What happens when global power goes unchecked?

What happens when the world’s most powerful actors stop facing accountability? That’s the question at the heart of the Atlas and Impunity, an annual report from the Eurasia Group that measures how people experience the abuse of power in nearly 200 countries. Ian Bremmer sat down with International Rescue Committee president and CEO David Miliband on GZERO World to talk about why the levels of impunity in conflict states like Sudan and Syria are spiraling out of control, and what the data reveals about the state of democracy, human rights, and how power is wielded around the globe.

As Miliband points out, impunity extends far beyond dictators and war crimes. It’s about the everyday consequences of power exercised without accountability. Corporations can exploit workers and consumers. States can exploit property rights. Even the climate crisis is a form of impunity against future generations and the planet. But despite a disturbing lack of accountability around the world, he explains, there are some reasons for cautious optimism.

“The greatest cause for hope is the assertion of democratic rights,” Miliband says, “If you're looking for bright spots at the moment, you have to look deep into civil societies that are mobilizing and organizing to defend the most basic rights.”