Governance and fragility

Part of 'ReCom – research and communication on foreign aid' project

Since the late 1980s, governance has become a major concern for both donors and aid recipient countries. Good governance is seen as an important objective in and of itself, as well as a critical influence on economic development. The 2005 Paris Declaration’s commitment to national ownership of the aid agenda has further focused attention on the quality of domestic governance.

Fragile states—which have low state capacity and often high levels of poverty—are home to one-third of the world’s poor. In this animation we look at how foreign aid helps building stronger, more accountable states. The film is part of a series produced by UNU-WIDER on the project ‘ReCom–Research and Communication on Foreign Aid’. It can, for instance, be used when teaching students about what aid can achieve.