What to Worry About in 2016

Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Speakers
Michael Moran

Managing Director of Global Risk Analysis, Control Risks

Paul B. Stares

General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations

Robert Kahn

Steven A. Tananbaum Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations

Presider
Carla Anne Robbins

Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

from Center for Preventive Action and Conflict Risk Assessment and Monitoring

With war and humanitarian crises embroiling the Middle East and parts of Africa, the new year presents challenges for conflict prevention, mitigation, and response. Three leading conflict experts discussed potential and ongoing crises that may erupt or escalate in 2016, as well as their global political and economic implications. In keeping with the core mission of the Center for Preventive Action, this meeting evaluated the most worrisome sources of instability and conflict in 2016. The speakers discussed their respective organizations’ assessment of risks and potential crises for the new year.

Explore More on Conflict Prevention

United Kingdom

Moving Past the Troubles: The Future of Northern Ireland Peace
The Good Friday Agreement has dampened sectarian conflict and brought stability to Northern Ireland, but the peace deal has been challenged by Brexit-related border tensions that have thrown the region’s hard-won gains into doubt.

by Charles Landow and James McBride February 16, 2024

Nigeria

Nigeria Security Tracker
The Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker was an effort to catalog and map political violence based on a weekly survey of Nigerian and international press. The last update to the tracker was July 1, 2023. The data presented included violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups (or, conversely, the state employing violence to respond to those incidents.)

by Michelle Gavin July 1, 2023 Africa Program

Wars and Conflict

Global Conflict Tracker
The Center for Preventive Action’s Global Conflict Tracker is an interactive guide to ongoing conflicts around the world of concern to the United States.

February 22, 2023 Center for Preventive Action

Top Stories on CFR

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ceremonial Foreign Policy
In shallowly engaging with Kinshasa and Kigali, Washington does little to promote peace and risks insulating leaders from accountability.

by Michelle Gavin December 4, 2025 Africa in Transition

United States

How Does Immigration Affect the U.S. Economy?
Immigrants have long played a critical role in the U.S. economy, filling labor gaps, driving innovation, and exercising consumer spending power. But political debate over their economic contributions has ramped up under the second Trump administration.

by Diana Roy December 4, 2025

Haiti

Can the New Gang Suppression Force Bring Relief to Haiti?

The UN authorization of a new security mission in Haiti marks an escalation in efforts to curb surging gang violence. Aimed at alleviating a worsening humanitarian crisis, its militarized approach has nevertheless raised concerns about repeating mistakes from previous interventions.

by Ellora Onion-De December 3, 2025