Publications and Resources

This policy brief argues that democratic governance must evolve as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in public life, often without transparency or public consent, and as the erosion of democratic processes directly threatens sustainable peace. Drawing on lessons from the 2025 UNDP Human Development Report and the 2024 UN Pact for the Future, this brief offers a framework for democratic digital governance that supports peacebuilding. It proposes five actions: establishing independent oversight bodies with enforcement powers; embedding civic participation in policymaking; expanding critical digital literacy; enforcing the Global Digital Compact; and protecting online civic space. With such measures, AI can enhance human agency, strengthen democratic institutions, and foster sustainable peace.

This policy brief backgrounds the killing of 26 domestic tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir by terrorists in April 2025 and the subsequent Operation Sindoor launched by India on alleged terrorist and military targets in Pakistan. It draws comparisons with the Israel-Palestine conflict, and concludes with recommendations for both India and Pakistan to work towards normalising bilateral relationships, and for international actors such as the United Nations to encourage efforts to shift the balance towards more peace and less violence.

This policy brief, based on new data and analysis published by the author in the Afghanistan Analysts Network, outlines Afghanistan’s escalating economic losses due to climate change and mounting adaptation costs, institutional constraints, and possible financing pathways. Fragile governance, limited fiscal space, and international non-recognition have restricted access to climate finance, forcing the country to rely on declining humanitarian aid. It argues that, without targeted international action, Afghanistan may become a harbinger of climate injustice and systemic failure in fragile states. The brief concludes with seven policy recommendations.

This policy brief analyses the accelerating trend of human rights regression observed in early 2025 and its implications for global peace and security. Drawing on Human Rights Watch's April 2025 report, "100 Human Rights Harms in 100 Days”, it identifies three interlinked threats: the erosion of democratic institutions, discriminatory policies targeting vulnerable populations, and the deliberate retreat from multilateral frameworks. These developments directly contradict the commitments of the 2024 UN Pact for the Future, which reaffirmed the centrality of human rights to sustainable peace. The brief concludes with strategic imperatives for governments, international organisations, civil society, and funders to reverse current backsliding and restore rights-based approaches to conflict prevention, bridging the growing gap between multilateral aspirations and national realities.