Conflicts and their impacts are proliferating around the globe. Yet no U.K. political party has addressed this nor made concrete commitments to conflict prevention and peace building ahead of the next general election. Among other things, the United Kingdom must double the proportion of its development aid spent on conflict prevention and resolution from 2% to 4% of the overall aid budget.
The Global Peace Index was published last month and shows, for the ninth consecutive year, a worsening trend toward conflict and instability internationally. Two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor could live in fragile and conflict-affected states by 2030. Yet, while we know that peace-building and conflict prevention initiatives are cost-effective and sustainable, they have been sidelined in recent U.K. foreign, defense, and development policies. Such omission is dangerous.
The immediate effects of conflict are well-known: deaths, injuries, displacement, and hunger. But conflicts have long-lasting impacts on welfare and economic stability that are felt around the world. From the economic shocks created by the war in Ukraine to people risking their lives to seek safety in the U.K., we can no longer afford to ignore these interconnections. Long-term, strategic approaches to build a safer, more peaceful, and stable world from the grassroots up are needed now more than ever.