NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC)

A new article by @TheEconomist highlights the growing geopolitical stakes surrounding eastern Congo’s critical minerals, and references new analysis from the Congo Research Group (@GEC_CRG) at #NYUCIC. As the conflict involving M23 continues to evolve, the CRG report examines how the rebellion has become increasingly entrenched politically, militarily, and economically, including its control over strategic mining areas and expanding governance structures in eastern #DRC. The Economist article underscores how competition over critical minerals, regional tensions, and shifting international interests are reshaping the conflict and broader dynamics in the Great Lakes region. 📰 Read the article: economist.com/middle-east-an…. 📖 Read the CRG report: cic.nyu.edu/resources/the-…. #DRC #Congo #Africa #M23 #InternationalCooperation

In @just_security, CIC's Distinguished Fellow Hanny Megally outlines the path forward in Syria 🇸🇾 for accountability measures, as proposed by a coalition of organizations. ⚖️ Their proposal, discussed in the paper, "Pathways to Criminal Accountability in Syria," situates criminal justice within a broader #TransitionalJustice framework, while drawing on comparative experiences and highlighting the forms of support the international community can provide. Read ⤵️ justsecurity.org/138724/buildin…

❓ How can the #UN80 initiative shift from reactive reform to institutional stewardship and structured intergovernmental engagement? 💡CIC's Thibault Camelli proposes 10 strategies that build on existing institutional levers, procedural tools, and political strategies and require no new mandates. Learn more: cic.nyu.edu/resources/unlo… #NYUCIC #UN #UNReform #Multilateralism

Why can’t austerity save the @United Nations? 🇺🇳 As we enter the depths of the United Nations Secretary-General selection process, the UN is now also in a position where austerity defines how reform is pursued. ➕ CIC’s Thibault Camelli presents the current state at play—arguing how these budget cuts avoid political responsibility, and ultimately undermine delivery and the reform process. Dive in to learn more✍️ cic.nyu.edu/resources/deat… #UNReform #UNFinancing #UN80 #ReformAgenda

"If the first Global Dialogue [on #AI] succeeds in articulating a clear Roadmap architecture, it can anchor the multi-year process that follows and give the UN a credible, actionable role in shaping the global governance of AI at a formative moment." —#NYUCIC’s Thibault Camelli + Joris de Mooij. 🔗 Explore more: cic.nyu.edu/resources/guid… 📚 More insights on multilateral #AIGovernance: cic.nyu.edu/program/promot… #ArtificialIntelligence #GDC #GlobalGovernance #UN

#DYK: The @unfoundation has just launched a new platform for ideas, debate, and solutions for the future of global cooperation: [Re]Group: A Playbook for Turbulent Times. 🔎 Explore analysis, provocations, and proposals on wide-ranging topics (...and also from CIC experts!) on the future of the UN and race for UN Secretary-General—often described as “the world’s toughest job.” ▶️ regroupplaybook.org/?utm_source=tw…

💸 CIC's Director, Paul Smoke, will join this timely Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market. 🗓️ 5/14 ⏲️ 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (ET) 🖥️ Virtual webinar This briefing brings together perspectives from capital markets, multilateral institutions, and academia to examine how cities worldwide can scale infrastructure finance amid rapid urbanization and climate pressures. Hosted by @PennIUR + @volckeralliance Speakers 💬 🟢 Emily Swenson Brock, @GFOA 🟢 Alexander Chilton, @MorganStanley 🟢 Sean Dougherty, @OECD 🟢 Pietrangelo De Biase, @OECD 🟢 Paul Smoke, @nyuwagner / @nyucic 🎙️ Moderated by William Glasgall + Susan Wachter, Learn more and register ▶️ penniur.upenn.edu/events/special… #Financing #Cities

