Abstract

Editor’s Introduction 5 2020 has been an unprecedented year for the world the United Nations for a global ceasefire. In 2020 in many ways, with the coronavirus pandemic and early 2021, conflict continued unabated across spreading across all geographies and creating havoc the world and even accelerated in instances such for populations and economies alike. Lockdown as Ethiopia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nagorno- measures and disruptions to global supply chains Karabakh and the Sahel. Non-state armed groups have caused major recessions and a deterioration (NSAGs) across the globe also leveraged the pan- in socio-economic indicators around the world, demic-induced strains on government resources and adding fuel to social and political instability in many attention to strengthen their territorial control, their already fragile and conflict-ridden countries. The activity in illegal trafficking and, in some cases, even legacy of the pandemic will be felt for years to come, their legitimacy with the general population. reinforcing root causes of conflict through its nefari- The global conflict landscape remained domi - ous impact on development, poverty, state capacity nated by the same complex and upward trends (see and political stability as well as on available interna- Figure 1) highlighted by The Armed Conflict Survey tional