Press Release
New paper on terrorism
copenhagen consensus 2008 Current spending on counter-terrorism is ineffective, according to new study commissioned by Danish think-tank, the Copenhagen Consensus Center …
Copenhagen, Denmark (March 12, 2008) – Money devoted to counter-terrorism spending currently results in five to eight cents of benefit for every dollar spent. But international co-operation to disrupt terrorist finances would be much more cost-effective producing $5-15 of benefits for each $1. The Copenhagen Consensus Center, whose purpose is to weigh the costs and benefits of different solutions to the world’s biggest problems, recently commissioned new research into the merits of several approaches to combating international terrorism. The results are surprising and troubling. Global annual spending on homeland security measures has increased by about US$70 billion since 2001. Unsurprisingly, this initially translated into a 34% drop in trans-national terrorist attacks. What is surprising is that there have been 67 more deaths, on average, each year. According to economists Todd Sandler, Daniel Arce and Walter Enders, the rise in the death toll is caused by terrorists responding rationally to the higher risks imposed by greater security measures. They have shifted to attacks that create more carnage to increase the impact of fewer attacks which is why the approach to combating terrorism must also change. The analysis of fighting international terrorism forms part of the global policy project Copenhagen Consensus 2008 which involves more than 50 international economists including 5 Nobel Laureates. The project investigates the costs and benefits of solutions to ten of the world’s biggest challenges: Malnutrition and hunger, conflicts, air pollution, diseases, terrorism, subsidies and trade barriers, women and development, sanitation and water, education and global warming. Bjorn Lomborg, Ph.D., director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center in Denmark, said the project focuses the attention of the economists on answering the question, ”If the world was willing to spend, say, $75 billion more over the next five years on improving welfare, which projects would have the greatest benefits?” For Project Syndicate op-ed by Bjorn Lomborg and Todd Sandler: Re-thinking counter-terrorism For Reuters article: Security spending fails to curb terror toll - study For Bjorn Lomborg on CNN – World News, March 5, 2008 (search: ‘Lomborg’) Also, The Economist article: Anti-terrorist spending - Feel Safer Now? (for online subscribers only) For interviews or comments contact Head of Communication Tommy Petersen, tp.ccc@cbs.dk, +4538152252. For the full paper and more details on Copenhagen Consensus 2008, visit www.copenhagenconsensus.com COPENHAGEN CONSENSUS CENTER COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL • SOLBJERG PLADS 3 • 2000 FREDERIKSBERG • DENMARK +45 3815 2255 • INFO.CCC@CBS.DK • WWW.COPENHAGENCONSENSUS.COM