towards some marginalised and informal actors; and the watering down of goals and indicators – including non-tangible targets and unresolved inconsistencies and trade-offs within the agenda. Finally, the paper argues that the beyond-2030 negotiations will take place in a context that is similar to the process that led to the SDGs but is nevertheless in many ways more challenging than in 2015, amidst intensifying crises, political shifts and loss of trust.

Das Konjunkturbarometer des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin) setzt seinen schrittweisen Aufwärtstrend fort und steigt im Januar auf 94,8 Punkte. Im Dezember lag der Wert noch bei 93,4 Punkten. Der Barometerwert ist somit noch einmal etwas näher an die neutrale 100-Punkte ...

Bauvolumen dürfte 2026 erstmals seit fünf Jahren wieder zulegen – Öffentliche Investitionen treiben das Wachstum – Auch der Wohnungsneubau dürfte im laufenden Jahr wieder im Plus landen – Sorge bereitet schwache Produktivität im Bausektor Die deutsche Bauwirtschaft steht vor einer Trendwende: Nach ...

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On January 27, 2026, the International Peace Institute (IPI) hosted its annual Peacekeeping Observatory workshop, in partnership with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces’ Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS). This year’s workshop focused on mission transitions. Participants included member state representatives, UN personnel, and independent experts.

The first session provided an opportunity to take stock of the UN Transitions Project, which concluded in 2025. Comprising the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and the UN Development Program (UNDP), the project, which started in 2014, provided direct support to countries undergoing transitions and contributed to the development of UN Secretariat guidance on transitions. In addition to reflecting on the conclusions and practices that emerged from the project, participants considered how the political landscape on transitions has changed since the adoption of Security Council resolution 2594. The discussion emphasized the importance of ensuring flexibility and coherence in transition planning while sustaining political engagement with host governments. Experts discussed opportunities for sustaining efforts on critical tasks, such as the protection of civilians during and after transitions through integrated planning with UN country teams and leveraging financing mechanisms like the Peacebuilding Fund.

The second session focused on critical challenges from the field in current and recent transition settings. Much of the discussion centered on responses to accelerated withdrawals and transitions in crisis settings, drawing on the experience of MINUSMA. Participants discussed ways to address challenges related to financing gaps, knowledge and capacity transfer, and sustaining political engagement in volatile contexts. Experts also reflected on the importance of strategic communications in transition planning and in managing public information and awareness, especially around mandate renewals, transitions, and/or reconfigurations of the UN presence.

During a working lunch, participants were briefed by the co-facilitators of the recently concluded 2025 peacebuilding architecture review (PBAR), including reflections on the role that the UN Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund can play in transition contexts. The ensuing discussion focused on funding challenges for peacebuilding, obstacles to the implementation of the PBAR, and the willingness of member states to engage with the peacebuilding architecture.

The final session considered potential future transitions and how they can be informed by key takeaways from the workshop. Participants discussed the need for missions to have exit strategies from the beginning while anticipating different scenarios, the importance of engaging host states authorities, civil society and local communities in transition processes, the relevance of transition benchmarks, and challenges and opportunities for developing networked approaches to multilateralism.

As part of its Peacekeeping Observatory series, IPI will also publish three issue briefs in 2026 on UN mission transitions, including:

• The role of strategic communications in mission transitions, by Albert Trithart
• Accelerated withdrawals and transitions in crisis settings, by Dirk Druet
• Women, peace, and security and transitions, by Lauren McGowan and Evyn Papworth

The post IPI Peacekeeping Observatory Series on Mission Transitions appeared first on International Peace Institute.

Die Europäische Union und Indien haben ein umfassendes Freihandelsabkommen beschlossen. Welche Bedeutung das hat, kommentiert die Handelsexpertin des DIW Berlin, Sonali Chowdhry:

Das Freihandelsabkommen zwischen der Europäischen Union und Indien ist von großer Bedeutung. Die bilaterale Partnerschaft gewinnt nach einem langen Verhandlungsprozess, der 2007 begann und wiederholt ins Stocken geriet, die nun dringend benötigte Dynamik. Indien wird bis 2026 voraussichtlich um 7,3 Prozent wachsen und in den kommenden Jahren zu einer der drei größten Volkswirtschaften der Welt aufsteigen. Die EU kann es sich kaum leisten, ihre Präsenz auf diesem Markt nicht auszubauen.

Das Abkommen baut auf den bilateralen Handelsbeziehungen zwischen der EU und Indien auf, die bereits mehr als 170.000 Käufer-Lieferanten-Beziehungen zwischen indischen und EU-Unternehmen umfassen. Durch den Abbau von Zöllen und anderen Handelshemmnissen in Schlüsselindustrien eröffnet das Abkommen EU-Exporteuren in vielen Sektoren wie Automobil, Maschinenbau und Getränken neue Möglichkeiten. Gleichzeitig wird sich der Marktzugang für indische Exporte wie Arzneimittel, IT-Dienstleistungen und Textilien verbessern.

