Briefing Paper 23. Working with Civil Society in Fragile States

In recent years, engaging in effective development in fragile states has become one of the major challenges and primary goals of the international development community. This new focus is appropriate, as states that are considered fragile give the international community various causes for concern. In these states, one person in three is undernourished, which is two times higher than in other poor countries. The foundations necessary for growth and development are weak or absent. As well as humanitarian concerns, studies have drawn attention to fragile states as potentially creating enormous costs and security risks internationally. Fragile states reduce the likelihood of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Recent studies have also shown that states considered fragile do not receive aid proportional to the extent of their poverty, which is attributed to the mid-1990’s donor shift in emphasis towards rewarding countries with relatively effective governments and economic policies.

It is not solely a question of aid money though, as some fragile states do not lack funds but rather adequate governance and policies.