The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic could have negative consequences for peace. This emerges from the Global Peace Index published today in London. Every year, the study by the think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) assesses the situation in more than 160 countries around the world based on criteria such as war, terrorism, police violence and arms exports.
This year, the experts also added an analysis of the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic on world peace.
Overall, the IEP has seen a decline in peaceful conditions worldwide in nine of the past twelve years. This also applies to 2019. However, a division into two can be observed in groups of 80 countries. In one group the situation improved, in the other it got worse.
Threat to cut development aid
The corona virus pandemic is likely to worsen the situation, the experts estimate. Cutbacks in development aid and in the financing of UN peace missions can be expected. This could further destabilize vulnerable and conflict-affected countries such as Liberia, Afghanistan and South Sudan.
In addition, countries such as Brazil, Pakistan and Argentina are at increased risk from political instability, unrest and violence due to economic turbulence.
The only positive effect of the pandemic may be that proxy wars may be more difficult to finance, the experts said. It remains to be seen whether Saudi Arabia’s engagement in Yemen and Russia in Syria will decrease.
The most peaceful country in the world according to the index is Iceland, followed by New Zealand and Portugal. As in the previous year, Austria is in fourth place. Switzerland remains in tenth place. Germany rose six places in the ranking of the most peaceful countries and is now in 16th place. Afghanistan comes last.
