Multiple sources of conflict and unrest have shaken the international community in 2014. From the seizure of territory in Iraq and Syria by ISIS, to the conflict in the Ukraine's eastern Donbass region and the largest Ebola outbreak in history spreading through West Africa, 2014 was a rather turbulent year. Looking ahead, 2015 is set to see the continuation of these trends, with terrorism, civil unrest and public health among central concerns for risk managers.
AmCham China welcomes Ian Betts to discuss the most pertinent threats to operating environments in the coming months as described in The Global Forecast 2015. This publication, compiled by G4S Risk Consulting's team of analysts based around the world, covers various regions: Africa, the Middle East, the Americans, Europe, Russia and CIS, and Asia.
In Asia, concerns over militancy will persist across the region in 2015 and the full impact of the international drawdown in Afghanistan will be realized. Growing cooperation on terrorism in the subcontinent is a positive development, but India-Pakistan tensions nevertheless persist in the long term. China's stance on territorial claims in the South and East China Seas will shape relations in the Asia-Pacific region. Ambitious domestic reform programs, including anti-corruption campaigns, will draw the attention of governments, while harboring the potential for associated civil unrest.