Threats to International Peace

Advanced training on current and emerging threats to international peace and security, addressing in an integrated manner the links between armed conflicts, transnational organized crime, terrorism, radicalization, disinformation, and cyber threats.
Throughout the course, participants will examine how illicit economies, the proliferation of weapons, weak rule of law, and the erosion of the international legal order contribute to the prolongation of armed conflicts and the emergence of increasingly complex forms of violence, such as hybrid wars and protracted conflicts.
The module explores cases in which illicit activities (such as drug cultivation, mining, or illegal logging) sustain the livelihoods of vulnerable communities in the absence of viable economic alternatives, while simultaneously fueling violence, organized crime, and violent extremism.
It also examines contemporary phenomena such as disinformation, misinformation, and cyberattacks, understood as strategic tools in modern conflicts and as direct challenges to governance, institutional stability, and international peace.
The module combines an analytical and practical approach to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between organized crime, terrorism, radicalization, and armed conflicts. It also includes an analysis of international legal frameworks, comparing definitions and approaches to organized crime, terrorism, and transnational offenses, identifying similarities, differences, and cause-and-effect relationships, with an applied focus on prevention and international response.

Module Contents
• Human security
• Transnational organized crime
• Conflict economies and their relationship with violence
• Armed conflicts and protracted crises
• Terrorism and armed groups designated as terrorists
• Radicalization and violent extremism
• Disinformation and Misinformation
• Cyberattacks and cyber threats
• Hybrid warfare
• International legal order

BJECTIVE AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Understand the different concepts and definitions of organized crime, terrorism and extremism, and the definition under different legal frameworks.
- Get acquainted with the major financing mechanism of organized crime and its relations with existing conflicts.
- Understand the legal implications of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding workers engaging with terrorist groups under different jurisdictions.
- Explore the challenges of the international community's response to maintain peace and security and fight organized crime and terrorism.

PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
- Columbia University
- Centre for Defense Management and Leadership
- Global Affairs Canada
- UN

University degree or equivalent professional training.
Fluency in English: B2+
Strong interest in international affairs.

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