London Conference 2019: Aggression, Deterrence and Flexibility

Geopolitical tensions and the rise in contests – between political values, for access to resources and over territorial disputes – are increasing the risks of conflict.

This calls for new approaches to mediating and arbitrating power rivalries, and a better understanding of the motivations that drive conflicts to improve methods of deterrence and prevention.

What confidence-building and de-escalation experiences might be incorporated into any new rules or formal mechanisms for deterrence or conflict prevention? What are the main sources of cross-border risk for which better multilateral responses are needed?

And what does the pace of technological advances imply for the development of new rules to govern the conduct and domains of modern warfare?