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Nepal is a poor, nonaligned, landlocked country surrounded by India and China that has had good relations with both Israel and the Arab states due in large part to a foreign policy conducted on the basis of Panchasheel, composed of five principles: (1) mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, (2) noninterference in each other's internal affairs, (3) respect for mutual equality, (4) nonaggression and peaceful settlements of disputes, and (5) cooperation for mutual benefit. This outlook has also motivated Nepal's participation in many United Nations peacekeeping operations. Originally the object of a rivalry between Egypt and Israel, Nepal has attracted the attention of a number of other Middle Eastern states, particularly those in the Arab Gulf region, as witnessed by increasing diplomatic interactions and transportation connections with Nepal and/or its officials especially in recent years, while Nepalis provide much-needed labor for many of those same countries. Despite numbers of cases of worker abuse in the Middle East, Nepali laborers there provide remittances essential for families dealing with difficult living conditions in Nepal as well as a source of foreign revenue for that country. KEYWORDS: Nepal; Nonaligned Movement; Panchasheel; Middle East peacekeeping; foreign labor; remittances, INTRODUCTION Nepal is a poor, nonaligned, landlocked country surrounded by India and China's Tibet region that has had good relations with both Israel and the Arab states since it joined [...]

International efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria began early on in the war. The Arab League was the first body to attempt to mediate, starting in late 2012, but these efforts faltered due to the refusal of the regime -emboldened by the political support of Russia and China- to make a single concession, despite being on the back foot militarily In 2015, new international efforts were launched to resolve the crisis. The U.S. and Russia reached an agreement over the formulation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which became the basis of UN-led negotiations between the opposition and the regime, including discussions on constitutional reform that began in 2019. However, more than a decade into the conflict, a political solution still appears distant, and is now closely linked to the fate of the foreign forces present in the country. The regime is no longer solely responsible for obstructing a solution. The presence on the ground of its allies, Russia and Iran, adds additional obstacles. It is no longer possible to formulate a peace deal without addressing the security concerns and various interests of foreign forces in Syria. Keywords: Syria, Political Process, UN Security Council Resolution 2254, Russia, Iran, Turkiye, Assad Regime, Refugee Crisis, Introduction Thirteen years have passed since mass protests broke out against the Syrian regime in March 2011. The regime responded with ferocious violence and plunging the country into an armed [...]

For the last three decades, Amira Hass has been charting the everyday practices of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Through her pioneering journalism and intricate knowledge of Palestinian life under occupation, she exploded the myth of the Oslo peace process by conveying how it has led to deepening occupation, the increasing expropriation of Palestinian territory, and the subordination and domination of Palestinians. This interview is focused on the period following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack and Israel's genocide in Gaza and expulsion plans, situated in the context of Oslo's occupation regime and the destruction of Palestinian self-determination., In broad terms, how would you describe what has been happening in Gaza since October 7, 2023? How does it connect to what is happening in the West Bank? Without [...]

This article traces ROK–US negotiations for the termination of the ROK's nuclear weapons program. It was not solely an issue of ROK–US relations; France and Canada, other allies of the United States, were also involved in the ROK's nuclear weapons development. When an ally (ROK) attempted to develop nuclear weapons and another ally (France) pursued commercial interests by exporting nuclear technology, the US-led non-proliferation regime was put at risk. Therefore, the US had to coordinate the interests of its allies. In particular, it attempted to dissuade France from exporting nuclear technology with the support of another ally (Canada). By examining how the US endeavored to coordinate diverse interests, this study ultimately demonstrates that one of the prerequisites for establishing a successful non-proliferation regime led by the US was how to dissuade its ally from seeking financial gain through the export of nuclear technology and instead persuade them to support US-led non-proliferation regime building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the successful negotiation strategies used in the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. It provides an overview of the dispute over the Indus River Basin and the development of the basin. The article then delves into the negotiation process, including the involvement of the World Bank, and analyzes the techniques used by both parties. The conclusion highlights the significance of the treaty as a successful example of conflict resolution. The document discusses the history of negotiations and disputes over water allocation in the Indus River Basin, the involvement of the World Bank, and the negotiation process and outcome of the Indus Water Treaty. It also discusses the negotiation strategies used by India and Pakistan, including positional bargaining and principled negotiation. The role of the World Bank in facilitating the negotiations and the benefits of principled negotiation are also highlighted. The Indus Water Treaty has been successful in maintaining peace and resolving disputes between the two countries. [Extracted from the article]

Water has been a hot topic in international disputes and negotiations in recent decades, and its management has been prioritized by governments. The system dynamics (SD) method is a management tool that allows users to interfere with model development in addition to explaining complicated systems of water resources by facts. The Sistan region is suffering from a water crisis due to its high dependence on the transboundary river of Hirmand, frequent droughts in recent two decades, and severe competition of different sectors for water consumption, so it needs modeling in which the present conditions of the region can be included and it can eventually help the management of the available water resources. This research aims to investigate the water resources in the Sistan region for their management and allocation under different managerial scenarios. The results show that scenarios like increasing irrigation efficiency, reducing evaporation loss, reducing cultivation area, adopting an optimal cropping pattern, and Afghanistan's adherence to Iran's water rights increase water resources and reduce water shortage. Among the 12 studied scenarios, the scenarios of adopting an optimal cropping pattern and Afghanistan's adherence to Iran's water rights are most effective in reducing water shortage so that they reduce water shortage by 440.61 and 643.94 million m3 versus the base year, respectively, ultimately resulting in the alleviation of the agricultural water shortage. On the other hand, the scenarios of stabilizing dust and ensuring sustainable fauna and flora ecosystem can reduce water supply to the agricultural sector versus the base year. So, it is recommended to develop economic, social, and cultural ties with Afghanistan to ensure the release of water to Iran by this country. In addition, to cope with the issues and reduce water non-supply, it is recommended to adopt the scenarios of dust stabilization, sustainable fauna and flora ecosystem, and the development of cultivation area, as well as the scenarios of increasing irrigation efficiency, reducing evaporation, and adopting an optimal cropping pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on two concepts developed by William Zartman, namely 'ripe moments' and 'mutually hurting stalemates'. Basically, the concepts tackle the idea of certain proper moments for the beginning of peace talks when the parties to the conflict believe that they are trapped in a painful impasse which no longer brings them victory. Our paper aims to show that hurting stalemates are sometimes the adequate starting point for peace-building efforts as well, not only for starting negotiations, and to apply this on the case of Liberia. The paper is organized around the following research questions: Is the hurting stalemate a military deadlock? Is a similar painful deadlock a good starting point for building sustainable peace in post-conflict societies? Keywords: peace studies, ripeness, mutually hurting stalemates, peacebuilding, post-conflict development, Introduction The paper focuses on the importance and relevance of timing throughout the Liberian peace process. To begin with, we establish a conceptual framework that represents the basis of our [...]

The prologue to Romeo and Juliet notoriously gives away the ending: 'the fearful passage of their death-marked love /And the continuance of their parents rage / Which, but their children's [...]