Über diese unmittelbaren wirtschaftlichen Vorteile hinaus erfüllt das Abkommen eine weitere wichtige Funktion, die nicht unterschätzt werden sollte: Es ist eine Versicherungspolice in der derzeitigen unsicheren Lage. Denn die im Rahmen von Freihandelsabkommen eingegangenen Verpflichtungen sorgen für Transparenz und Vorhersehbarkeit im internationalen Handel und in der globalen Governance, die anderswo untergraben werden. Solche Freihandelsabkommen schützen das globale Handelssystem und verhindern, dass es in eine Spirale des Protektionismus gerät.

This study examines portrayals of marine mammal celebrities (MMCs) in popular culture over the past 70 years, reflecting evolving public attitudes toward ocean conservation. It identifies four main types of MMCs, each linked to a specific era and shaped by changes in media landscapes, perceptions of marine mammal agency and welfare, and conservation priorities: (1) Hollywood MMCs (ca. 1960–1990s)—wild animals captured and exhibited in aquaria, cast as celebrities based on their roles in traditional mass media (blockbuster movies); (2) MMCs in human care (ca. 1990s–2010s)—animals housed in aquaria whose fame stemmed from public concern about their welfare and calls for their release; (3) rescued MMCs (ca. 1980s–present)—marine mammals cared for by humans after they were injured in the ocean; and (4) endangered and dangerous MMCs (2010s–present)—wild animals that approach humans, demonstrate human‐like behaviours, or interact with boats. Introducing the method of “following the animal,” the article provides examples of celebrity animals that illustrate each of the four categories, such as the dolphin Flipper and the walrus Freya. The study contributes to the thematic issue on "Ocean Pop: Marine Imaginaries in the Age of Global Polycrisis" by highlighting the mutual influence of media, animal celebrity, and conservation, and urges further research into how shifting representations shape global engagement with marine life and the environment.

This study examines portrayals of marine mammal celebrities (MMCs) in popular culture over the past 70 years, reflecting evolving public attitudes toward ocean conservation. It identifies four main types of MMCs, each linked to a specific era and shaped by changes in media landscapes, perceptions of marine mammal agency and welfare, and conservation priorities: (1) Hollywood MMCs (ca. 1960–1990s)—wild animals captured and exhibited in aquaria, cast as celebrities based on their roles in traditional mass media (blockbuster movies); (2) MMCs in human care (ca. 1990s–2010s)—animals housed in aquaria whose fame stemmed from public concern about their welfare and calls for their release; (3) rescued MMCs (ca. 1980s–present)—marine mammals cared for by humans after they were injured in the ocean; and (4) endangered and dangerous MMCs (2010s–present)—wild animals that approach humans, demonstrate human‐like behaviours, or interact with boats. Introducing the method of “following the animal,” the article provides examples of celebrity animals that illustrate each of the four categories, such as the dolphin Flipper and the walrus Freya. The study contributes to the thematic issue on "Ocean Pop: Marine Imaginaries in the Age of Global Polycrisis" by highlighting the mutual influence of media, animal celebrity, and conservation, and urges further research into how shifting representations shape global engagement with marine life and the environment.

This study examines portrayals of marine mammal celebrities (MMCs) in popular culture over the past 70 years, reflecting evolving public attitudes toward ocean conservation. It identifies four main types of MMCs, each linked to a specific era and shaped by changes in media landscapes, perceptions of marine mammal agency and welfare, and conservation priorities: (1) Hollywood MMCs (ca. 1960–1990s)—wild animals captured and exhibited in aquaria, cast as celebrities based on their roles in traditional mass media (blockbuster movies); (2) MMCs in human care (ca. 1990s–2010s)—animals housed in aquaria whose fame stemmed from public concern about their welfare and calls for their release; (3) rescued MMCs (ca. 1980s–present)—marine mammals cared for by humans after they were injured in the ocean; and (4) endangered and dangerous MMCs (2010s–present)—wild animals that approach humans, demonstrate human‐like behaviours, or interact with boats. Introducing the method of “following the animal,” the article provides examples of celebrity animals that illustrate each of the four categories, such as the dolphin Flipper and the walrus Freya. The study contributes to the thematic issue on "Ocean Pop: Marine Imaginaries in the Age of Global Polycrisis" by highlighting the mutual influence of media, animal celebrity, and conservation, and urges further research into how shifting representations shape global engagement with marine life and the environment.

The emerging global system is one in which three nuclear-armed leaders, insulated from dissent, pursue risky gambits. The result will not be the relatively stable if tense competition that characterized the Cold War. It will be something more volatile: a world in which the most consequential decisions rest on the whims of men who have systematically discarded anyone willing to tell them no.

The emerging global system is one in which three nuclear-armed leaders, insulated from dissent, pursue risky gambits. The result will not be the relatively stable if tense competition that characterized the Cold War. It will be something more volatile: a world in which the most consequential decisions rest on the whims of men who have systematically discarded anyone willing to tell them no.

The emerging global system is one in which three nuclear-armed leaders, insulated from dissent, pursue risky gambits. The result will not be the relatively stable if tense competition that characterized the Cold War. It will be something more volatile: a world in which the most consequential decisions rest on the whims of men who have systematically discarded anyone willing to tell them no.

