International Policy
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released the findings of its investigation on an incident that occurred in Saraqib, Syrian Arab Republic, on Feb. 4, 2018.
OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) is charged with identifying the perpetrators of the use... Read More »
The international COVAX facility has managed to deliver more than 38 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to more than 100 economies within 42 days of its first international delivery to Ghana on Feb. 24, 2021.
It is a positive start for a massive global undertaking meant to... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden to encourage a reset if the approach towards Iran versus relinquishing sanctions leveraged over the regime.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Todd Young (R-IN) sent the letter to... Read More »
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) personnel have formed a task to address the illegal movement of firearms, ammunition, and explosives across the border.
The initiative serves as another step forward to disrupting and dismantling the violations,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced last week the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021, hoping to strengthen and expand peace and normalization agreements between Israel and surrounding nations.
The bill... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) recently reintroduced a bill designed to enhance the relationship between the United States and Taiwan.
The Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act would strengthen the relationship between the nations by creating an interagency Taiwan policy task... Read More »
Rep. John Katko (R-NY), lead Republican of the House Homeland Security Committee, recently highlighted the great powers’ competition between the United States and China and how the homeland security mission plays a heightened critical role.
House Republicans maintain China will be the chief... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Munich Security Conference (MSC) personnel recently collaborated to convene 19 current and former global leaders and experts to address reducing high-consequence biological threats.
The endeavor was offered in conjunction with the MSC’s “Beyond... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced Wednesday that it will expand its export restrictions on Russia in response to a March 2, 2021, determination by the Secretary of State that the country’s government had used chemical or biological weapons against... Read More »
Following the suspension of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine by several European countries this week, owing to reports of rare types of blood clots emerging among the vaccinated, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that vaccinations continue.
While the European Union suspensions... Read More »
Drugmaker AstraZeneca defended the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine after three more European countries said they would suspend the use of the vaccine.
Over the weekend, Germany, Ireland, and The Netherlands announced they would stop using the vaccine temporarily over concerns about the vaccine's... Read More »
The single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be available in more places worldwide now, thanks to a conditional marketing authorization granted by the European Commission and emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The decisions followed similar approval... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced a resolution condemning Iran's nuclear weapon pursuits.
Reps. Elaine Luria (D-VA), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Brad Schneider (D-IL) joined the resolution in the wake of Iran’s... Read More »
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) is among lawmakers encouraging the Biden administration to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapon capabilities.
Joyce joined other legislators in forwarding correspondence to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, focusing on three areas of concern: Iran’s nuclear... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced the Homeland and Cyber Threat (HACT) Act, which would hold foreign governments accountable for cyberattack damages.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), along with Colin Allred (D-TX), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), and... Read More »
Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) recently reintroduced a measure they said is designed to address foreign influence.
The Foreign Influence Transparency Act would require organizations such as the Chinese government-run Confucius Institutes... Read More »
Legislation that would formally end the authorizations for the Gulf and Iraq wars was introduced in the U.S. Senate this week.
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against... Read More »
A group of Senators introduced legislation supporting President Joe Biden’s efforts to rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The Iran Diplomacy Act Full says the United States and Iran should promptly return to full compliance with all of... Read More »
A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure that the U.S. strengthens partnerships with international allies to combat cyberattacks in a unified approach.
The Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2021 (H.R. 1251), sponsored by Michael McCaul (R-TX), would also advocate for the State... Read More »
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) has introduced five bills to address the Chinese Communist Party's malign influence.
Officials said the legislation, previously introduced by Green in the 116th Congress, includes the Bring American Companies Home Act, the Our Money in China Transparency Act, the Secure... Read More »
With money appropriated by Congress last year, President Joe Biden pledged a total of $4 billion to the global COVAX initiative to get poorer nations access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The announcement, made during a virtual G7 Summit, also encouraged partners within that group of wealthy nations to... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) formally approved emergency authorization for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, allowing two versions of it to be distributed through the global COVAX program.
AstraZeneca-SKBio is producing the two vaccines in the Republic of Korea and the Serum Institute of... Read More »
In its first-ever global assessment of country health information systems, released this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that while two-thirds of low-income countries have some form of system to report causes of death, there is a widespread need for improvement.
This has been... Read More »
The UK Government has ordered 40 million more doses of Valneva’s adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate for supply in 2022.
This increases the total doses of the Valneva vaccine ordered by the UK Government to 100 million. Plus, the UK Government retains options for possibly a further 90... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill that seeks to shut down international commercial wildlife markets.
The Preventing Future Pandemics Act would direct the State Department to work with international partners to shut down commercial wildlife markets and stop the associated... Read More »
According to a new study by the International Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation, the global economy stands to lose as much as $9.2 trillion if governments fail to ensure developing economy access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The study demonstrates the economic case to invest in the Access to... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative applauded the Biden Administration for extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia for an additional five years.
The New START agreement was reached in 2011 with Russia to reduce nuclear arms in both countries. The 10-year agreement was... Read More »
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) have reintroduced a measure they said would make efforts to address global corruption a national security priority.
The Combating Global Corruption Act would raise the profile of fighting international corruption noting the violation erodes trust and... Read More »
COVAX announced last week that a new purchase agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech will secure up to 40 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for rollout, offering the potential to deliver at least 2 billion doses of vaccines, equitably, by year’s end.
“Today marks another milestone for COVAX:... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said an agreement reached between the United States and the United Kingdom would strengthen supply chain security.
“This arrangement will take U.S.-UK cooperation on supply chain security to the next level,” William A. Ferrara, executive... Read More »
President Joe Biden has returned the United States to the fold of the World Health Organization (WHO), dispatching his Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to address the body and make that return official.
“I am honored to announce that the United States will remain a member of the World... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a virtual forum last week to identify knowledge gaps and set research priorities for vaccines against COVID-19.
At the forum – attended by more than 2,800 scientists from 130 countries – the participants discussed the safety and efficacy of existing... Read More »
With £2.5 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation, an arm of the government, the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium has been founded to study the threats posed by new SARS-CoV-2 variants increasingly cropping up across the world.
The effects of these mutations have yet to be fully... Read More »
An indictment was unsealed in Central Islip, N.Y., last week, charging 14 leaders in MS-13 who are known as the Ranfla Nacional, which operated as the organization’s board of directors, directing MS-13’s criminal activity for almost two decades.
The indictment charges the defendants with... Read More »
Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) have re-introduced legislation they said imposes sanctions on foreign persons, agencies, and governments assisting Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or affiliates.
The Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act requires the... Read More »
