Research Library

We are in the midst of one of the largest and most rapid humanitarian evacuation missions in American history. Where will fleeing Afghans go? Middle East fellow Kelsey Norman describes an inadequate U.S. response and recommends ways forward.

Despite the frozen status of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the considerable obstacles to restart them, a U.S.-led effort could help to gradually forge a “Framework Agreement for an Israeli-Palestinian Permanent Peace.” This policy brief outlines the principles that such a framework might embody, with the essential objective of two states for two peoples.

The space station is an outstanding model for international cooperation by the world's nations. Similarly, cooperation can advance many other areas of science and technology through shared expertise and costs, and the pursuit of complementary efforts.

U.S. backing of key gas infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe can foster deeper market liberalization, the authors write, and make European partners more resilient against Russian energy coercion.

With the cost of virgin plastic directly affected by oil and natural gas prices, the global plastics economy is highly vulnerable to shocks. The authors argue that in order to advance sustainability and solve existential crises like resource depletion and the environmental and social impacts of climate change, high-income countries should take the lead on the development of transparent, closed loops for plastics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/JXVH-K250

A defense diplomacy shielded from the influence of nationalistic and partisan sentiments presents a valuable opportunity for the U.S. to advance regional security in the Indo-Pacific, and to forge a path to a more equitable and peaceful future with China, writes nonresident scholar Daniel Katz.

The authors assert that the time is ripe for the United States and Europe to take the lead on shepherding a systems-level change in the recycling market, strengthened by government regulation and legislation. They examine the economic, social, and environmental impacts of mismanaged waste and argue that the Covid-19 pandemic could serve as a catalyst for action toward a global, circular economy.

The drastic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on organized crime in Mexico requires policymakers and law enforcement in the U.S. and Mexico to adapt their strategies, the authors write.

Fellows Gabriel Collins and Jim Krane argue in this issue brief that despite changes in U.S.-Persian Gulf trade relations, the U.S. retains an enduring interest in preserving political stability and securing oil flows from the region.

Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute, makes the case for a comprehensive North American strategy in which the U.S., Mexico and Canada act in concert to become the global superpower of the 21st century.