In order for civil society groups to successfully leverage the private sector’s potential in uplifting democratic principles, they must learn to speak the sector’s language.

In order for civil society groups to successfully leverage the private sector’s potential in uplifting democratic principles, they must learn to speak the sector’s language.

In order for civil society groups to successfully leverage the private sector’s potential in uplifting democratic principles, they must learn to speak the sector’s language.

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nears and progress remains limited, researchers are proposing measures to enhance the next, post-2030, agenda to improve implementation. With more proposals expected in future, we argue for a systematic approach to help researchers and policy-makers design and assess them. This requires a theory of change that explains how and why proposals will improve implementation of the next agenda, while also considering their political feasibility. We start by constructing an implicit theory of change underpinning the current 2030 Agenda to revisit how the SDGs were intended to work and identify key successes and failures. We then propose an approach for assessing proposals put forward to improve the post-2030 agenda on the basis of their impact and feasibility.

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nears and progress remains limited, researchers are proposing measures to enhance the next, post-2030, agenda to improve implementation. With more proposals expected in future, we argue for a systematic approach to help researchers and policy-makers design and assess them. This requires a theory of change that explains how and why proposals will improve implementation of the next agenda, while also considering their political feasibility. We start by constructing an implicit theory of change underpinning the current 2030 Agenda to revisit how the SDGs were intended to work and identify key successes and failures. We then propose an approach for assessing proposals put forward to improve the post-2030 agenda on the basis of their impact and feasibility.

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nears and progress remains limited, researchers are proposing measures to enhance the next, post-2030, agenda to improve implementation. With more proposals expected in future, we argue for a systematic approach to help researchers and policy-makers design and assess them. This requires a theory of change that explains how and why proposals will improve implementation of the next agenda, while also considering their political feasibility. We start by constructing an implicit theory of change underpinning the current 2030 Agenda to revisit how the SDGs were intended to work and identify key successes and failures. We then propose an approach for assessing proposals put forward to improve the post-2030 agenda on the basis of their impact and feasibility.

Das SCP ist eine Längsschnittstudie, die vielfältige Aspekte des gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts in Deutschland erfasst. Es basiert auf einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstichprobe aus deutschen Einwohnermelderegistern und wurde 2021 zum ersten Mal durchgeführt (n=17.027). Neben den zufällig ...

Since 2004, the European Union (EU) and India have fostered a strategic partnership, with Summits held over the years to strengthen their relations. Despite periodic inconsistencies and obstacles that have hindered the partnership’s growth, their collaboration appears to have gained renewed momentum in 2025. Attention has been growing for the upcoming 2026 Summit, which has the potential to serve as a crucial opportunity to deepen their ties. This policy brief reviews their bilateral interactions, addresses current challenges in the EU-India relations, and explores expectations for the upcoming Summit. It also underscores Greece’s role in identifying new opportunities to deepen EU-India cooperation and suggests measures to further enhance their strategic partnership.

Read here in pdf the Policy paper by George Dikaios, Marie Curie Fellow, Leiden University; Senior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP and Marianna Terezaki, Junior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP.

Der Wirtschaftsflügel der CDU hat vorgeschlagen, das Recht auf Teilzeitarbeit abzuschaffen, um dem Fachkräftemangel entgegenzuwirken. Dies kommentiert Katharina Wrohlich, Leiterin der Forschungsgruppe Gender Economics im DIW Berlin, wie folgt: 

Die Abschaffung des Rechtsanspruchs auf Teilzeit würde den Fachkräftemangel in Deutschland nicht lösen. Besser wäre es, an anderer Stelle anzusetzen: Zum einen müssten das Angebot und die Qualität der Kinderbetreuung deutlich verbessert werden, denn nicht alle Frauen arbeiten freiwillig in Teilzeit – manche würden gerne ihre Arbeitszeit erhöhen, können dies aber aufgrund mangelnder Kinderbetreuung nicht.

Zum anderen müssten die finanziellen Anreize zur Mehrarbeit speziell für die Gruppe erhöht werden, die derzeit besonders häufig in Teilzeit ist: verheiratete Frauen. Eine Reform des Ehegattensplittings könnte eine höhere Wochenarbeitszeit für Frauen finanziell deutlich attraktiver machen. Das jetzige Steuersystem belohnt vor allem die Aufteilung, dass einer Vollzeit arbeitet und (meist) eine im Minijob. Dementsprechend sollte auch die Minijob-Regelung reformiert und auf Schüler*innen, Studierende und Rentner*innen begrenzt werden. Durch eine solche Reform wäre eine gleichmäßigere Aufteilung der Erwerbs- und Sorgearbeit für Paare attraktiver. Dies wäre nicht nur aus arbeitsmarktpolitischer, sondern auch aus gleichstellungspolitischer Perspektive wichtig: Es würde die ökonomische Eigenständigkeit von Frauen erhöhen und hätte nicht zuletzt auch einen positiven Einfluss auf deren Alterseinkünfte."