The Sustainable Security Index (SSI) aims to provide a global ranking to measure the drivers of political instability. Funded by the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation Trust, it provides an attempt to move beyond narrow understandings of security proposing instead an integrated approach to the study of political instability focusing on migration movements, environmental policies and inclusive governance. SSI relies partly on existing data sources and aims to provide a transferable early warning system to address the drivers of political instability.
The project will promote knowledge exchange and educational collaboration across key stakeholders in academia as well as policy practitioners including but not limited to politicians, NGOs and civil society. By establishing a robust network of researchers and strategic partners, it will critically engage with diverse viewpoints across sectors to promote novel insight about key drivers of security instability. Building on the existing work, CARC researchers aim to develop the index in the form of a novel global health check of indicators on conflict prevention as well as policy toolkit for CARC’s international partners organizations. To initiate related projects, CARC along with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Forum of Federations (the Forum) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2020 to collaborate to advance the work of the newly established OAS Department for the Promotion of Peace. The agreement stipulated the development of joint projects and activities that will support the OAS in its efforts to strengthen hemispheric peace and security, prevent conflict, and resolve disputes, in accordance with the essential purposes of the Organization as established in its founding charter. We expect the findings and reports to guide related policy interventions and if possible OAS’s peer review mechanisms. The index will also facilitate the work of other international bodies. CARC has close links with the Council of Europe, the World Bank and the United Nations Mediation office.