Experience

Publications

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• Snowden, the State, and the Future of Internet Governance

  The Canadian International Council

  The classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden outlining the online surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency ignited a raging debate in the United States over what constitutes appropriate online conduct by governments. That debate then went global, fueled by information included in the documents regarding the extent of global intelligence intelligence-sharing arrangements...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• Snowden, the State, and the Future of Internet Governance

  The Canadian International Council

  The classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden outlining the online surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency ignited a raging debate in the United States over what constitutes appropriate online conduct by governments. That debate then went global, fueled by information included in the documents regarding the extent of global intelligence intelligence-sharing arrangements...

• Canadian Prime Minister Harper’s Foreign Policy Prerogatives

  Globe and Mail

  When Senator Roméo Dallaire handed his resignation to the Governor-General in May, he observed: “I am leaving one job, because I’ve got a more demanding job, I feel, internationally.” He spoke for many. According to critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration — politicians and academics among them — Ottawa, too, has a demanding challenge in bolstering its international reputation and recovering the lustre of the decades past. And it has neglected that challenge...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• Snowden, the State, and the Future of Internet Governance

  The Canadian International Council

  The classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden outlining the online surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency ignited a raging debate in the United States over what constitutes appropriate online conduct by governments. That debate then went global, fueled by information included in the documents regarding the extent of global intelligence intelligence-sharing arrangements...

• Canadian Prime Minister Harper’s Foreign Policy Prerogatives

  Globe and Mail

  When Senator Roméo Dallaire handed his resignation to the Governor-General in May, he observed: “I am leaving one job, because I’ve got a more demanding job, I feel, internationally.” He spoke for many. According to critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration — politicians and academics among them — Ottawa, too, has a demanding challenge in bolstering its international reputation and recovering the lustre of the decades past. And it has neglected that challenge...

• Israel’s Preemptive Strikes on Syria: Self-Defense Under International Law?

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  In this piece, Dr. Stewart Patrick and Andrew Reddie of the Council on Foreign Relations explore the ramifications of Israel's attack on a Syrian arms complex concerning both international law and modern conceptions of sovereignty.

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• Snowden, the State, and the Future of Internet Governance

  The Canadian International Council

  The classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden outlining the online surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency ignited a raging debate in the United States over what constitutes appropriate online conduct by governments. That debate then went global, fueled by information included in the documents regarding the extent of global intelligence intelligence-sharing arrangements...

• Canadian Prime Minister Harper’s Foreign Policy Prerogatives

  Globe and Mail

  When Senator Roméo Dallaire handed his resignation to the Governor-General in May, he observed: “I am leaving one job, because I’ve got a more demanding job, I feel, internationally.” He spoke for many. According to critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration — politicians and academics among them — Ottawa, too, has a demanding challenge in bolstering its international reputation and recovering the lustre of the decades past. And it has neglected that challenge...

• Israel’s Preemptive Strikes on Syria: Self-Defense Under International Law?

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  In this piece, Dr. Stewart Patrick and Andrew Reddie of the Council on Foreign Relations explore the ramifications of Israel's attack on a Syrian arms complex concerning both international law and modern conceptions of sovereignty.

• Understanding the New Frontier: Internet Governance Trade-Offs

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  The nation could be forgiven its current case of technological whiplash. Last week it learned that the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had ordered Verizon to collect all of its customers’ data between January and April of this year. Then came Ed Snowden’s claims of the massive breadth of the NSA’s PRISM program, and the news that Microsoft has, along with the FBI, neutralized over ten thousand botnets in “Operation Citadel.” These revelations suggested that the boundaries between privacy and the surveillance state had shifted fundamentally, with profound legal, security, and social ramifications...

• A History of Violence in Iraq

  Canadian International Council

  According to iraqbodycount.org, the death toll in Iraq for 2013 swelled to over 7,000 – the highest annual toll since 2007 – the year of the U.S. military’s “surge” operation to bolster security forces in Baghdad and Anbar Province to the west of the capital. In January 2014, the long-burning dispute between the Shia majority government in Baghdad and Sunni political parties and the recent announcement of the upcoming election led to conflagrations in Fallujah and Ramadi, and fears that the stability of the post-occupation Iraq governance architecture might not endure...

• The ‘Final’ Conference on Arms Trade Treaty

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  The Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being presented as a last-ditch attempt to negotiate standards for the international trade in conventional arms. After a twelve-year process involving panels of experts, regional dialogues, and a lengthy planning program, it is showtime for the international community...

• Bangladesh’s Lessons for Enlightened Corporate Interest

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The Rana Plaza tragedy in which 1,127 people were killed and over 2,500 injured has finally led to international action for labor reforms that will improve worker welfare. While the new EU-ILO-Bangladeshi Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety framework is a positive first step, international corporations continue to face the dilemma of whether responsibilities to their current and future employees outweigh profits and benefit to shareholders...

