Briefs / Focus / Spot Ons

The UN and Sustainable Peace in Syria – Still Worth Debating
  • Policy Brief

The UN and Sustainable Peace in Syria – Still Worth Debating

The UN remains the sole formal authority willing to and capable of facilitating a sustainable peace in Syria. To what extent the UN has learnt from its engagement in previous conflicts?

25 November 2016
Libyan Political Economy: Political Conflict, Crisis Management and Structural Reform
  • Policy Brief

Libyan Political Economy: Political Conflict, Crisis Management and Structural Reform

The ongoing political division and armed conflict in Libya have overshadowed the critical stage Libyan economy has reached. Libya’s only source of income, oil exports, became an integral dimension of the conflict.

6 October 2016
Countering Violent Extremism in the MENA Region: Time to Rethink Approaches and Strategies
  • Policy Brief

Countering Violent Extremism in the MENA Region: Time to Rethink Approaches and Strategies

The foreign fighters phenomenon affecting MENA countries is unprecedented in its scale. While most MENA countries adopted “hard” strategies based on security-focused approaches, countering violent extremism also requires the use of “soft” str...

17 May 2016
Facilitating a Political Transition in Syria
  • Policy Brief

Facilitating a Political Transition in Syria

The International Syria Support Group agreed upon a cessation of hostilities in Munich. What are the prospects of a confederal approach to a political transition in Syria, as proposed by international officials?

10 March 2016
How Could Egypt and Tunisia Reverse the Growth of Islamist Violent Radicalisation?
  • Policy Brief

How Could Egypt and Tunisia Reverse the Growth of Islamist Violent Radicalisation?

Egypt and Tunisia have been witnessing over the past few years a new wave of violent Islamist radicalisation. The engagement of youth in political violence shows that relying only on classical counter-terrorism strategies may increase violent radical...

3 February 2016