#AI + Justice ⚖️ What are the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on #SustainableDevelopment and #AccessToJustice? How does the justice sector help to govern and regulate AI use across society?? On the sidelines of the United Nations #STIForum 2026, experts from governments, civil society, and academia gather to explore the current efforts to advance access to justice for all—including the most marginalized—through adequately regulated AI tools that can contribute to more just and sustainable development. “AI must strengthen, and not replace the core principles of justice: independence, due process, transparency, and accountability…As I reflect on global AI governance and its application within the justice system, we believe that applying a people-centered justice lens is essential to achieving a more inclusive and equitable technology transformation, one that expands access to the benefits of innovation while actively mitigating its risks.” —@rosaquinones, Director of Public Policy, @PoderJudicialRD and Co-lead, Justice Action Coalition Thematic Track on AI, Emerging Technology, and Justice. “AI is being deployed into a world that already sees billions of people without meaningful access to justice. AI has a tendency to reinforce existing patterns because it is built upon existing patterns. So access to justice has to be a key consideration of AI governance frameworks.” —@Nate Edwards, Program Officer, Justice for All, @Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, @sdg16plus, @nyucic, and the Justice Action Coalition secretariat lead for AI, emerging technology, and justice, highlights the need for including justice in the #AIGovernance conversation. Speakers 💬 🟠 @BTahzibLie, @KingdomNL_UN 🟠 @Rio_Hada, @OHCHR 🟠 Kate Fox Principi, @OHCHR 🟠 @nhelberger, @AITech_UvA 🟠 Nate Edwards, @sdg16plus, @nyucic 🟠 Sergio Múnera Chavarría, @PoderJudicialCR 🟠 @rosaquinones. @PoderJudicialRD This event was co-organized by the @ohchr, @KingdomNL_UN, @sdg16plus, the Justice Action Coalition, and the @CostaRicaONU. Watch the recording on @UNWebTV: 📺 webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1a/k… #AIGovernance #STIForum2026 #TechForSDGs

.@UNPiper, CIC Senior Fellow, unpacks the #UN80 reform process and “unfinished” work of development reform in this new guest blog over at @ipinst (IPI)’s Global Observatory. ✍️ theglobalobservatory.org/2026/04/un80-a… For a comprehensive breakdown, read his full report on our website: Unfinished Business ▶️ cic.nyu.edu/resources/unfi… #UNReform #DevelopmentReform #UNSystem theglobalobservatory.org/2026/04/un80-a…

#WeekendListen 📻 As the #UN Secretary-General race kicks off into high gear this week, we are tuning into the first episode of World Toughest Job, a new series from @ForeignPolicy + @unfoundation. Over the next eight episodes, co-hosts Jasmin Bauomy and Mark Malloch-Brown examine how the secretary-general might make a difference on issues including economic turbulence, superpower rivalries, artificial intelligence, inequality, and climate change. Listen today! 🎙️ regroupplaybook.org/p/what-kind-of… 🤓 For further reading on this topic, you can also check out our recent analysis by Thibault Camelli offering a new vision for the type of leadership needed of the next Secretary-General (SG). In this piece, he argues that the SG needs to perform two roles simultaneously: entrepreneur and steward. Learn more ⤵️ cic.nyu.edu/resources/deed… #UNSG #UN80 #UNReform #UNSecretaryGeneral regroupplaybook.org/p/what-kind-of…

🤔 How can private sector engagement be more effective in #AI governance? 🆕 A paper by Thibault Camelli, Dr. Anda Bologa, + Joris de Mooij establishes the analytical case for reform: it clarifies the functions that #AIGovernance must perform & the gap between those requirements & current institutional capacity. 🔗 Learn more: cic.nyu.edu/resources/enga… #NYUCIC #GlobalGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology

“Traditionally the instinct was, ‘We’ve got to be there, we’ve got to open an office, then we’re a player,’” Piper said. “Physical presence has got to be rethought — it needs to be reduced much more. The fact that you don’t necessarily have an office in Dar es Salaam or in Jakarta should not mean that you can’t be an active part of the operation there.” 🗞️ New York University's very own independent student-run newspaper, @nyunews, interviews CIC Senior Fellow, @UNPiper, and Associate Director, Margaret Williams about our recent report coming to terms with the new financial and political realities facing the United Nations’ development ecosystem. Read their in-depth coverage 📰 nyunews.com/news/2026/04/1… Full report 📖 cic.nyu.edu/resources/unfi… #LiquidityCrisis #UnitedNations #UNReform #UN80

