Small Arms Survey C-IED Online Strategic Briefing Series

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to represent a persistent and increasingly complex global threat, with profound humanitarian, security, and socio-economic consequences. In 2023 alone, IED incidents resulted in 3,237 casualties across 25 countries, with civilians accounting for more than two-thirds of those affected. These devices are increasingly employed by non-state armed groups and criminal networks to assert territorial control, undermine governance structures, disrupt humanitarian operations, and instil fear among civilian populations, notably in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and conflict-affected regions of the Middle East, South America, and South Asia.

At the same time, the technical sophistication of IEDs continues to evolve, employing commercial explosives, dual-use precursor materials, and, increasingly, uncrewed aerial systems. These trends are further compounded by weak border governance and the widespread availability of technical know-how online.

The Small Arms Survey C-IED strategic briefing series, kindly supported by the Government of Ireland, aims to foster forward-looking dialogue on how evolving practices and lessons learned can be translated into more effective, sustainable, and policy-relevant responses to the IED threat.

Briefing 2 - Regional Perspectives to C-IED: Approaches and Challenges - 25 March 2026

Building on the first session, this second briefing turned to regional perspectives. Although IED use is a global phenomenon, its patterns, enabling factors, and consequences are profoundly influenced by distinct political, security, and socio-economic contexts at the regional level.

Briefing 1 - Emerging Trends and Drivers of IED Use - 17 February 2026

This first session, aimed to establish a shared understanding of how both new and persistent drivers shape IED threats, providing a foundation for subsequent regional, people-centered, and nexus-focused discussions in the series.