IISS Releases Annual Armed Conflict Survey, Highlighting Key Global Hotspots
The 2023 armed conflict survey by IISS identifies intractability as the defining feature of the current global conflict landscape.
The 108th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukrainian Armed Forces receive training at the trenches on the front of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on October 18, 2023. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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he International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has unveiled its highly anticipated Armed Conflict Survey for 2023, providing a comprehensive analysis of ongoing conflicts worldwide. The report delves into the political, military, and humanitarian aspects of active conflicts, offering a valuable resource for policymakers and analysts.
Notably, researchers from the Clingendael Institute have made significant contributions to this edition, adding their expertise to the chapters on Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.
The Armed Conflict Survey 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the contemporary global conflict landscape, offering valuable insights into the intricate web of factors contributing to conflicts and their far-reaching repercussions.
Intractability
The survey identifies intractability as the defining feature of the current global conflict landscape. This complexity is fueled by the proliferation of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) with intricate and overlapping motives, external interference, and the accelerating impact of climate change.
The survey sheds light on the growing involvement of emerging and revisionist powers in internal conflicts. These powers often diverge from democratic principles and the prevailing rule-based international order. This trend contributes to democratic backsliding in fragile regions globally and amplifies geopolitical fragmentation in the Global South.
The 2023 edition adopts an expanded regional focus to better capture the transnational drivers and repercussions of conflicts. It includes Regional Spotlight chapters addressing trends of global and regional strategic importance.
Regional spotlight chapters:
- Drug-Trafficking Dynamics in the Americas: Examines shifting dynamics in drug trafficking.
- Security Guarantees in Ukraine: Explores the centrality of security guarantees in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.
- Converging Crises in North Africa: Discusses policy best practices to address climate, political, and food insecurity crises.
- Changing Nature of Jihadism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Analyzes evolving trends in jihadism.
- Re-emergence of Tehrik-e-Taliban in Pakistan: Explores implications for Asian security.
The Armed Conflict Survey 2023 emphasizes the evolving nature of conflicts, geopolitical shifts, and emerging threats. With detailed analyses and rich visual aids, the report is poised to influence security policymaking and provide a crucial reference for those deeply involved in understanding armed conflicts worldwide.
