An authoritative source of information on violent conflicts and peacebuilding processes around the world, Peace and Conflict is an annual publication of the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva).

The contents of the 2017 edition are divided into three sections:

Global Patterns and Trends provides an overview of recent advances in scholarly research on various aspects of conflict and peace, as well as chapters on armed conflict, violence against civilians, characteristics of rebel and state forces, sexual violence, democracy and civil war, terrorism, human rights conditions, and the results of the updated Peace & Conflict Instability Ledger, which ranks the status and progress of more than 160 countries based on their forecasted risk of future instability (adverse regime change, internal war, state mass killing, non-state mass killing).

Special Feature spotlights work on the relationship between refugees and the diffusion of armed conflict.

Profiles surveys developments in instances of civil wars, peacekeeping missions, and international criminal justice proceedings that were active around the world during 2015.

Frequent visualizations of data in full-color, large-format tables, graphs, and maps bring the analysis to life and amplify crucial developments in real-world events and the latest findings in research.

The contributors include many leading scholars in the field from the US and Europe.