2023 Annual Meeting

 Thank You To All 2023 Annual Meeting Participants!

The ACUNS Annual Meeting Team and Board of Directors thank all participants for your valuable contributions to the 2023 Annual Meeting! Nearly 400 practitioners and scholars from all over the world gathered at the stunning United States Institute of Peace in Washington to discuss the important and timely topic of “Making, Keeping, and Sustaining Peace.”


Thank You To The United States Institute Of Peace For Hosting And Supporting The 2023 Annual Meeting.

We also thank the following generous sponsors and supporters: Georgetown University, Mission of Portugal to the United Nations, Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations, International Organization Section of the International Studies Association, Global South Caucus of the International Studies Association, Stimson Center, Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and individual contributors to the ACUNS Annual Meeting Global South Scholars Fund.

Rosemary A. DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs delivered the Opening Keynote Address on the topic of “Multilateral action for peace in an era of division.” She outlined the major themes in the “New Agenda for Peace.” 

The John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture was delivered by Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The Lecture will be published in the ACUNS flagship journal, Global Governance

The Annual Meeting also featured two additional plenary sessions. The first focused on AU and EU Perspectives on the New Agenda for Peace. The Closing Plenary brought together Permanent Representatives to the United Nations to discuss Reconstructing the Global Peace and Security Architecture.

We thank everyone involved with these plenary sessions.

We also thank our superb Annual Meeting Team – Lise Howard, Richard Ponzio, Charlotte Ku, Inken von Borzyskowski, Martha Thomas, Selina Nevin, Hashem Krayem, Charles Dalton, and Jialan Deal – and the over 20 outstanding volunteers who contributed to the success of this meeting.

Detailed information regarding the Annual Meeting and the program remain available below for your reference.


Join us for the ACUNS 2024 Annual Meeting in Tokyo! More information coming soon. 

Feedback Survey

We invite you to complete a short feedback survey to help us prepare for future Annual Meetings.

Certificates Of Participation

For a Certificate of Participation, please complete a short request form.

ACUNS Membership

To register, first confirm your membership in ACUNS. ACUNS is a global, membership-based, non-profit organization. Memberships are as low as USD $5.00 per year, and serve to sustain ACUNS’ operations. If the membership fee proves a burden, please email annualmeeting@acuns.org.

General Registration

General Registration is open for Annual Meeting attendees. Registration fees serve to offset the costs of conference staffing. In-person registration also covers all coffee breaks, lunches, and receptions.

Donate

Donate to the 2023 Global South Scholar Travel Fund. ACUNS has created a fund to ensure the fullest participation possible of all of our members. The Mission of Portugal has generously begun a matching campaign.

Meeting Description

“Making, Keeping, and Sustaining Peace”

The United Nations and other organizations laid the foundations for international peace after World War II, and those foundations remained robust at the end of the Cold War. In this time of change and turmoil, what entities serve as the pillars of international cooperation and peace? What can we learn from previous efforts at making, keeping, and sustaining peace? The year 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the advent of both UN special political missions and UN peacekeeping. In the current geopolitical context, what are the prospects for future special political missions and peacekeeping operations? How must they adapt? How can the rules-based order adapt? How do climate change, gender, inequality, strategic risk, new weaponry, and other issues intersect with war and peace? As in previous years, we also welcome substantive contributions on the UN’s broader agenda, e.g. sustainable development, human rights, the rule of law, health governance, climate governance, etc. How might scholars, policy-makers, and policy-shapers help render the UN more effective, in all areas of its essential work?


Ways to Engage

Ways to Engage and How to Prepare

Registration and Entry to the U.S. Institute of Peace

Make sure to register before the meeting, and allow time to pass through security upon arrival. The U.S. Institute of Peace is a government building. Please bring your ID

Bring Your Laptop

This is a hybrid Annual Meeting. Please bring your laptop and earphones to facilitate hybrid interaction and be mindful to include online participants in discussions. ACUNS will also provide earphones.

  • For panels where some or all speakers are in person, meeting rooms will have the zoom running for online attendees to observe and participate in the Q & A. 
  • For panels where no speakers are in person (all online), please go to the Great Hall, find the round table with the session noted, and use your laptop and earphones to participate. These panels are indicated with “location: Great Hall” in the Program. Speakers tuning in via Zoom are indicated with a [v] for virtual.

Meals and Refreshments Provided

ACUNS and USIP will provide lunch, coffee breaks and a reception at the end of each day. Please plan to stay for the day, and attend each other’s panels and roundtables.

Reminders to Chairs, Discussants, and Authors

NB: Panels include a Chair, a Discussant, and several authors of working papers or policy briefs. Roundtables are composed of a Chair (book author for book roundtables), and several experts who provide commentary.

Chairs contact all panel/roundtable participants approximately one week ahead of the Annual Meeting to facilitate the logistics of the session. ACUNS will provide each Chair with the email addresses. For additional assistance, contact annualmeeting@ACUNS.org

Chairs request that authors – of working papers, policy briefs or books – circulate their work to the discussant(s) and other panelists at least one week before the Annual Meeting. During the meeting, Chairs are responsible for introducing the speakers, keeping time, and facilitating meaningful research-policy discussions and debate among panelists and between panelists and the audience. Make sure to reserve approximately 20 minutes at the end for Q & A. We will place time cards in each room, so you can flag to each panelist how much time they have left and ensure sufficient time for Q & A.

Discussants are responsible for reading working papers and policy briefs ahead of time, and for providing constructive feedback during the panel in approximately 7-10 minutes total. Discussants should receive materials at least one week ahead of the meeting.

Authors on Panels are responsible for sharing their materials –working papers and policy briefs–with the discussant(s) and fellow panelists at least one week before the Annual Meeting. Authors may also want to familiarize themselves with the works of fellow panelists in order to engage in a more meaningful discussion. Authors should present their research/policy findings in approximately 7-10 minutes during their panel. Authors can, but are not required to, use slides.

Authors on Book Roundtables are responsible for sharing their books with fellow roundtable speakers at least two weeks in advance.

Roundtable Participants provide expert commentary on a specific theme or book. Comments should be limited to 3-10 minutes, depending on the number of other participants and advice of the Chair.

Attendees who do not otherwise have a speaking role are encouraged to participate in the Q & A, and to apply to participate in a future ACUNS Annual Meeting!

For everyone attending in-person: 

  • Location – United States Institute for Peace (USIP) 
  • Address – 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20037  
  • This is a government building and will require going through security. Please bring a valid form of government-issued ID
  • Time – Registration begins at 7:30am EST 
  • Please arrive at USIP well ahead of the time of your Panel or Roundtable to get through security
  • Parking at USIP is not available
  • This is a hybrid Annual Meeting. Please bring your laptop and earphones to facilitate hybrid interaction and be mindful to include online participants in discussions. ACUNS will also provide earphones.
  • Services provided – WIFI, breakfast, lunch, reception, all-day coffee/tea/water 
  • We will have a book table with recent books published by ACUNS members. Let us know if you would like to bring your book to discuss during coffee breaks!
  • Plan to spend the day!

Code of Conduct

ACUNS Code of Conduct

Please click here to review the ACUNS Code of Conduct. By participating in the Annual Meeting, attendees agree to abide by these policies.


WiFi at USIP

USIP Guest Wi-Fi Instructions

How to Connect

1. Connect to “usipguest” from your device.

2. Your device should automatically open your default browser and you should be redirected to a disclaimer page.

3. Once on the disclaimer page, please click ‘Accept’ to authenticate internet usage.

Common Issues

If you aren’t redirected, or it fails to load, please open the default browser and insert the following IP Address into your browser and hit enter. 65.196.160.3

If you get an Untrusted Certificate error, please click “More Information” and then click “Go on to the webpage.”


Accommodations 

Hotels

The ACUNS Annual Meeting team has blocked reduced-rate rooms at three hotels in Washington D.C. located within walking distance of the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037. Reservations at the conference rate must be made by Friday, May 26, 2023. Reservations made after this date can be arranged directly with the hotel. 

State Plaza Hotel 
Address: 2117 E Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20037
Reservation: Click here to make the reservation online.
Rooms:
・STATE ROOMS: USD 229.00 per night & per room, in double occupancy
・DELUXE ROOMS: USD 239.00 per night & per room, in double occupancy
Note: Breakfast not Included. Most rooms include kitchenette. City tax 15.95% not Included.

Hotel Hive 
Address: 2224 F Street N.W., Washington D.C. 20037
Reservation: Click here to make the reservation online.
BUZZ QUEEN: USD 199.00 per night & per room, in double occupancy
HIVE QUEEN: USD 209.00 per night & per room, in double occupancy
Note: Breakfast not Included. City tax 15.95% not Included.

The River Inn 
Address: 924 25th Street N.W., Washington D.C. 20037
Reservation: Click here to make the reservation online.
Rooms:
STUDIO QUEEN: USD 209.00 per night & per room, in double occupancy
Note: Breakfast not Included. City tax 15.95% not Included.


There are also several more competitively-priced hotels within 1.5 miles of the United States Institute of Peace. You may book your stay directly with these venues by clicking the name of the hotel below

The Architect Hotel
Address: 1025 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Hotel Harrington
Address: 436 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

The Sonder at Found Dupont Circle
1627 16th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20009

Travel to Washington D.C.

Airports

There are three airports that are located close to Washington, DC: 

Dulles International Airport. You can find information here.
Address: 1 Saarinen Cir, Dulles, VA 20166

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. You can find information here.
Address: 2401 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Access Rd, Arlington, VA 22202

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. You can find information here.
Address: 7050 Friendship Rd, Baltimore, MD 21240

Train

The Amtrak train from New York City to Washington DC can be utilized by attendees traveling from New York City. 

You can book your train ride from New York City to Washington DC here.

Visa and Travel Support

To request a Visa Letter from ACUNS, please complete this form.

To request partial reimbursement of travel expenses, please complete this form.  

Getting to United States Institute of Peace (USIP)

Please note that there will be NO parking available at USIP for the Annual Meeting.

We suggest using alternate forms of transportation which we outline below.

Ride Share

Lyft and Uber are reliable options for transportation in the DC Metro area.

Taxi Service

Yellow Cab Co. of DC

(202) 544-1212

Public Transit

The closest DC metro station is Foggy Bottom-GWU Station (Blue, Silver, and Orange lines). Approximately 11 min walk (0.6 miles).