International Coalition Research Articles

Dispersing into the ether: a discourse on how the Ugandan government banished the LRA to the shadow realm

ABSTRACT When Yoweri Museveni took power in Uganda in 1986, the NRM administration was faced with a press of problems. Of the plethora of insurgencies that emerged, the LRA perdured staging a virulent guerrilla campaign. Its leader, Joseph Kony, has long been one of Africa’s notorious warlords. For over three decades, his group has struck terror. Today, Kony’s firm grip on the rebellion is loosening. Recent defectors have suggested that he no longer enjoys absolute control. Short of declaring the end of the LRA menace, this article establishes that the prospects of this group overthrowing Museveni from distant bases in the remotest Kafia Kingi enclave in western South Sudan, where they collect and sell honey and alluvial gold, are unfeasible. What led to this outcome in the Ugandan civil war? Inasmuch as the government’s counterinsurgency efforts were focused on the pacification of Acholiland through population concentration; and, elimination and containment approaches of the LRA; Museveni also managed to build a network of regional and international coalitions. This strategy isolated the LRA and allowed for overt military interventions in Southern Sudan, DRC, and CAR. It is the meld of these strategies which combined to expel the LRA from Uganda.

Collaborative Real-World Evidence Among Regulators: Lessons and Perspectives.

The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA), comprising 38 global medicines regulatory authorities, collaborates on shared challenges, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article focuses on the ICMRA COVID-19 Real-World Evidence (RWE) and Observational Studies Working Group. The Working Group aimed to address challenges related to RWE and observational studies during the pandemic, resulting in impactful studies and ICMRA statements on international collaboration for RWE and COVID-19 vaccine safety. Reflecting on 3 years of collaboration, the Working Group surveyed members for insights, and recommendations were formulated to enhance research preparedness, collaboration, and response to future public health emergencies. The lessons learned highlight the importance of global collaborations, governance structures for rapid decision-making, and effective utilization of existing networks. Recommendations include the establishment of an international governance structure, a "coalition of the willing" for swift research collaboration, dedicated sub-groups, periodic workshops, common protocols, joint timelines, and data model templates, leveraging existing infrastructure, and strengthening outreach for transparency and engagement. The Working Group envisions repurposing into an RWE strategic and operational entity, contributing to global public health emergency response mechanisms. In conclusion, the Working Group's success lies in effective communication, collaborative research, and leveraging existing infrastructure, with ongoing contributions to global emergency response mechanisms.

Energy Politics and Warfare: How International Energy Interests Shape Alliances in the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict

Purpose: This study aims to critically examine the intricate interplay of energy politics and military strategy within the context of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. It posits that energy resources - specifically oil and natural gas - serve as pivotal factors that shape strategic alliances, influence geopolitical manoeuvring, and dictate the foreign policy trajectories of international actors, including the United States, the European Union, and China. Materials and Methods: The research employs a qualitative methodology that is underpinned by a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with a diverse cohort of policymakers, energy analysts, and industry stakeholders. Through this empirical approach, the study explores the participants' perceptions regarding the nexus between energy dynamics and security policymaking. In addition to the qualitative interviews, the investigation analyses a range of qualitative materials, including public statements, policy documents, and corporate strategic outlines. Discourse analysis is utilized to further uncover the mechanisms through which energy companies exert influence on governmental policies and military postures. Findings: The anticipated findings are expected to provide a nuanced understanding of the centrality of energy resources in influencing military strategies and fostering international coalitions. This analysis will contribute to an enriched scholarly discourse that informs not only theoretical frameworks in international relations but also practical applications in global energy governance and security. Implications to Theory, Policy and Practice: The inquiry underscores the imperative for a multifaceted and informed policy approach that acknowledges the profound implications of energy resources on national interests and global stability. By integrating energy considerations into security policymaking, the study advocates for a reassessment of traditional strategic paradigms that often overlook the complexities arising from energy interdependence.

Advancing Global Health Equity in Oncology Clinical Trial Access.

Despite exponentially increased industry investment in oncology research and development with more than $80 billion spent annually, patient enrollment in clinical trials remains below 5% globally. Our multistakeholder international cancer coalition envisions ecosystem transformation with capacity building through a global "hub-and-spoke" network model to expand access to and accelerate clinical trials, thus ending cancer as a major cause of death in this lifetime.

