Post-Pandemic Recovery Planning and The ‘Efficiency’ Trap
Is it time to think less ‘just-in-time’ and more ‘just-in-case’? In a recent public seminar – held online due to social distancing and lockdowns – IEP suggested the COVID-19 crisis appeared to be ‘exogenous.’ That is, it did not originate from
The COVID-19 Pandemic and the impact on violence
The pandemic will shift patterns of violence throughout the globe. While there has been a decline in some types of crime, battle deaths and riots due to lock-down measures, other areas such as domestic violence, self-harm and suicide are likely to
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Socio-Economic Development
Why did the COVID-19 pandemic spread so quickly among the most developed nations in the world? The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most disruptive infection outbreak of the 21st century. The pandemic started in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and by early
How black markets have adapted to – and shaped – the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 crisis has affected many aspects of society, but perhaps none in such a complex and poorly understood way as in black markets, from booming sales of fake medicines and guns in the U.S. to rising illicit export of
Global Peace Index 2020
Global peacefulness has deteriorated over the past year, with this being the fourth time in the last five years that the world has seen a fall in peacefulness. The results this year show that the level of global peacefulness deteriorated, with
Future Trends: International Trade, 5G Sparks, Xenophobia
While predicting outcomes is extremely difficult, it is almost certain that COVID-19 will have profound consequences on economics, politics, social interactions and development. It’s hard to predict where the world will be in 12 months from now. Optimistic scenarios focus on
Data interventions and the renegotiation of the social contract
In our COVID-19 afflicted times, what sort of society we want to live in and how we use technology to secure it have become crucial questions, putting our social contract at risk. The danger arises when we overstep the mark
The G20’s Responsibility for Arms Control
Two crisis-ridden developments are currently threatening humanity in its existence: the climate crisis and a possible nuclear war. There is wide-ranging agreement on the issues surrounding climate change, although there is no easy solution to the problem despite the assertions
The five most peaceful countries in 2019
The 2019 Global Peace Index (GPI) found that the world became more peaceful for the first time in five years. A reduction in the impact of terrorism (registered in 24 European countries), strong institutions and a stable economy were key