Research

Dr Gilder has published widely on peace operations, human security and several areas of international law. He is always happy to discuss past and current projects.

For example, his work on peacekeeping has examined the rule of law activities of the UN in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the legal implications of robust mandates and engagement with counter-terrorism by UN peacekeepers in Mali (MINUSMA), local engagement by the UN in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), the role of UN peace operations in global health crises, and the future of protection of civilian mandates and their relationship with security sector reform.

His research has also applied the multidisciplinary concept of human security to the operations of NATO and its member states. He has constructed a conceptual framework of human security that can inform and direct decision-making to place the protection of individuals at the centre. This work is directly relevant for NATO's Military Contribution to Human Security, JSP 985 'Human Security in Defence', and other states pursuing workstreams on human security in military operations.

He has published on other areas of international law including the law of occupation, how the International Court of Justice has addressed nuclear weapons, international human rights law, and the law on the use of force.

Praise for Stabilization and Human Security in UN Peace Operations (Routledge 2022):

Gilder’s “findings can help defense planners move beyond a focus on physical protection and civilian harm mitigation to a broader understanding of bottom-up and localized approaches that shift “the objective of security from the state to the individual.” Gilder understands the strategic implications of force and cooperation with bad actors, and how such approaches delegitimize military intervention and fail to protect individuals or achieve long-term peace.” Dr Karen Finkenbinder in per Concordiam Journal of Security and Defence Issues.
The book shows “an impressive knowledge of legal issues pertaining to peacekeeping missions” Dr Marco Longobardo in the Journal of Conflict & Security Law.
“Gilder’s operationalization of human security as an analytical framework .. is valuable” and “provide[s] a highly critical appraisal of the implementation of stabilization interventions” Dr Dustin Johnson in International Peacekeeping.

Dr Gilder makes as much as his work publicly available as he can. The vast majority of his research can be freely accessed on SSRN here.

Publications

2025

‘Militarised Responses to Terrorism in Mali and the Sahel’ in: Kenneth Christie, Binoy Kampmark and Haval Ahmad (eds), Global De-Radicalization Programmes and Policies: Countering Terrorism or Fuelling Extremism? (Palgrave Macmillan 2025) (in press).

‘UN Peacekeepers and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant’ in: Sean Watts, Ronald Alcala, and Mehmet Ҫoban (eds), Ukraine Symposium: International Law in the Crucible of Conflict (West Point Press 2025) (in press).

‘‘The Abuse of “Peacekeeping” in: Sean Watts, Ronald Alcala, and Mehmet Ҫoban (eds), Ukraine Symposium: International Law in the Crucible of Conflict (West Point Press 2025) (in press).

'Learning from MINUSMA’s Entanglement in Counterterrorism’ (2025) The Journal of the United Service Institution of India Vol CLV, No 639 1-8, 176-187.

2024

Peace Operations and Human Security (2024) 27(1) Journal of International Peacekeeping 156pp (Special Issue) (Alexander Gilder (ed)).

‘The Responsibility of the United Nations During Stabilization Operations’ in: Antal Berkes, Richard Collins and Rossana Deplano (eds), Reassessing the Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations: From Theory to Practice (Edward Elgar 2024) 65-86.

‘It's a welcome step to justice’ (Invited op ed for the Sunday Express on the UK government announcement to provide additional funds to Ukraine to investigate war crimes, 29 December 2024).

‘Providing a Framework for NATO’s Human Security Approach’ (Articles of War, Lieber Institute, West Point, 17 December 2024) (with Daniel Linsdell).

‘Experiences of Robust Peacekeeping’ (Policy Brief, Global Law at Reading, November 2024).

‘Working relationships between UN peacekeeping missions and other actors’ (Policy Brief, Global Law at Reading, November 2024).

‘The Legal Position of UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon’ (Articles of War, Lieber Institute, West Point, 18 October 2024).

‘Transforming how NATO does human security’ (University of Reading Connecting Research, 22 July 2024).

‘Militarisation in UN Peace Operations’ (British International Studies Association, 3 July 2024).

‘Nato’s Washington DC summit will need to tackle Russian sabotage and myraid security threats’ (The Conversation, 26 June 2024).

2023

Multidisciplinary Futures of UN Peace Operations (Palgrave Macmillan 2023) 280pp (Alexander Gilder, David Curran, Georgina Holmes and Fiifi Edu-Afful (eds)).

‘The Future Trajectory of UN Peace Operations’ in: Alexander Gilder, David Curran, Georgina Holmes and Fiifi Edu-Afful (eds), Multidisciplinary Futures of UN Peace Operations (Palgrave Macmillan 2023) 1-17.

'The UN and the Protection of Civilians: Sustaining the Momentum’ (2023) 28 Journal of Conflict & Security Law 317-348.

‘Use of Force and UN Mandates to Protect Civilians’ (Articles of War, Lieber Institute, West Point, 16 February 2023).

‘UN Peacekeepers and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant’ (Articles of War, Lieber Institute, West Point, 20 January 2023).

‘How Useful Are the UN’s Broad Protection of Civilian Mandates?’ (IPI Global Observatory, 18 January 2023).

‘Finding UN responsibility for its stabilization activities’ (EJIL Talk!, 3 January 2023).

Responding to Complex Relationships in International Law (2023) 14(2) European Journal of Legal Studies (Special Section) (Alexander Gilder and Arman Sarvarian (eds)).