The Evolution of China's Cyber-Espionage Tactics: From Traditional Espionage to AI-Driven Cyber Threats against Critical Infrastructure in the West

Purpose: This article critically investigates the evolution of China’s cyber-espionage strategies, specifically illustrating the shift from traditional espionage methodologies to the incorporation of advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). This transition profoundly reshapes global power dynamics, delineating nuanced threats to critical infrastructure in Western nations, including power grids, financial systems, and communication networks (Wang et al., 2019). Materials and Methods: Utilizing a theoretical framework grounded in Joseph Nye's concept of soft power and contemporary security studies, this research posits a hypothesis: there exists a positive correlation between technological advancements and the escalation of espionage activities by state actors. The inquiry encompasses a comprehensive analysis of key components, such as vulnerabilities, adaptive strategies, geopolitical implications, deterrence mechanisms, and international collaboration, thereby illuminating the multifaceted risks to national security inherent in the digital age (Nye, 2004). Findings: The study critically evaluates the countermeasures undertaken by Western countries, probing strategic enhancements of cyber defences and the formation of international coalitions aimed at collective security (Huang et al., 2021). The findings reveal substantial obstacles in achieving a cohesive and effective response to the rapidly escalating and pervasive nature of contemporary cyber threats (Zhang et al., 2020). Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Considering the ongoing maturation of China’s cyber capabilities, characterized by an increased reliance on AI and the impending advent of quantum computing, the article advocates for a comprehensive revaluation of global security practices (Mann et al., 2020). It underscores the imperative for Western nations to not only innovate defensively but to also adopt proactive measures and foster significant international collaboration. This multifaceted approach is essential to address the complex challenges posed by state-sponsored cyber operations within an increasingly interconnected global landscape (Chen et al., 2021).

A Coalition to Advance Treatments for Parkinson's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Related Disorders.

Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share underlying neuropathology. Despite overlapping biology, therapeutic development has been approached separately for these clinical syndromes and there remains no treatment to slow, stop or prevent progression of clinical symptoms and development disability for people living with PD or DLB. Recent advances in biomarker tools, however, have paved new paths for biologic definition and staging of PD and DLB under a shared research framework. Patient-centered research funding organizations see the opportunity for a novel biological staging system for PD and DLB to accelerate and increase success of therapeutic development for the patient communities they serve. Amid growing momentum in the field to develop biological definitions for these neurodegenerative diseases, 7 international nonprofit organizations focused on PD and DLB came together to drive multistakeholder discussion and input on a biological staging system for research. The impact of these convenings to date can be seen in changes incorporated into a proposed biological staging system and growing alignment within the field to rapidly apply new scientific knowledge and biomarker tools to inform clinical trial design. In working together, likeminded nonprofit partners who were initially catalyzed by the significant potential for a biological staging system also realized the power of a shared voice in calling the field to action and have since worked together to establish a coalition to advance precompetitive progress and reduce hurdles to developing better treatments for PD, DLB and biologically related disorders.

The territorial taboo: Explaining the public aversion to negotiations in the Ukraine war support coalition

Despite severe and mounting war costs, many in the international coalition supporting Ukraine have publicly expressed strong aversion to negotiations with Russia, and Ukrainian territorial concessions, to end the war. What explains this aversion to negotiations and seeming taboo on territorial concessions? This commentary, drawing particularly on US policy debate, suggests that proclaimed sacred values helps explain this disposition. Ukraine’s war support network is a discursive coalition bound together by three shared narratives about the war and universal values. Stories about international law and territorial integrity, about war crimes and genocide, and about freedom and democracy, render talk about territorial concessions to Russia, as the aggressor state, taboo in different ways. Psychological factors, from commitment problems to hawkish biases, bolster this taboo. The Gaza war, however, has exposed Western sacred values as geographically limited. The territorial taboo disguises tragic trade-offs and the enormous costs of Ukraine’s fight, burdening the country with an unwinnable mission. Any settlement of the war is likely to see the territorial taboo abandoned, in de facto if not de jure terms.