📖 New CIC blog on #AI + Diplomacy Tono Pérez-Hernández, a diplomat covering #AIGovernance and digital affairs looks at: 💭 How AI agents could be used in diplomatic practice today 3️⃣ use cases that could change how diplomacy works ❌ What AI agents cannot replace and the risks it poses. Read ⤵️ cic.nyu.edu/resources/dipl…

💱 Last week, members of the Committee of Experts on Public Affairs (CEPA), an advisory body to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (@UNECOSOC), presented a paper that examined the role of local government finance as a vector for development finance. Among these members were CIC’s Director, Professor Paul Smoke, and Non-Resident Fellow David Jackson. ▶️ Our latest blog post unpacks some recommendations—highlighting how local government finance can be unlocked for sustainable development. READ 🔗 cic.nyu.edu/resources/4-wa…

Earlier this year, CIC experts joined the @nyulaw Symposium happening concurrently to the #UN Framework Convention on International #TaxCooperation. Prof. Miranda Stewart unpacks the significance behind the Convention and and how the NYU Law symposium has helped support the UN process in her interview ⤵️ Read more 🔗 law.nyu.edu/news/united-na… #TaxTreaty #InternationalCooperation

🤝New partnership just announced! 🌍 🏙️ The Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and #NYUCIC are joining forces to push for reforms to the global financial system so cities and local leaders can access the funding they need to tackle climate and environmental challenges head-on. Because the climate crisis is local and solutions must be too. From rethinking financial flows to supporting innovative city-led initiatives, this collaboration aims to unlock more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures worldwide.🌐 🔗 Learn more: cic.nyu.edu/resources/kore…. #ClimateFinance #LocalAction #Cities #Sustainability #GlobalCooperation

NEW op-ed | @thomsonreuters Maya Markovich, Executive Director, @JusticeTechAssn + Nate Edwards, Program Officer, @SDG16Plus call attention to how AI is scaling faster than justice with critical implications for human rights—and also call upon international policymakers to use a people-centered justice approach to build capacity in legal systems while creating AI governance frameworks. ⚖️ Read the full article 📖 thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/ai…

🇺🇳 As the UN General Assembly is auditioning the 4 candidates to be the next #UNSG this week during the interactive dialogues, a new paper by Thibault Camelli explains what to look for beyond the glossy vision and what questions to ask to test the candidates' leadership. 🔗 cic.nyu.edu/resources/deed… #NYUCIC #UnitedNations #SecretaryGeneral #UN80

🔎 Ahead of this week’s 2026 #FfDForum, our new blog highlights 4 ways to unlock local government finance for #SustainableDevelopment. 1️⃣ Importance of institutionalizing and scaling up mechanisms that deploy intergovernmental fiscal transfers for climate finance. 2️⃣ Relevance but continued limitations of guarantee facilities due to the constraints of the International Monetary Fund. 3️⃣ Potential role of domestic currency, local government bonds as instruments to reduce sovereign borrowing, and provide finance for local infrastructure. 4️⃣ Better Infrastructure Asset Management. 📄 Explore more in our blog: cic.nyu.edu/resources/4-wa… #SDGs #DevelopmentFinance #Financing4Development @UNECOSOC

❓ How can we catalyze capital flows that strengthen the resilience of communities and markets alike? 🔔 Held on the sidelines of the 2026 #ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development, “Peace Finance Forum: Building the Ecosystem for Sustainable Impact” aims to advance this goal. RSVP by April 19! 🔽 cic.nyu.edu/events/peace-f… #NYUCIC #F4D #Financing4Development #Fin4Dev