Strategies for Preventing Major Conflicts at Global Level

• Author: Nicolae-Florin Prunau
• Position: PhD Student, Business Administration, '?tefan cel Mare' University of Suceava; Danubius University of Galati, Faculty of Communications, Galati, Romania
• Pages: 264-271

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2020

264

Strategies for Preventing Major

Conflicts at Global Level

Nicolae-Florin Prunău1

Abstract. The vast majority of the world is living in peace and trans-border wars are increasingly rare. Yet

half the world has the potential to become violently unstable due to a combination of growing inequality,

increasing unemployment, rising prices of food, falling water tables, abuses of elite power, outdated

institutional structures, organized crime, terrorist group s, limited access to natural and social resources, and

inadequate legal and governance systems. Globalization, migration, geopolitical shifts, changing nature of

power, and increasing access of individuals to natural, technological and social resources, have raised the

world’s vulnerabilities to new levels and are changing the security paradigm. The d iplomatic, foreign policy,

military, and legal systems to address the new asymmetrical threats have yet to be established. The UN,

NATO, and other security structures are b ased on the nation-state as the primary decision-making entity,

which has become increasingly inadequate.

Keywords: Security; globalization; vulnerability; asymmetrical threats

1. Introduction

According to the Global Peace Index, the world has become less peaceful in the last decade. Although

the trend towards peace has improved in 81 countries and deteriorated in 79, the overall average has

declined as the magnitude of the deterioration has been greater than the improvements - mainly due to

developments in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The total economic impact of

violence on the world economy has been estimated at $ 13.6 trillion for 2019, equivalent to 13.3% of

world GDP. Meanwhile, UN peacekeeping spending totaled $ 8.27 billion, representing just 1.1% of

the estimated $ 742 billion in economic losses from armed conflict.

2. The Image of Potential Conflicts Globally

2.1. Terrorist activity is also on the rise, according to the 2019 Global Terrorism Index. Although

scores in 66 countries have improved, while 53 countries have deteriorated, the overall score has

deteriorated by 6% compared to 2018, due to increased terrorism in many countries. However, 72% of

all terrorist deaths occurred in only five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria.

Terrorism has been dominated by four groups: the Taliban, Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The

1 PhD Student, Business Administration, “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava; Danubius University of Galati, Faculty of

Communications, Galati, Romania, Address: Bd. Galati nr. 3 , Galati, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, Corresponding author:

florin.prunau@univ-danubius.ro.