Diplomatic Ukraine in the international arena: miscalculations and gains in wartime conditions

The key tasks of domestic diplomacy in strengthening the international coalition in support of Ukraine are argued, promoting the ideas of improving the security system and forming new formats of international cooperation to effectively confront modern threats. The necessity of reforming international security organizations in view of increasing their efficiency and ability to quickly and decisively respond to violations of international law and the use of force is justified, promoting the ideas of creating effective mechanisms of collective security and preventive diplomacy. The strategic directions of Ukrainian diplomacy during the war, regarding active sanctions actions, which included fourteen packages of economic and personal sanctions against the Russian Federation adopted by the Council of the EU, were analyzed. The effectiveness of sanctions pressure and the possibility of achieving peace are characterized. It was emphasized that close coordination of efforts with partner countries, on the one hand, and coordination of sanctions policy, on the other, as well as the provision of military and financial assistance, development of the national defense industry, are the key to the stability of the Ukrainian state. The research used a number of scientific methods, including systematic, comparative, historical, expert evaluation methods, as well as analysis and synthesis methods.

The International, Arab and Public Reaction to Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait and the International Coalition (1990-1991)

The International, Arab and Public Reaction to Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait and the International Coalition (1990-1991)

Learning to Fight Together: UN Peacekeeping Coalitions and Civilian Protection

Abstract Since the end of the Cold War, the United Nations has increasingly used peacekeeping operations (PKOs) to manage crises between and within states. The mandates of contemporary PKOs are demanding, calling on peacekeeping personnel to separate belligerent parties, enforce ceasefire agreements, and protect the physical security of civilians. The pursuit of these distinct objectives presents a unique challenge for the UN because it relies on member states to volunteer personnel for these missions. Therefore, the achievement of mandated goals depends on the ability of diverse national contingents to overcome coordination problems and function as a cohesive force. Integrating research of PKOs and international military coalitions, we argue that as national contingents share operational experience within a UN mission, they develop common institutional practices, and become more effective at protecting the civilian population. Using monthly data on UN PKOs from 1990 to 2019, we find that increasing operational experience within a peacekeeping coalition reduces civilian fatalities significantly.

Navigating stormy waters: a middle power perspective

Abstract Structural shifts in patterns of international production, trade, and investment have been spurred by the globalization of supply chains. Today, however, a range of factors, including wars and sanctions, the increasing divide between Western and Chinese approaches to the economy, the increasing links between economic security and national security, and between trade and environmental regulation, are contributing to the fragmentation of international economic frameworks and growing populist and protectionist sentiment. Competition for advantage through industrial subsidies and the setting of digital and environmental standards risks enshrining a less-than-global economic order. In many fields, however, multilateral cooperation, rulemaking, and enforcement in serving shared objectives, in various international organizations, multi-stakeholder forums, and by the private sector, continues to function well. In this ever-more complex international context, where clubs, coalitions, and informal networks among nations are increasingly prevalent, middle powers are wise to remain both agile and resolute in ensuring that national interests are advanced through smart diplomacy, encompassing working with like-minded in caucuses and informal settings that serve to build broader consensus, engaging business and other stakeholders at home and abroad in support. Canada’s experience and current efforts provide a constructive example for middle powers.

Strategic reactions and investor outcomes: S&P 500 companies in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine

ABSTRACT After Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, a US-led international coalition imposed economic sanctions against Russia. Consequently, companies doing business in Russia had to decide how to respond. Utilizing an event study approach, this study examined how investors reacted to the initial announcements of 221 S&P 500 firms regarding their Russian business operations in response to the invasion. The findings show that companies that initially responded strongly and decided to suspend their operations in Russia saw a 2.4% adverse stock price reaction compared to companies that chose to continue their business in Russia with a scaled-down operation. Stocks of consumer discretionary and consumer staples companies performed worse in the respective industry group comparison with energy, healthcare, and materials companies. The empirical findings also indicated a weak positive relationship between investors’ reactions and the time of releasing information on a company’s initial response. The research further examined 182 S&P 500 companies to explore whether firm-level associations existed between the business size of a company in Russia and its strategic behavior. The findings indicated an association existed between thebusiness size and how a company responded and between the business size and when announcements were made.

Resistance, rebound, and recurrence regrowth patterns in pediatric low-grade glioma treated by MAPK inhibition: A modified Delphi approach to build international consensus-based definitions-International Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma Coalition.

Pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) is the most common childhood brain tumor group. The natural history, when curative resection is not possible, is one of a chronic disease with periods of tumor stability and episodes of tumor progression. While there is a high overall survival rate, many patients experience significant and potentially lifelong morbidities. The majority of pLGGs have an underlying activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway due to mutational events, leading to the use of molecularly targeted therapies in clinical trials, with recent regulatory approval for the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibition for BRAFV600E mutated pLGG. Despite encouraging activity, tumor regrowth can occur during therapy due to drug resistance, off treatment as tumor recurrence, or as reported in some patients as a rapid rebound growth within 3 months of discontinuing targeted therapy. Definitions of these patterns of regrowth have not been well described in pLGG. For this reason, the International Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma Coalition, a global group of physicians and scientists, formed the Resistance, Rebound, and Recurrence (R3) working group to study resistance, rebound, and recurrence. A modified Delphi approach was undertaken to produce consensus-based definitions and recommendations for regrowth patterns in pLGG with specific reference to targeted therapies.

INTERPRETATION IN POST-2003 IRAQ

The history of translation in Iraq arises of its deep roots. It started strongly twelve hundred years ago and has been participated in showing the scientific and thinking identity of Iraq. The most thriving period was during the time of the Abbasid state, when translation helped spreading knowledge and science around the world. Later, it has been disappeared for centuries, in a period has called dark ages, during which Iraq and other Arab states were suffering of cultural deterioration. Eventually, Iraq has returned back to be an independent state after the declaring of the modern Iraqi kingdom in 1921, where assisted in appearing the translation at the elite level in universities, ministries, institutions, courts, and companies. The real widespread of interpretation began after 2003. Exactly, after the occupation of Iraq by the international coalition forces led by the United States of America, which led to the deployment of more than 150,000 individuals in Iraq, those who were not able to speak Arabic, while their mission supposed to be in direct contact with Iraqis. They thought that their task in interpretation and communication with Iraqis would be solved by modern technology, but they were surprised that high-cost modern translation devices were unfunctional. Therefore, they had forwarded to the Iraqi citizens to be their mediator; they had contracted with large, numerous and local interpreters. However, they couldn’t deal with this issue easily, due to its sensitive relationship among many Iraqis who were rejecting and resisting the American occupation. During that period, the profession of translators was subjected to the sense of sovereignty, betrayal, and patriotism in Iraq. In spite of the difficulties, the experience was productive. There are many lessons that can be studied and learned from it, the most important of which are the birth of a new generation of young interpreters, as well as the attention among young people to learn languages and practice professional translation. Therefore, many of those who worked as translators continued their studies and obtained the highest educational grades in translation and other language topics.

Peacebuilding, Patronage-Building, and Post-Conflict NGO Corruption: Barriers to Democratization in Anbar, Iraq

Promoting civil society has been a standard component of post-conflict democratic peacebuilding. In post-2003 Iraq, however, the international coalition's introduction of the muhasasa system (apportionment) inhibited local nongovernmental organizations' ability to hold the government to account and made many NGOs into vehicles of state capture. Substantiated by an interview-based study of Anbar Governorate following the 2017 defeat of the Islamic State organization (ISIS), we argue that modeling Iraq as a "limited access order" — in which ruling elites manage society and the economy — largely explains the muhasasa's effects on local NGOs and the widespread perception that the sector is mired in corruption.

Transformation of the media system of Afghanistan in the context of the formation of statehood

The object of the study is the media of Afghanistan. The subject of the study is the genesis of methods for regulating the media system in Afghanistan. The article pays special attention to the formation of the media system of the modern period, which the authors have been defining since the end of 2021. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the media system of Afghanistan has been formed under the influence of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF, acted in accordance with resolution No. 1386[39] The UN Security Council of December 20, 2001) and the desire to create a liberal democratic state in the understanding of the ISAF leadership. Freedom of speech, expression and the media, which were achieved during this period, has been under the control of the Interim Government of Afghanistan since August 2021. This article defines the methods used by the current government of Afghanistan to regulate the media system. The main method of research is the content analysis of documents and information on the practice of law enforcement, compliance with current legislation. Naturally, he could not be divorced from the method of systematization of information - the study of information objects. For the first time in the scientific literature, an empirical study is presented, which represents important material on the history of the media system of Afghanistan, its current state, and the analysis of legislative changes. The study seems to be significant and expands knowledge about the media in this region. For 20 years, the media system of Afghanistan has been formed under the influence of an international coalition led by the United States, which tried to create a liberal democratic state. It was based on a compromise of Western "democratic" and Islamic values, more pluralistic and free than before and after this period. In August 2021, another political force came to power, forming a state based on other principles, which began to exercise control over all spheres, including the media, taking Sharia norms as a basis. One of the conclusions of the study was the strengthening of the traditional identity of the state by the new political power, which was "shaken" by Western reforms. After coming to power, the interim Government of Afghanistan repealed the 2004 Constitution and the 2009 Media Law. The Law on Access to Information in 2019 has not been officially repealed, but it is not respected in the country. Thus, the transformation of the state's media system has begun in the country.

