DIIS Policy Briefs

Ukraine presents a unique challenge for many international humanitarian organisations. Operating in a context of heightened geo-political and donor interest, and in close proximity to military actors, amateur volunteer groups and Ukrainian civil society are testing the core principles of neutrality and impartiality that once underpinned humanitarian work.

An interstate war in Europe presents new security challenges for humanitarians. Along the 960km Ukraine-Russia frontline, humanitarian infrastructure has been hit by shelling, missiles and drone strikes, and aid delivery disrupted by electronic warfare. Supporting specialised training and removing outdated bureaucratic burdens are some of the ways in which donors and policymakers can help humanitarian organisations adapt to this new context.

In the face of growing international competition between both individual states and coalitions of states, the European Union is developing a new approach towards technological resilience and autonomy.

The Danish Government will embark on a new strategic engagement with Africa in 2024. In this Policy Brief, five of DIIS’ research partners weigh in on the pitfalls and potentials of such a policy plan.

‘Energy blackmail’ became a buzzword following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent energy crisis, but the phenomenon is not new. Energy blackmail has been employed by states to leverage their strategic energy resources for decades. In Europe, the weaponisation of energy predates Vladimir Putin’s time in Kremlin. Despite EU efforts to diversify its energy supply, the threat of energy blackmail persists, posing challenges not only to traditional energy dependencies but also to the increasingly digitalised energy sector.

The African Union (AU) has put forth significant initiatives addressing gender equality issues on the continent but is confronted by concerns related to legitimacy, donor dependency and questionable impact on the ground.

Climate change, illegal fishing, and environmental damage all contribute to the lack of security that coastal populations in the Gulf of Guinea suffer from. To Denmark, as well as several other European countries, the Gulf of Guinea remains an important region for commercial shipping. To enhance responses to piracy and crime at sea it is necessary to take a holistic approach which also considers the lack of opportunities for making a legal and sustainable living in the region.

Most African states have not supported United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine. To win more support in Africa, the West needs to stress the importance of upholding the territorial integrity norm and engaging African states as equal partners. The West’s engagement on the continent must be about more than ‘containing’ Russia.

The frozen relations between Russia and the West have serious ramifications in the Arctic, politically and scientifically. It is time to think of ways to exempt climate science and data from this geopolitical split.

How the EU can play a constructive role

Green transitions, nature conservation and the drylands

American and allied export controls have been successful in slowing the advance of China’s equipment for semiconductor chip production. Chinese players have been increasingly cut off from a global industry where customer-client interaction is essential. The US and its allies should continue with the controls and subsidies they have in place but expanding them further, as some advocate, would be excessively punitive.

The increasing commercialisation and militarisation of outer space has intensified geopolitical competition and is re-shaping international relations. Public and private actors are increasingly looking to emerging technologies to gain a technological edge. This brief explores the topic of experimentation with emerging technologies in outer space and why EU decision-makers should address the main risks and implications of this development.

It is useful to look at the EU’s counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Guinea as a piece of large-scale infrastructure that contains both visible and invisible elements. Using this lens illuminates the often unequal ways that technology, funding, expertise and other resources flow from the EU to Gulf of Guinea states. It also highlights power and path dependencies that need to be considered in order to tackle maritime crime in the region in a holistic and sustainable manner.