On March 23, 2020, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres called for a global ceasefire to allow member states to shift focus to coping with the threat to humanity from the coronavirus pandemic. Some 70 countries, including Afghanistan, have backed the call. In response to the UN's appeal, some warring parties, such as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and the National Liberation Army rebel group in Colombia, have announced temporary ceasefires.

There has been a wave of insightful commentary over the last month on the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to upend fragile peace process (e.g., Afghanistan) or to exacerbate risks for conflict (for an updated list, see Political Settlements Research Program). As the world deals with COVID-19, at CIC we are also interested in thinking through the potential risks created by how governments and communities respond to the virus—and how a conflict prevention lens can be applied in a practical way to response efforts.