The International Peace Institute (IPI), formerly International Peace Academy, is an independent, international institution dedicated to promoting the prevention and settlement of armed conflict between and within states through policy research and development. IPI was founded in 1970, by individuals who believed that a thoroughly independent institution, free from official constraints, could make a unique contribution to multilateral efforts to prevent and settle armed conflicts around the world. As a policy research institute, our core goal is to inform decision-makers in government and the UN of trends and dynamics in peace and security and provide them with realistic policy recommendations. We do so by generating policy-relevant research and by channeling expert advice from all over the world into the UN system.