International and Foreign

Gender Apartheid and Public Opinion: Why Law Matters More Than Labels

The term "gender apartheid" doesn't appear to increase American support for Afghan women, but information that the Taliban's treatment violates international law does.

Aug. 3, 2026 Meghan M. Garrity and Joshua Schwartz

The blue and yellow Ukrainian flag flies above the U.S. flag on the same flag pole, with two birds flying to the left against a whitish gray sky.

Ukraine’s Successes Make the Case for How Democracy Support Enhances U.S. National Security

Ukraine's survival in the face of Russia's aggression demonstrates how U.S. support to civil society and democratic institutions becomes a national security asset.

Jul. 31, 2026 Kevin Sheives and Andriy Shevchenko

Officials sit around the iconic maple-colored wooden, horseshoe-shaped dias in the U.N. Security Council chamber, hands raised in a vote, as others seated behind them around the edges look on.

Reading the Signals of China’s U.N. Security Council Role in the Afghanistan Mission Renewal

China's prominent role in negotiations over the U.N. mission in Afghanistan marks a shift in its approach to Security Council diplomacy and illuminates its tactics.

Jul. 31, 2026 Daniel Forti and Richard Gowan

Why the Dearth of Female Nominees for U.N. Secretary-General?

UN member states should expand the field of candidates for Secretary-General by nominating more women for the role.

Jul. 29, 2026 Tamao Chika, Léa Tricaud and 1 more

A tall man in silhouette, dressed in a dark long, straight jacket and flared trousers, stands in a street, his back to the camera, raising his right hand with pointed finger, while in the background people hold red and white Georgian flags and the smoke of flares obscures part of the scene.

The U.S. and the EU Must Wake Up to Threats in Georgia

Georgian Dream is crushing Georgia's civil society, courts, and opposition to entrench one-party rule and Russian influence; only targeted U.S. and EU sanctions can stop it.

Jul. 29, 2026 Ambassador (ret) Ian Kelly and David J. Kramer

The detectives sit in the foreground, the man in a suit jacket, the woman in a blouse, their backs to the camera, across a table from the prisoner, whose hands are folded atop the edge of the table, which is covered with files and photos and a tape recorder. A video recorder on a tripod is to the left.

Effective Interviewing, Not Torture: Lessons from the Méndez Principles Five Years On

The Mendez Principles, drafted to end the use of torture in interrogations, are being implemented variously across regions and institutions.

Jul. 28, 2026 Juan E. Méndez and Steven J. Barela

Wide view of the UN General Assembly Hall showing delegates standing at their desks, with the UN emblem illuminated on the gold wall behind the dias and a large screen displaying the chamber.

After a Failed U.N. Counterterrorism Strategy Review, What Other Paths to Structural Reform?

The U.N.'s periodic review of its counterterrorism strategy again leaves human rights protections weak and its sprawling system unchecked.

Jul. 27, 2026 Brian Kimari, Beth Alexion and 1 more

Authoritarians Keep Telling Us What They Fear. We Should Listen.

Research shows that, more than military strikes or sanctions, authoritarians fear support for independent media, anti-censorship tech, and civil society.

Jul. 27, 2026 Scott Fisher, Graig Klein and 2 more

A crowd of demonstrators wave Hungarian national flags behind a row of others, with Magyar in a white dress shirt in the center, holding a large white banner reading "NE FÉLJETEK!"("Do not be afraid!") during a march in downtown Budapest. Historic buildings line the street on both sides in the background.

What Hungary’s Anti-Corruption Election Can Teach U.S. Democracy Advocates

Hungary's anti-corruption win offers U.S. democracy advocates lessons, but success requires a credible messenger and a concrete plan.

Jul. 24, 2026 Saskia Brechenmacher

A woman in a short, pleated white skirt and lime green top holds a child, as another woman stands next to her on the left, all against a landscape of trash, debris, and makeshift tents of fabric or corrugated metal.

Haiti’s New Courts Could Change Everything — Or Nothing At All

With international support, the Haitian government is creating two courts designed to prosecute complex crimes like the 2018 massacre at La Saline. Vetting will be crucial.

Jul. 23, 2026 Pierre Espérance

Security cameras are seen in the foreground as the United States national flag flies at the U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou on July 14, 2026, in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

AI and Warrantless Foreign Intelligence Surveillance

The use of LLMs for foreign intelligence surveillance erodes the rules put in place to safeguard Americans' civil liberties.

Jul. 22, 2026 Faiza Patel

This photograph shows a handheld smartphone displaying the icons of some of the main artificial intelligence based apps, including LLMs, chatbots and generative AI, with logos (from L) of Proton AG's Lumo, Meta AI, Mistral Vibe (formerly Le Chat), xAI's Grok, Microsoft's Copilot, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, Perplexity, Deepseek, OpenAI's Chat GPT, Google's Notebook LLM and generative AI music app Suno, in Saint-Mande, east of Paris, on July 15, 2026.

AI and the Commercial Data Loophole

The Pentagon’s new deals to deploy commercial LLMs on its classified networks provide it with a powerful surveillance capability that could be turned on Americans.

Jul. 21, 2026 Faiza Patel