June 21, 2024
DHAKA – The world is officially at a crossroads with the highest number of countries engaged in conflict since World War II, according to the Global Peace Index published on June 11, by the Australia based Institute for Economics and Peace.
Moreover, overall global peacefulness observed a fall in 97 countries around the world. This was more than in any year, since the inception of the report in 2008. “Without major effort, there is a risk of a surge in conflicts,” it notes.
While the war in Ukraine and Gaza seem to be the primary drivers of the global decline in peacefulness, 92 countries around the world are engaged in conflicts beyond their borders, more than at any time since the origins of the index in 2008.
The results are varied for Asia, with the Asia-Pacific region emerging as the second most peaceful region, while South Asia ranked as the third least peaceful area.
In Asia, countries that observed a positive change in peacefulness are Singapore, Malaysia, Bhutan, South Korea, Laos, Thailand, Philippines, India, Pakistan and Myanmar. On the other hand; Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Nepal, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and North Korea, have seen a decline.
Decline in global peacefulness
According to the report, the decline in peacefulness can be attributed to a few particular domains. One of the highest deteriorations was observed in the Militarisation domain mainly due to the increased military expenditure across the globe. The countries that recorded the highest increase in military expenditure as a percentage of their GDP were Ukraine, Myanmar and North Macedonia.
Another domain that contributed significantly to the decline in global peacefulness is Ongoing Conflict, which deteriorated over the past year due to increased attention to Ukraine and Gaza crisis. Overall, 85 countries recorded a deterioration in the domain from 2023 to 2024. All indicators of the domain reflected a decline, except for the indicators, deaths from internal conflict and internal conflicts fought.
However, the domain that observed the highest year-on-year decline was on the payments made to the UN peacekeeping funds, a total of 93 countries observed a deterioration in the domain, meaning that a total of 93 countries reduced the payments made to the UN for peacekeeping in comparison to a year before.
In Asia and surrounding regions
While the war in Ukraine and Gaza seem to be the primary drivers of the global decline in peacefulness, 92 countries around the world are engaged in conflicts beyond their borders, more than at any time since the origins of the index in 2008. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
The Asia Pacific region was found to be the second most peaceful region, Second only to Europe, the region experienced a slight decline of 0.1 per cent in peacefulness. The overall decline was driven by a 2.4 per cent deterioration in the Militarisation domain and a 1.6% increase in Ongoing Conflict domain. Improvements were, however, noted in the Safety and Security, Violent Demonstration, and Homicide Rate domains.
Within the region, New Zealand was recorded to be the most peaceful and ranked 4th globally. North Korea, on the other hand, was reported to be the least peaceful country within the region, and ranked 4th worst globally. Pyongyang increased military expenditure and had the highest possible in the Nuclear and Heavy Weapons domain.
Unlike the Asia Pacific, South Asia has been ranked as the third least peaceful area, where 4 out of 7 nations recorded overall deterioration. Primary drivers of the deterioration were increased Militarisation, decline in Payments to UN peacekeeping funds and increased Military Expenditure (% of GDP).
Bhutan was found to be the most peaceful region, whereas Afghanistan was found to be the least peaceful. India recorded an overall 1.6% deterioration as a result of the conflict in the Arunachal Pradesh border between China and India.
In the real world
The report shows that the Militarisation domain has recorded its largest yearly deterioration since the Global Peace Index was established in 2008, with 108 countries becoming more militarised.
The world now has 110 million refugees or people displaced due to violent conflict with 16 countries now hosting over half a million refugees. The past year also experienced 162,000 conflict-related deaths, the highest number in 30 years. The global economic impact of violence in 2023 was US$19.1 trillion or US$2,380 for each person in the world.
So, the question is, with worldwide access to high-tech military equipment and an increasingly convoluted geopolitical landscape, is it possible to reach greater peacefulness globally?
The experts seem to think it is difficult. According to the results of the report, the widespread rise in more internationalised conflict and the increasing complexity reduces the likelihood of achieving lasting solutions.