- Editorial: Helga Molbæk-Steensig and Alexander Gilder, ‘Some Thoughts on Academic Publishing for Early Career Researchers’ (2023) 14(2) European Journal of Legal Studies 1-8.

2022

Stabilization and Human Security in UN Peace Operations (Routledge 2022) 210pp.

‘The role of UN peace operations in security sector reform as a contribution to the protection of civilians’ (2022) 25 Journal of International Peacekeeping 33-60 (with Lenneke Sprik and Jennifer Giblin).

‘The role of UN peace operations in countering health insecurity after COVID-19’ (2022) 13 Global Policy 271-280.

‘Peer learning and student ownership in an international environment: A student-created website on human rights and peacebuilding’ (2022) 3 European Journal of Legal Education 49-67 (with Michelle Bentley, Nasir M Ali, Nicola Antoniou, and Daniela Lai).

‘Contracting space for opposing speech in South East Asia and restrictions on the online freedom of expression’ in: Javaid Rehman, Ayesha Shahid, and Steve Foster (eds), Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Brill 2022, Volume 6) 293-308.

‘Partnering internationally to provide opportunities for students in international studies’ (British International Studies Association, 24 October 2022) (with Michelle Bentley, Nasir M Ali, Nicola Antoniou and Daniela Lai).

‘The key to building lasting peace is engaging different groups of people in the process’ (University of Reading Connecting Research, 21 September 2022).

‘Dilemmas of UN Peacekeeping: Alex Gilder’s new book ‘Stabilization and Human Security in UN Peace Operations’ (City Law Forum, 31 March 2022) (with Andrea Maria Pelliconi and Kseniya Oksamytna).

‘On international legal academia in the UK (Part II): Navigating the expectations placed on ECRs’ (Opinio Juris, 23 March 2022) (Symposium on Early Career International Law Academia).

‘On International Legal Academia in the UK (Part I) – Securing Your First Academic Post’ (Opinio Juris, 23 March 2022) (Symposium on Early Career International Law Academia).

‘The Abuse of “Peacekeeping”’ (Articles of War, Lieber Institute, West Point, 3 March 2022).

‘Ukri Soirila, The Law of Humanity Project: A Story of International Law Reform and State-making’ (2022) Leiden Journal of International Law 1033-1037.

‘The Law and Practice of Peacekeeping: Foregrounding Human Rights’ (2022) 29 International Peacekeeping 343-345.

2021

‘UN Peace Operations and the Role of the Local in (Re)Building the Rule of Law’ (2021) 17 Utrecht Law Review 70-86 (Special Issue: Rule of Law from Below with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights and Montaigne Centre, Utrecht University).

‘Human security, TWAIL, and the importance of self-reflection in our own scholarship’ (2021) 54 NYU J Int’l L & Pol Online F 1-13.

‘Where next for Article VI of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty following the Marshall Islands’ cases?’ (2021) 38 Wisconsin International Law Journal 525-554.

‘Human security and the stabilization mandate of MINUSCA’ (2021) 28 International Peacekeeping 200-231.

‘International law and human security in a kaleidoscopic world’ (2021) 59 Indian Journal of International Law 111-137.

‘Human Security’ in: Oliver Richmond and Gëzim Visoka (eds), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies (Palgrave 2021) 494-503.

‘Using Human Security to Harness Human Rights in the Post-COVID World’ (Völkerrechtsblog, 24 March 2021).

‘The uncertain adjudicatory future of Article VI of the Non-proliferation Treaty’ (Opinio Juris, 1 March 2021).

2020

‘The UK, UN peacekeeping and stabilization’ (Written evidence submitted to the UK Foreign Affairs Committee, House of Commons, 1 September 2020).

‘Royal Holloway, University of London and Afghanistan and Central Asian Association: New Partnerships and Challenges during Covid-19 in the Clinical Legal World’ (2020) 27 International Journal of Clinical Legal Education 155-178 and 4 International Journal of Public Legal Education 155-178 (with Nicola Antoniou, Jill Marshall, and Rabia Nasimi).

‘The local turn and the framing of UNOCI’s mandated activities by the UN’ (2020) 23 Journal of International Peacekeeping 226-248.

‘International law as a help or hinderance to world peace’ (2020) 11 Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies 447-459.

2019

‘The effect of ‘stabilization’ in the mandates and practice of UN peace operations’ (2019) 66 Netherlands International Law Review 47-73.

‘‘Stabilization’ and UN Peace Operations’ (Oxford Research Group, 28 October 2019).

‘Emerging Voices: The Use of ‘Stabilization’ in the Mandates of UN Peace Operations’ (Opinio Juris, 12 August 2019).

2018

‘Why using UN troops to make countries more stable can be a risky business’ (The Conversation UK and Africa, 1 July 2018). Republished in print as a cover story and 1.5 page spread by The East African (distributed in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi). Appeared in The Rwandan and Mail & Guardian (South Africa) amongst others.

‘Stephen Hopgood, Jack Snyder and Leslie Vinjamuri (eds), Human Rights Futures’ (2018) 18 Human Rights Law Review 390-396.

2017

‘Bringing occupation into the 21st century: The effective implementation of occupation by proxy’ (2017) 13 Utrecht Law Review 60-81.

Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, Human Security and Human Rights under International Law: The Protections Offered to Persons Confronting Structural Vulnerability’ (2017) 22 Journal of Conflict & Security Law 553-556.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse