But the battle to contain the spread led to the shutting of borders and the prioritization of self-sufficiency. The pandemic has widened political and social divisions, while throwing economies into disarray, requiring national responses that have sometimes been at odds with the global purpose. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2021, reveals how the crisis has challenged national policy-making and international relations in ways that threaten lasting impacts. Institutions and policies to support international coordination were already in decline, and responses to the pandemic have caused new geopolitical tensions. “With new stalemates and flashpoints in view, GRPS respondents rated ‘state collapse’ and ‘multilateralism collapse’ as critical threats over the next five to ten years.”