The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has just released its annual Global Peace Index, and although South Asia ranks as the most volatile region in the world Nepal isn’t doing too badly with the number two slot behind Bhutan.
India and Bhutan have seen improvements in their Global Peace Index (GPI) standing in 2013, although Pakistan and Afghanistan registered the steepest declines, ranking 157 and 162. Bhutan ranks number 20 and Nepal 82.
‘Nepal’s political stalemate has led to increased uncertainties. Although an interim government was appointed earlier this year, it is yet to finalise the new constitution and determine an election date,’ the report says, ‘Bhutan, known for using gross national happiness, rather than GDP, to gauge its progress, remains the most peaceful country in the region.’
The report makes no mention of Bhutan’s forced eviction of 100,000 of its citizens in the early 1990s who are in the process of being resettled in Europe, North America and Australia after languishing in refugee camps in Nepal for more than 20 years. The report has also erroneously identified Nepal and Bhutan as two Himalayan ‘kingdoms’.
Still, both Nepal and Bhutan are way ahead of the United States (99) and Sri Lanka (110). And Afghanistan scores last in the 162 country ranking.
This is the seventh edition of the GPI released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) which ranks nations according to their level of peace tallying 22 indicators that measure the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic or international conflict and the degree of militarisation. The 2013 GPI ranks 162 independent states.
This year’s report also has a Positive Peace Index which measures the strength of the attitudes, institutions, and structures of 126 nations to determine their capacity to create and sustain a peaceful environment.
The top three peaceful countries were Iceland, Denmark and New Zealand. Austria, Switzerland and Japan came fourth, fifth and sixth.
The reason Pakistan and Afghanistan score so poorly is because of the increase in terrorist activity. Afghanistan’s deaths from internal organised conflict declined to 5,146 from 11,351 in 2012, but in Pakistan none of the scores improved from last year.
Despite the end of the conflict, Sri Lanka still ranks low because of existing polarizations between the three main groups: Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. There have also been attacks on the media.
SOUTH ASIA
Country Overall rank Regional rank
Bhutan 20 1
Nepal 82 2
Bangladesh 105 3
Sri Lanka 110 4
India 141 5
Pakistan 157 6
Afghanistan 162 7
To see full report click here