Toxic stresses at community level highlight a public health need

Having a background in both climate action and counseling psychology, Bob Doppelt could clearly make the connection between episodic or ongoing stressors in people's lives and adverse mental health outcomes. Establishing an international coalition devoted to strengthening community resilience, created in the aftermath of 2012's Superstorm Sandy, Doppelt recalls his assessment of populations' need at the time: “This is going to get far, far worse,” he thought.

The environmental and economic effects of international cooperation on restricting fossil fuel supply

Achieving the Paris Agreement’s global temperature goal of keeping warming well below 2 °C and ideally 1.5 °C requires limiting fossil fuel production. In the United Nations climate change negotiations, this need is only beginning to be acknowledged. Nevertheless, as some countries have already adopted supply-side climate policies, initial cooperative activities have started, and calls grow for a fossil fuel treaty, questions arise about the prospects and possible effects of international cooperation on limiting fossil fuel supply. Combining qualitative insights on possible participants in a supply-side coalition with a quantitative analysis based on integrated assessment general equilibrium modelling, this article addresses these questions. Through k-means clustering based on fossil reserves per capita, fossil fuel rents and existing supply-side policies, we first identify which (groups of) countries are most likely to lead the formation of an international supply-side coalition, and which (groups of) countries are likely to follow. Drawing on these insights, we develop several scenarios for the evolution of international supply-side coalitions and compare these to a business-as-usual scenario. By doing so, we demonstrate the global and regional environmental, trade and macroeconomic effects of international cooperation on limiting fossil fuel supply and combining fossil supply restrictions with carbon pricing to meet the Paris goals. Our findings underscore the importance of pursuing supply-side and ambitious demand-side climate policies in parallel, and identify the scope and coverage, size of the coalition, and incentives for participation as key design elements for an international supply-side coalition.

Tracing a long history of the Habitat International Coalition and the social production of habitat

In "Tracing a Long History of International Habitat Coalition Making and Social Production of Housing," Ana Vilenica engages with Enrique Ortiz and Maria Silvia Emanuelli from HIC-AL to explore the evolution of housing justice movements and the role of the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) in advocating for social production of housing. The conversation provides a historical perspective on the coalition's inception. It outlines the foundational moments of HIC, detailing the coalition's growth out of a collective need to address housing as a human right. Enrique shares experiences from the formative years of HIC, where he connected with grassroots movements and organizations across Latin America, fostering a network that would support the social production of habitat. The Conversation highlights the strategic pivot HIC made towards reinforcing a global network that respects regional differences and promotes a common strategy grounded in human rights. It also underscores the need for a collective effort to influence public policy and the necessity of solidarity among various social economy and housing groups.

Promoting an Anti-Soviet Coalition: Mao’s French Diplomacy, 1970–1976

After the Sino-Soviet border clashes in 1969, Mao adjusted his foreign policy by abandoning his previous position of opposing both the United States and the Soviet Union at the same time and adopting, instead, a single-minded posture of promoting an international coalition against Moscow. Western Europe occupied an important position in Mao's strategic calculations of anti-Sovietism. During this period, Mao kept warning West European leaders against the danger of a Soviet attack and urging them to stay united and be prepared for war. This article uses the case of Sino-French relations to demonstrate Mao's persistent advocacy of an international united front against the Soviet Union. It draws on recently released Chinese and French documents to chart the course of Sino-French relations in Mao's last years and to use his French diplomacy to illuminate the misperceptions and misunderstanding in his assessment of international developments.