Experts & Staff

Richard Gowan

Associate Senior Policy Fellow

Areas of expertise

United Nations system; European security and defence policy; Africa; Western Balkans

Languages

English

Biography

Richard Gowan is an associate fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

He is currently UN director at the International Crisis Group, and was previously research director at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation. He has taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and Stanford in New York, and wrote a weekly column on multilateralism (“Diplomatic Fallout”) for World Politics Review from 2013-2019. He has acted as a consultant to the UN on peacekeeping, political affairs, and migration.

The limited avenues of internationalisation

The European response to the Syrian refugee crisis to date has been characterised by short-term and reactive measures. But this is going to be…

A broader watchfulness

While Syrians currently account for almost 20 percent of the 60 million refugees and IDPs worldwide, they are by no means the only ones…

Russia in Syria: Counterattacking at the UN

European leaders need to find a way to put President Putin back on the diplomatic defensive and the UN may be the best place for them to act

Welcome to New York!

It's not easy being a European in the Big Apple ahead of UN General Assembly

Publications

Articles

Multilateral values: European ideals under pressure

The West no longer has a monopoly on values at the UN. But Europeans can shape a new narrative in the changing multilateral system by emphasising their commitment to sovereignty, development, and openness

How not to save the world: EU divisions at the UN

Although their new friendship treaty does not call for an EU Security Council seat, France and Germany must pitch a compelling vision of multilateralism at the UN

Lonely at the top

Running the United Nations is a lonely job for António Guterres – and he seems to prefer it that way. 

Saving British internationalism from Brexit

Even if the UK is a diminished power after Brexit international partners will still need its cooperation in the UN and NATO

Post-Humanitarian Europe

This week’s World Humanitarian Summit was an opportunity to discuss how to assist the suffering, yet the entire process showed much of the humanitarian sector at its most fragmented and self-indulgent

The limited avenues of internationalisation

The European response to the Syrian refugee crisis to date has been characterised by short-term and reactive measures. But this is going to be…

A broader watchfulness

While Syrians currently account for almost 20 percent of the 60 million refugees and IDPs worldwide, they are by no means the only ones…

Podcasts

In the media