The geopolitical reverberations of the Russo-Ukrainian War have been felt far beyond Europe. The conflict has further complicated an already daunting set of challenges facing the global order. It has simultaneously worsened big-power polarization, widened the gulf between countries in the West and the so-called Global South, and emboldened influential middle-power countries to be more assertive in pushing for their own interests.
Countries already struggling to deal with economic vulnerabilities are now at higher risk of instability. Meanwhile, the war has also exposed the limitations of those institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
International Crisis Group President and CEO Dr. Comfort Ero spoke on these dynamics and how to best grapple with these overlapping crises. Her remarks draw on Crisis Group’s work on the war and its global impact. The keynote speech was followed by a discussion with Ivan Krastev, IWM Permanent Fellow. Conclusively, there was an opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A.
Dr. Comfort Ero was appointed Crisis Group’s President and CEO in December 2021. She joined the organisation as West Africa Project Director in 2001 and rose to become Africa Program Director and then, in January 2021, Interim Vice President. Dr. Ero has spent her entire career working on or in conflict-affected countries. In between her two tenures at Crisis Group, she served as Deputy Africa Program Director for the International Centre for Transitional Justice (2008-2010) and, prior to that, Political Affairs Officer and Policy Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN Mission in Liberia (2004-2007). She has a PhD from the London School of Economics, University of London. Dr. Ero is also the Chair of the Board of the Rift Valley Institute and sits on the editorial board of various journals, including International Peacekeeping.
Ivan Krastev, IWM Permanent Fellow and Director of the Centre for Liberal Studies in Sofia, Bulgaria.
A recording of the talk is available below.
