Service delivery in fragile and conflict-affected states : world development report 2011 : background paper

As an increasing number of developing countries sustain strong economic growth and make progress towards the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), the real challenge of development has shifted to “a group of countries at the bottom that are falling behind, and often falling apart”. These so-called fragile states lack either the political will or capacity to deliver public safety and basic services to all their citizens. In many cases, these states have suffered from many years of brutal civil war and genocide. While some have emerged onto a more positive development path, most continue to face very real risks of violence: from past grievances, poor economic prospects and new sources of conflict (such as organized crime, including drugs and trafficking, often linked to cross-border networks). Local, national and international approaches to violent conflict have to deal with this „dynamic‟ reality, rather than simply assume a linear path from peace settlement to humanitarian aid and then reconstruction in „post-conflict‟ countries. [authors abstract]

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