With governments around the world seeking to reduce their foreign aid budgets, and at a time of increasing global crises, those involved in conflict prevention face having to do more with less. A lack of resources will necessitate strict strategic decisions about which interventions to prioritize.
This research paper analyses real world case studies from Europe, Asia and Africa to assess the relative advantages of the most common conflict prevention interventions to help policymakers navigate this new global context. It also identifies three major trends shaping contemporary and future conflicts – the impact of climate change, the ‘geopoliticization’ of conflict and the proliferation of technological advancements – and examines how their likely impact on both the causes of instability and the effectiveness of conflict prevention.