Policy Brief
Fragile States
Many of the world’s poorest countries can be described as 'fragile states' wherein governments cannot or will not provide an environment for households to reduce, mitigate, or cope with poverty and other risks to wellbeing. Many of these states are in conflict or just emerging from conflict. The UNU-WIDER project 'Fragility and Development' explored state fragility and its relationship to household vulnerability, noting that there is a lack of research on the economic dimensions of conflict, aid, and development in fragile states. This Research Brief provides a summary of the various contributions made by this project, including case studies on Iraq, Kosovo, Palestine, and Somalia. It also addresses a number of pertinent questions such as; when are states fragile? What are the costs that fragile states impose on their people and the international community? Should the sovereignty of fragile states be reconsidered? And how can aid flows to fragile states be made more effective?
Context
Project
Corresponding publications
Working Paper | Determinants of State Fragility and Implications for Aid Allocation
Working Paper | Resources and the Political Economy of State Fragility in Conflict States
Working Paper | The Cost of Failing States and the Limits to Sovereignty
Working Paper | Gender and Ethnicity in Post-Conflict Kosovo
Working Paper | The Impact of Conflict and Fragility on Households
Working Paper | Enforcing Peace Agreements through Commitment Technologies
Working Paper | Aid Allocation and Fragile States
Working Paper | Enhancing Effective Utilization of Aid in Fragile States