Policy Analysis

The debates sparked by Decree No. 39 raise questions about how the country will bridge the troubling gaps between official government discourse and victims’ rights.

For the estimated 7 to 15 million Kurds in Iran, the current war represents a narrow window for change, albeit one where the parameters are unclear.

To prevent hawkish actors from once again seizing the initiative, Kurdish, Sunni Arab, and moderate Shia factions need to come together during the post-election period and work on fundamental tasks like implementing the constitution and strengthening institutions.

For many Iraqis who dreamed of a state built on the rule of law and robust institutions, the outcome of this year’s vote feels like a major setback.

While Sudani leverages his position as prime minister to pursue another term, Iran and its militia proxies increasingly favor a weaker leader who won’t challenge their influence.

While the “GenZ 212” movement emerged from protests over maternal deaths and government neglect, it has evolved into a decentralized, quickly mobilizable digital network that continues to highlight Morocco’s governance problems.

Baghdad’s oil dependency is a risk for long-term stability, but making the necessary changes will mean confronting political elites who benefit from the status quo.

Sudan's new prime minister was recently appointed to present a civilian face palatable to the international community; whether he can implement reforms in Sudan's complex environment as promised in his recent speech will depend on international pressure and his ability to navigate the country's power dynamics.

The new Syrian government will be judged not just by its treatment of minorities, but also how it approaches political opposition—and its checkered history in this regard gives pause.

If Sharaa wants to avoid repeating Assad’s mistakes, he may have to genuinely decentralize political power and establish a federal system, though this would raise difficult questions about resource allocation.

Lebanon’s election of Army Chief Joseph Aoun after two years of stagnation and political paralysis heralds the potential for a new and better future for the country.

The implementation of the privatization project of the water and electricity sector will fundamentally alter the way in which essential services are provide to Moroccan citizens.

Both sides have a role to play in developing an U.S.-Iraq relationship built on Sudani’s vision of "sustainable cooperation" and in addressing the actors that can limit this potential.

Washington and allies should find ways to increase the cost to Iraqi politicians of normalizing the militias’ role and the subordination of the Iraqi state to Tehran’s rulers.

The KRG’s autonomy hangs in the balance, caught in a pincer movement between internal political discord and a history of externally imposed limitations. The recent court rulings are merely the latest blow, further restricting the KRG’s ability to govern itself.

By finding lasting solutions in coordination with both parties, relations can be mended and the gridlock and animosity that is crippling cooperation between the two parties can be put to an end.

Perhaps now is the time for the United Nations to step back. It is also time for our leaders, from East and West, to recognize that a joint way forward is possible.

As the February 2024 elections approach, the quest for a new political era in Iraqi Kurdistan is encountering formidable challenges.

Predicted low voter turnout for Iraq’s first provincial elections in a decade signals the lack of popular trust in Iraq for the country’s political system.

Given the inability—or unwillingness—of Iraqi institutions to adequately combat corruption, the need for an international entity to step in becomes evident. That is why supporting the global campaign for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) is necessary in order to hold kleptocrats accountable when national court fails to do so.