• Power in International Trade Politics: Is ISDS a Solution in Search of a Problem?

  Business and Politics

  This article examines the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in recent mega-free trade agreement. Below, I examine the origins of the ISDS concept and outline the controversy surrounding its use in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Then, I provide a theoretical discussion that outlines both the exogenous and endogenous factors that contribute to the inclusion of ISDS provisions in international trade agreements. Focusing on the latter endogenous factors, I then argue that not all international trade agreements are the same and that, as such, it is possible to develop a typology of international trade agreement across two variables (the number of parties and relative power) that impact the appropriateness of including an ISDS provision. I test this typology against the empirical record. Finally, I discuss potential innovations to the ISDS provisions and market-based mechanisms that address the dual challenges of discrimination and expropriation that ISDS is designed to address.

• The End of a Frontier: Obama’s Cyber Order

  International Affairs Review

  In 2001, Congress passed the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), which contends that “the information revolution has transformed the conduct of business and the operations of government as well as the infrastructure relied upon for the defense and national security of the United States.” Twelve years later, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on February 12 that outlined his Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (PPD-21), beginning the process of fashioning a response to this transformation...

• Scotland Decides...

  Canadian International Council

  Over the past three years, the “No” campaign has repeatedly won in polls of the question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” But as the referendum on Sept. 18 gets closer, the margin between the two sides has grown consistently smaller...

• The U.S. State of the Union: Moving On from War

  Canadian International Council

  As expected, President Obama’s 5th State of the Union Address focused primarily upon a domestic agenda. As the executive continues to struggle against partisan opposition in Congress, Obama made clear that he would take steps to bolster the American economy, secure energy independence, reform immigration, and increase access to education. But after years of the State of the Union focusing upon issues of war and peace, foreign policy wonks had to wait until the last moments of the address to learn of President Obama’s vision of a more nuanced foreign policy...

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Seeing the Negotiating Table

  The Internationalist, Council on Foreign Relations

  Will the Internet’s future resemble its past? That seems increasingly unlikely, given the growing influence of new global powers, the determination of many governments to control Internet access and content, and the difficulties of balancing security and civil liberties...

• The Sovereignty Dilemma in Ukraine

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  The recent conflagration in Crimea has captured worldwide public attention due largely to its geostrategic implications for the relationship between the United States and Russia as well as the future of the sovereignty norm that we have long taken for granted. The heated discussions over the appropriateness of self-determination, self-rule, and sovereignty from the Ukrainian, American, European, and Russian perspectives have provided fodder for an argument that has continued for as long as statehood has existed: what is sovereignty and what is its place in our interdependent world?

• Beyond Ethics: Drones in Realpolitik

  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

  Besides the long-held and traditional ethical arguments against the military use of UAVs, this piece consideres whether there is a separate realpolitik logic for their non-use.

• Snowden, the State, and the Future of Internet Governance

  The Canadian International Council

  The classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden outlining the online surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency ignited a raging debate in the United States over what constitutes appropriate online conduct by governments. That debate then went global, fueled by information included in the documents regarding the extent of global intelligence intelligence-sharing arrangements...

• Canadian Prime Minister Harper’s Foreign Policy Prerogatives

  Globe and Mail

  When Senator Roméo Dallaire handed his resignation to the Governor-General in May, he observed: “I am leaving one job, because I’ve got a more demanding job, I feel, internationally.” He spoke for many. According to critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration — politicians and academics among them — Ottawa, too, has a demanding challenge in bolstering its international reputation and recovering the lustre of the decades past. And it has neglected that challenge...

• Israel’s Preemptive Strikes on Syria: Self-Defense Under International Law?

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  In this piece, Dr. Stewart Patrick and Andrew Reddie of the Council on Foreign Relations explore the ramifications of Israel's attack on a Syrian arms complex concerning both international law and modern conceptions of sovereignty.

• Understanding the New Frontier: Internet Governance Trade-Offs

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  The nation could be forgiven its current case of technological whiplash. Last week it learned that the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had ordered Verizon to collect all of its customers’ data between January and April of this year. Then came Ed Snowden’s claims of the massive breadth of the NSA’s PRISM program, and the news that Microsoft has, along with the FBI, neutralized over ten thousand botnets in “Operation Citadel.” These revelations suggested that the boundaries between privacy and the surveillance state had shifted fundamentally, with profound legal, security, and social ramifications...

• Regional Organizations and Humanitarian Intervention

  The Internationalist, CFR.org

  The UN Charter advises that “the Security Council shall, where appropriate, utilize such regional arrangements or agencies for enforcement action under its authority.” The degree to which regional cooperation represents a sine qua non for international action was made abundantly clear in the recent uprising against Muammar al-Qaddafi, as the Arab League sanctioned a no-fly zone over Libya, followed promptly by UN Security Council Resolution 1973. But are regional organizations the future of humanitarian intervention?