This is not controversial: peace leads to prosperity, to more peace and to further prosperity. It is a virtuous circle.
However, conflict across the world is growing. Currently, nearly 2 billion people, a quarter of the world’s population, live in fragile and conflict-affected countries. This includes 75% of the world’s extremely poor.
The cause of conflict can be complex but is typically due to competition over resources. The economic paradox of conflict is that it results in a diminution of the value of the resources being fought over. This is the contrasting vicious circle.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Fiona Reynolds
Fiona Reynolds chairs the steering committee for Finance for Peace. She boasts a multidecade career in the financial services and pension sectors (ESG/sustainability issues) and is the former CEO of the U.N.’s Principles for Responsible Investment. Fiona is the chair of the U.N. Global Compact in Australia and a nonexecutive director, working across ESG issues.
