IIEA Talks

'What looms for the Greater Middle East?' Great power competition is intensifying and democracy has lost its allure. Nowhere are these trends more evident than in what Robert D Kaplan calls the 'Greater Middle East'. In this IIEA Insights discussion he highlights some of the key points made in his magisterial survey of the region in 'The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy from the Mediterran...

In his speech, Dr David Nabarro reflects on local and national priorities regarding food systems transformation, an area where Ireland is an acknowledged leader. He also focuses on interconnected challenges such as climate action and sustainable development. Dr Nabarro presents his experience of the catalysing effect of systems thinking and adopting a people-centred approach when tackling inter-co...

According to Admiral Rob Bauer, as the world faces unprecedented conflict, NATO is entering into a new era of collective defence. The Alliance is moving from an era in which everything was plannable, foreseeable, and predictable to an era in which anything can happen at any time, in any domain. In his address to the IIEA, Admiral Bauer argues that addressing this challenge will require a whole-of-...

The Building Common Ground series was established by The John and Pat Hume Foundation with the aim of creating genuine and inclusive opportunities for dialogue and discussion which will enhance relationships in Northern Ireland, on the island and between Ireland and Britain. This discussion was hosted by the IIEA in Dublin, Thursday 22 February 2024 on the theme of ‘Reconciling Relations: Belfast,...

In his address to the IIEA, George Monbiot discusses how humanity is living within an increasingly tight space, one in which 8 billion people and more need to be fed, within an Earth system whose planetary boundaries have already been breached, to a large extent as a result of food production. How do we maintain high yields, while radically reducing environmental impacts? In his address, Mr Monbio...

In his address to the IIEA, Alberto Alemanno shares his views on the state of the European Union and the major political, legal and public policy trends in advance of the European Parliament elections and the new legislature. About the Speaker: Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law & Policy at HEC Paris. Alberto’s research has been centered on how the law may be used...

In his address, Mr Moledo gives an overview of the findings of the European Disability Forum’s 6th Human Rights Report, which is entitled: political participation of persons with disabilities. The report outlines the legal and practical barriers that persons with disabilities face when exercising their electoral rights in the EU elections across the 27 EU Member States. This includes the right to...

This event was organised in conjunction with Gas Networks Ireland Expert speakers discuss how Ireland can harness the potential of renewable gas production and anaerobic digestion to decarbonise the national gas network. As Ireland seeks to meet its green transition obligations, biomethane and other renewable gases could not only enable Ireland's decarbonisation, but also provide opportunities for...

In her speech, Dr Annette Weber, EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, focuses on the political dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. She discusses the Civil War in Sudan, tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and other issues in a simmering Red Sea arena. She also addresses the role of regional organisations, the increased influence of Gulf States in the region, and...

Following Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, the EU, together with partners from the G7+ coalition, has adopted several packages of unprecedented sanctions against Russia. The main objective of these sanctions is threefold: 1) to provide Ukraine with a key military advantage by depleting Russia from accessing dual-use and advanced technology to manufacture cuttin...

According to Dr Benjamin Tallis, the Zeitenwende, Germany’s security transformation, remains incomplete. On its current track, it is also dangerously inadequate. Despite the manufactured budgetary crisis, the Scholz government needs to finish the task it started. This requires the courage to be honest with the German people about the state of the world – and of Germany. To prepare for the future,...

In his address to the IIEA, three years after the UK-EU Brexit deal came into force, Financial Times journalist, Peter Foster, examines how the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU roiled British politics and led to the limited deal that currently governs relations between London and Brussels. In a year of big elections, Mr Foster reflects on how a Labour-led government, under Sir Keir Starmer, might lo...

A month on from COP28, the question remains: did the COP signal a sufficient commitment by countries and stakeholders to adequately address the issue of our age?  Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change, and Sinéad Walsh, Climate Director at Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, have been at the forefront of their respective governments’ approaches to addressing climate change...

It has been observed repeatedly that the forthcoming presidential election in the United States may test American democracy to an unprecedented extent and prove pivotal in terms of the future role of the US in international affairs. In his address to the IIEA, Larry Donnelly examines several of the key topics that will soon be to the fore: the likely nominees on the Republican and Democratic sides...

The European Union is currently debating the two inextricably connected issues of EU enlargement and reform. These discussions are taking place against the background of a challenging geopolitical situation with wars in the centre of Europe and in the Middle East. In her address to the IIEA as part of the Future Proofing Europe project supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dr Anna Lührma...

At this, the next event of the IIEA YPN, Dr Patricia Scanlon, Ireland’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ambassador, and Founder and Executive Chair of SoapBox Labs, considers the future of AI and its implications for our economies and societies. Dr Scanlon discusses the challenges and opportunities of AI in the fields of education, healthcare, and climate, noting that the biggest challenge with...

Ahead of the US Presidential Election, a new European Commission, European Parliament and President of the European Council, as well as the potential election of a Labour-led Government in the UK, a panel of experts looks ahead to the 2024 political year in the US, the EU, and the UK respectively. The panel also considers how each jurisdiction’s political landscape is likely to impact its place in...

In her remarks to the IIEA, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan reflects on France's 2023, and discuss possibilities for 2024. She reflects on President Macron's second term, the challenges posed by civil unrest in France, and the country’s experience with migration. Looking to 2024, Dr Schon-Quinlivan discusses France's preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, France's European Parliamentary elec...

The single market is at the heart of the EU economy and is the foundation upon which many of the EU’s economic objectives are built. Yet the EU’s efforts to meaningfully deepen, reinvigorate and adapt the Single Market in recent years have, at times, fallen short of those lofty ambitions. Enrico Letta was recently tasked by the European Council with a report on the future of the Single Market, and...

In his address to the IIEA, Paul Cunningham talks about his experience of reporting from Israel, which was under rocket attack by Hamas, and from within a few kilometers of Gaza rather than from that conflict zone. He outlines the difficulties this presents in getting to the truth and informing the audiences. In contrast to wars which he covered in Bosnia Hercegovina and Darfur, this war is being...

The third and final seminar of the IIEA’s inaugural disability programme will celebrate the recent International Day for Persons with Disabilities (3 December) by discussing the theme "United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities". It will hear from Dr James Casey, Independent Living Movement, Ireland, a disabled persons' organisation (DPO) on the barr...

In 2013, William D. Nordhaus, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, published his acclaimed book The Climate Casino. In the book, Professor Nordhaus argued that the world had entered the climate casino and was rolling the global warming dice in the absence of effective policies to tackle climate change. A decade on from the book’s release, and following his important recent research on the 'climate...

The next address of the IIEA's Development Matters series, which is supported by Irish Aid, will be given by Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In her speech, entitled Polyglobalisation: Debt, Trade and Geopolitics, she explores the links between development and trade and the place of developing countries in the complex world of international...

According to Derek Scally, 2023 was an eventful year in German politics with almost constant infighting between the parties in the incumbent coalition government, the introduction of the country's first National Security Strategy against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, several important state elections, the rapid rise of the Alternative für Deutschland, the off...

In this IIEA webinar, hosted live from COP28 in Dubai, Alex White, Director General of the IIEA, and a panel of experts assess the progress of COP28 towards achieving global climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives. With the Summit due to conclude on 12 December, Mr White and the panel assess the state of play of ongoing discussions and negotiations, and if the Summit is likely to be su...