This report, the culmination of Chatham House’s five-year XCEPT research stream, considers the pressing question of how to respond more effectively to such challenges in an era in which traditional rigid geopolitical spheres of influence are dissolving. To trace this, we explore geo-economic fronts in this shifting global power order via three case studies: the transnational trade of Sudan’s gold; the adaptive supply chains around oil of Iranian origin; and the networks for transporting migrants via Libya to Europe. In each regional case study, we illustrate how the ‘multi-alignment’ of actors demands a new strategic paradigm to stabilization and peacebuilding.
The release of this report was accompanied by a panel session with Chatham House’s XCEPT researchers, who discussed the research initiative’s themes and main findings.