International Relations and Security

“We don’t go anywhere or do anything without the National Guard. We can’t do what we do as an Army without the National Guard. Every time we have asked, the National Guard has been ‘Always Ready, Always There.’” – General James C. McConville, August 27, 20221 “There’s no sugarcoating it: all three components of the […]

Introduction The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that a record-breaking 339 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. Eighty-six million of those people live in countries currently sanctioned by the United Nations—a number that grows to 208 million living under U.S. sanctions. These include internally displaced Venezuelans, civilians living in […]

More than 400 days ago, 39-year-old Petro Buriak was driving a truck abroad and dreaming about playing dolls with his 5-year-old daughter when his route brought him home to Ukraine. That all changed for Buriak and 41 million Ukrainians when Russian President Vladimir Putin did the unthinkable and launched a full-scale war in Ukraine on […]

In a recent interview with Africa Policy Journal, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Yahya Lawal emphasized the importance of African unity and collaboration in order to effectively leverage relationships with major powers. Ambassador Lawal highlighted the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a comprehensive plan that takes into account the interests of African countries.  He […]

“The future will be won by those countries that unleash the full potential of their populations.” – President Joe Biden before the United Nations General Assembly, 20221 Polling over the past half-century shows that a clear majority of Americans want the United States to play an active role in world affairs.2 However, very few citizens are actually called upon to […]

While artificial intelligence technologies are progressing fast, compliance costs have become a huge financial burden for AI startups, already constrained by tight research & development (R&D) budgets. Complex regulatory processes, that vary across the globe give well-established technology firms an upper-hand over resource-constrained startups.1 If this continues, giant tech firms may monopolize AI technologies, phasing […]

Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, addressed the African Development Conference organized by Harvard Kennedy School’s Africa Caucus and Harvard Law Students Association in Cambridge,Massachusetts, emphasizing the importance of Africa charting its own course towards a more prosperous and inclusive future. The conference’s theme, “Reimagining Africa’s growth on our terms,” was described as timely and […]

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Tadeous Chifamba, recently spoke with the Africa Policy Journal in an exclusive interview, discussing various issues related to Africa’s relationships with superpowers. Ambassador Chifamba emphasized the importance of Africa being seen as an equal partner, rather than prey, and having a seat at the table. The interview was […]

Si vis pacem para bellum – if you want peace, prepare for war. For too long, Europe has ignored this fundamental Latin adage. As Russia’s war in Ukraine has made abundantly clear, Europe is still dependent on the United States as a guarantor of the continent’s security and as a deterrent to Russian aggression. Without […]

The Harvard Chan School of Public Health recently hosted the first-ever Africa Health Conference from February 18th to 19th, 2023, bringing together students, faculty, activists, global health leaders, and a community of scholars. Organized by the Harvard Chan Africa Health Students Forum, the conference aimed to celebrate successes in healthcare across the continent while also […]

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), recently spoke in an exclusive interview with Africa Policy Journal, calling on African nations to develop regulations to promote digital trade and e-commerce on the continent. She praised the efforts of young people who are engaging in digital trade and stressed the importance of […]

For African countries to address their political, economic and development challenges, the new generation of leaders from the continent must speak truth to power. This was the opinion of Sir Sam Jonah, the CEO of Jonah Capital during an interview with Africa Policy Journal’s Enitan Okedji, Lead Interview Editor (Policy Engagement).  Sam Jonah was in […]