Council of Councils
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Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Ann Wang/Reuters
Taiwan has been a top buyer of U.S. military equipment for decades, but the island is waiting on a large backlog of weapon deliveries that experts say are needed to deter China.
Although China’s ambition to gain control of Taiwan is clear, doing so through force would prove enormously difficult and costly.
Although a conflict in the Taiwan Strait has thus far been avoided, deterrence has dangerously eroded. To maintain peace, the United States must restore balance to a situation that has been allowed to tilt far too much in China’s favor.
Middle East
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s speech in New York signaled interest in engagement at the United Nations. Does it matter?
Election 2024
Alice Hill, the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, and Varun Sivaram, a senior fellow for energy and climate at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the United States has done and should do to confront a changing climate. This episode is the second in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The annual convening of Climate Week in New York has become one of the largest globally for climate reform, but can the events shore up meaningful commitments amid the worsening effects of global warming?
Panelists discuss the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), a 5-year joint initiative launched in 2021 and co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and the importance of investing in climate-smart agriculture and food system innovation. For further information, please see www.aimforclimate.org.
Please note this event will be livestreamed through CFR.org. The audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will also be posted on the CFR website.
United Nations
U.S. President Joe Biden used his final address to the UN General Assembly to exhort leaders to press ahead with efforts at peace and reconciliation and included a poignant appeal for democracies.
This year’s UN summit offers a rare chance for reform of the world’s leading peace and security body but is bedeviled by major power tensions over intractable wars.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield discusses the future of multilateralism and U.S. commitments to reforming the United Nations Security Council to be more inclusive, representative, and legitimate.
Indo-Pacific
On Friday, three leaders from the Indo-Pacific converged on Wilmington, Delaware, to meet for the last time with President Joe Biden.
At their upcoming summit in Delaware, the leaders of the four Quad countries have an opportunity to build on long-running efforts to transform the grouping into one that is more sustainable, practical, and welcomed in the Indo-Pacific.
Diplomacy and International Institutions
The UN General Assembly begins its seventy-ninth high-level debate amid questions about its limited role in resolving major conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; fears of a wider regional war grow as Hezbollah vows retaliation against Israel after thousands of pagers exploded across Lebanon; U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the leaders of the Quad in Wilmington, Delaware, to strengthen coordination in the Indo-Pacific region; and Russia seeks to add 180,000 troops to its army.
The Council’s Special Initiative on the war in Ukraine provides timely, informed analysis and practical policy recommendations for U.S. policymakers and the American public.
Events
Josep Borrell shares his insights on the challenges facing the European Union, its role in supporting Ukraine against Russia, and transatlantic relations with the United States.
For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Jens Stoltenberg reflects on his ten years as the secretary general of NATO and what lies ahead for transatlantic relations.
For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
President Vjosa Osmani discusses security challenges in Europe, Kosovo's foreign policy priorities amid regional instability, and the future of the country's relationship with the United States.Please note there is no virtual component to this meeting. The audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General, discusses his role as the nation's doctor, including addressing the loneliness epidemic, the importance of social connection, and combatting the youth mental health crisis.
Please note there is no virtual component to this meeting. The audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
*Please note the timing of this meeting has shifted from lunch to the evening due to a change in the Surgeon General’s schedule
Explainers
Crisis in Sudan: War, Famine, and a Failing Global Response
Sudan’s civil conflict has ground on for nearly eighteen months, stirring little outside attention. It now faces the world’s worst famine in forty years.
Expert Spotlight
Stephen Biddle
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy
Benn Steil
Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics
Stephen Sestanovich
George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Featured Publications
Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.
Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine evaluate the limitations of the Pivot to Asia and offer a compelling vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.
A clear-headed vision for the United States' role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of U.S. national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.