Armed violence is a complex phenomenon. The changing nature of armed violence—including the rise of economically motivated wars, the blurring of the line between political and non-political violence, the growth of trans-national criminal gangs, the expansion of non-state armed groups, and persistently high levels of insecurity in many post-conflict situations—makes drawing clear distinctions between different forms of armed violence practically and analytically impossible.

Within countries, armed violence is usually concentrated in certain municipalities or regions, while other areas may be relatively untouched. It is critical to establish an evidence base that enables the international community to measure the impacts of armed violence on development and productivity, and to develop effective armed violence.