Publications

Judicial Guardianship of Global Norms: Courts, Disability Rights, and the Role of the United Nations

International Day of Disabled Persons

On June 10, 2025, Ms. Heba Hagrass, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, reflected on both the progress and ongoing challenges involved in promoting inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. During the 18th Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), held in New York from June 10 to 12, 2025, she noted that the world has become increasingly uncertain and divided over the past year. She also remarked that multilateralism is under pressure and that funding for human development, including support for the rights of persons with disabilities, is decreasing. Despite these challenges, she highlighted that the world possesses strong frameworks to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind.

The Pact for the Future & Private Sector: Defining a Way Forward

Lunch Discussion

On 2 December, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) New York Office and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) hosted a roundtable discussion to build structured engagement and practical synergies between the multilateral system and the private sector. The session provided an opportunity for Mr. Themba Kalua, Director for Pact for the Future Implementation, to convene with members of the New York Business Advisory Group and employers’ organizations to develop a shared understanding of private-sector capabilities and identify priority areas for collaboration across the Pact’s key pillars.

Policy Brief: Seven Trends of a Multilateral System in Times of Great Power Competition

Policy Brief

To better understand the dynamics defining the future of the multilateral system, this policy brief offers a perspective into the current transformations shaping the multilateral system in an era of geopolitical divides.

The Future of Peacekeeping in Africa: What is at Stake?

Lunch Discussion

On 18 November 2025, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) New York Office, in partnership with Security Council Report (SCR), hosted a lunch roundtable titled “The Future of Peacekeeping in Africa: What is at Stake? ” The event gathered experts and representatives from the United Nations, Member States, academia, and civil society to discuss emerging trends in peacekeeping, lessons from MINUSMA in Mali, and the evolving roles of the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS in supporting peace and security on the continent.

External Non-State Actors as a Source of Instability in West Africa

Lunch Discussion with Experts

On 17 November 2025, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) New York Office, in partnership with the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), hosted a lunch roundtable titled “External Non-State Actors as a Source of Instability in West Africa: Hezbollah and Wagner Group/Africa Corps.” The event gathered experts and representatives from the United Nations, Member States, academia, and civil society to examine the roles of Hezbollah and the Africa Corps/Wagner Group in reshaping security and governance dynamics across the region.

United Nations Partnerships turning Ideals into Action

United Nations Day

United Nations Day, on 24 October, marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. For eighty years, the UN has worked to build peace, address poverty and hunger, promote and protect human rights, and create a more sustainable and equal world.

The Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina Key Developments and Regional Outlook

A Conversation with High Representative Christian Schmidt

On 23rd October, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation New York Office and the Hans-Seidel-Stiftung Washington Office convened a high-level breakfast discussion with High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Mr. Christian Schmidt in advance of the October Security Council semi-annual debate on BiH.

The race for the next UN-Secretary-General: Regional aspirations and global realities

Policy Brief

Looking ahead to the election of the next United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico Internacional (Cepei) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) New York Office assess the prospects for a Secretary-General from Latin America and the Caribbean and explore the interplay between regional aspirations and global power dynamics. At this critical juncture for the multilateral system—fraught with growing geopolitical rivalries, conflict, and financial constraints, as well as diminishing political will and trust in institutions—the individual chosen will shape the UN’s trajectory in the next decade and beyond, presenting a momentous opportunity to revitalize and reform the organization.

Reflection, Reckoning, and Resolve at UNGA80

Eighty years on, can the United Nations channel its founding spirit to tackle the challenges of our time?

In a flurry of diplomatic motorcades, more than 140 leaders and dignitaries from around the world descended on United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City for the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the General Assembly (UNGA) from 22-30 September. Business was not as usual. Ahead of its 80th anniversary on October 24, the UN finds itself in the throes of an existential crisis. In an era of rapid change and turbulence, the organization has been slow to respond and adapt, raising questions as to its effectiveness and relevance. Accordingly, the tone at UN80 was markedly less celebratory for an organization on the brink of a major milestone and more sobering in its honest stock-taking of the many global challenges left unresolved, unaddressed, and unmitigated. How will the UN navigate its next decade?

5th Aswan Forum Preparatory Workshop: Strengthening the Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Nexus

In the lead up to the Fifth Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), and the International Peace Institute (IPI) held an expert-level hybrid workshop on 4th September 2025, entitled “Strengthening the Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Nexus.”