The West’s Enduring Importance
Much has been made of a unified BRICs challenge to the West. Not so fast, says Bruce Jones. The West is an enduring power bloc.
Bruce Jones
Director and Senior Fellow of the NYU Center on International Cooperation
Dr. Bruce Jones is Director and Senior Fellow of the NYU Center on International Cooperation, and Senior Fellow and Director of the Managing Global Order Initiative at the Brookings Institution, where he leads research on international order and global governance. He is also the Senior External Advisor for the World Bank’s World Development Report 2011 on Conflict, Security and Development. In March 2010 Dr. Jones was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as a member of the Senior Advisory Group to guide the Review of International Civilian Capacities. Dr. Jones has served the United Nations in several capacities. He was Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary-General during the UN reform effort leading up to the World Summit 2005 and in the same period was Acting Secretary of the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee. From 2004 to 2005, he was Deputy Research Director of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. From 2000 to 2002 he was Special Assistant to the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process and held assignments in the UN Interim Mission in Kosovo and in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Most Recent Posts
Jones: What role will sanctions by Canada, the United States, and the European Union play in the development of the political crisis in Ukraine?
Today’s sanctions by the West are likely not aimed, as […]
Jones: What was the most significant development in international affairs this year?
The interim deal in Iran: if it’s finally inked, and […]
Jones: Would establishing that Syria has used chemical weapons be enough trigger international intervention?
It might well. The U.S. Administration – and more importantly, […]
Jones: Is the folding of CIDA into DFAIT the end or a fresh start for Canadian international development?
It could be either. There’s also a very strong case […]
Jones: Should Canada’s military support the intervention in Mali?
Yes. What’s happening in Mali affects Canada in two main […]
Jones: Is the world closer to the edge of the ‘fiscal cliff’ today than it was in 2008?
The question is slightly miscast, because in 2008 it wasn’t […]
Jones: Does the escalation of tensions between Syria and Turkey change the decision-making calculus on international intervention?
Let’s hope so. Some months ago I argued (here) that […]
Jones: Is there any consequence to Harper’s decision not to address the UN General Assembly?
Many world leaders chose not to do this. Merkel is […]
Jones: Is there any consequence to Harper’s decision not to address the UN General Assembly?
Many world leaders chose not to do this. Merkel is […]
Jones: Are drones a viable alternative to the F-35?
Drones are proving a useful (if legally somewhat problematic) tool […]
Jones: Was the first decade of the ICC a more just one?
The past decade was one of the least violent in […]
Jones: Does Canada need an independent organization to promote rights and democracy abroad?
Does Canada need its independent center on rights and democracy, […]
Jones: Should the World Bank consider non-Americans for its next president?
Should the Bank consider non-Americans for their President? Perhaps, but […]
Jones: Should Canadian corporations be permitted to do business with corrupt and repressive regimes?
Of course not. So let’s immediately suspend all business with […]
Jones: Will Obama be successful in convincing Netanyahu not to strike Iran?
Netanyahu has a dilemma. Part of him would like to […]
Jones: Is the rise of state capitalism a threat to economies like Canada’s?
The issue is overblown. It’s based on a premise that […]
Jones: Is the rise of state capitalism a threat to economies like Canada’s?
The issue is overblown. It’s based on a premise that […]
Jones: Canada should “make it a national priority to ensure we have the capacity to export our energy products beyond the US, and specifically to Asia.” Agree?
No. The international market for energy is expanding in multiple […]
Jones: Canada should “make it a national priority to ensure we have the capacity to export our energy products beyond the US, and specifically to Asia.” Agree?
No. The international market for energy is expanding in multiple […]
Jones: Is North America dead?
One of the growing fallacies of the emerging international order […]
Jones: What was Canada’s best international moment of 2011?
Commanding NATO’s operations in Libya, under a UN Security Council […]
Jones: Can the Egyptian revolution be counted a success while the Armed Forces remain in power?
One of the West’s gravest weaknesses, at a time of […]
Jones: How can the G20 help save the euro zone?
It’s sad but true that Europe seems to act most […]
Jones: Could the spread of information via digital media reduce mass atrocities?
Yes; or make them worse. Most technologies are content free. […]
Jones: Is Jean Monnet’s dream for Europe ending in nightmare?
No. It has often taken crises to cause Europe to […]
Jones: Is a UN resolution on Palestinian statehood a step forward or backward for the Israel-Palestine conflict?
It’s the counsel of despair. A General Assembly vote, which […]
Jones: What’s the ultimate objective of Harper’s softer stance on China?
Selling Canadian goods and services to the Chinese market. Along […]
Jones: Does last week’s creation of a Southern Sudanese state point to secession as the solution to other African conflicts?
No. Creating new states out of existing ones is exceedingly […]
Jones: What issue should John Baird prioritize?
I’m a Canadian living between New York and Washington, where I […]