Curated expert opinion on intractable contemporary issues
Global Outlook Articles by Jordan Ryan
Jordan Ryan is a member of the Toda International Research Advisory Council (TIRAC) at the Toda Peace Institute, a Senior Consultant to the Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden) and former Vice President for Peace at The Carter Center. He recently completed an assignment as the lead author of the UN integration review for the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Mr. Ryan served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator from 2009-2014, was Deputy Special Representative in Liberia, and UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam. He holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and George Washington University and received his B.A. from Yale University. He was also a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School.
International Law Meets an Age of Impunity
By Jordan Ryan | 28 January, 2026
On 26 January, the UN Security Council convened a high-level open debate on “Reaffirming International Rule of Law.”, chaired by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and featuring briefings from Secretary-General António Guterres and former International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge Abdulqawi Yusuf.
Middle Powers After Davos
By Jordan Ryan | 23 January, 2026
At the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech that cut against the prevailing diplomatic instinct to soften uncomfortable truths.
The UN’s Withering Vine: A US Retreat from Global Governance
By Jordan Ryan | 10 January, 2026
The Trump administration’s recent announcement of its withdrawal from 66 international organisations has been met with a mixture of alarm and applause. While the headline number suggests a dramatic retreat from the world stage, a closer look reveals a more nuanced, and perhaps more insidious, strategy.
Venezuela and the UN's Proxy War Moment
By Jordan Ryan | 05 January, 2026
The United States military intervention in Venezuela, culminating in the capture of Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026, has been framed in starkly different ways.
The Danger of a Transactional Worldview
By Jordan Ryan | 11 December, 2025
On December 4, the Trump administration released its 2025 National Security Strategy, the document articulating America's approach to global security.
When Algorithms Rewrite History: Governing the Digital Erosion of Democratic Memory
By Jordan Ryan | 06 December, 2025
As Spain marked the fiftieth anniversary of Francisco Franco’s death in November 2025, the country’s reckoning with its past collided with social media platforms amplifying distorted versions of the dictatorship to millions of young Spaniards.
The views and opinions expressed in Global Outlook are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toda Peace Institute.