The nation state is discovering the limits of its crisis management capacities. COVID-19 is only the latest manifestation of a transboundary crisis testing the nation state’s capacity to protect its citizens from external threats. The Ebola and Zika outbreaks, the financial crisis, the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine, sinking ships overfilled with refugees, cyber-attacks, urban terrorism and existential environmental threats serve as additional, strong reminders of the complex origins and transboundary dimensions of many contemporary crises and disasters. As these transboundary aspects of modern crises become increasingly manifest, the need for international, collaborative responses appears ever clearer. But that collaboration does not always emerge in time (or at all). Even in the European Union, which has various transboundary crisis management mechanisms in place, the willingness to initiate joint crisis responses varies. Why do states elect to collaborate in response to some transboundary crises but not others? In this keynote speech, Arjen Boin identifies crucial factors that shape critical pathways towards a joint response.
