May 2007, id21 insights, Issue #66

Retaining legitimacy in fragile states

Globalisation, liberalisation, and the withdrawal of external support from Cold War alliances have placed enormous strains on some developing countries — best described as 'fragile states'. These are states with high levels of poverty and inequality and low levels of state capacity. They are particularly vulnerable to internal and external shocks as well as domestic and international conflict.

Sudanese refugees at Iridimi refugee camp near Iriba in Chad. They fled their homes after being attacked by Janjaweed militias. See Retaining legitimacy in fragile states. Sven Torfinn/Panos Pictures 2004

Other articles in this issue:

Risking civil war by promoting democracy

Promoting democracy abroad may seem like a good way to promote peace. Mature, stable democracies have not fought wars against each other, and they rarely experience civil wars. But the path to a democratic peace is not always smooth.

Bridging security and development

People-centred approaches needed

Strategies for securing peace that have worked in Afghanistan are unlikely to work in Iraq or Somalia. Yet, interventions by international organisations and countries in crisis areas continue to follow the same formula: first condemnation, then sanctions, then military action.

Good intentions do not prevent conflict

When we speak of the international community we think of states, the United Nations, development agencies, or non-government organisations. Yet other groups and individuals are often as relevant to development: multinational and local companies and private security firms.

Making justice sector reform work

The legal system and the judiciary have very important roles to play in maintaining or restoring legitimacy in fragile states. Injustice, deeply embedded in both the legal system and a partial or ineffective judicial system, tends to weaken state legitimacy and sometimes contributes to the eruption of armed conflict.

Rebuilding the revenue base for sustainable peace

The challenges of tax collection are formidable in low-income and post-war economies. War economies give rise to a wide range of illegal and informal economic activities beyond the control of the state. This makes tax collection in post-war states particularly difficult.

Beyond anarchy in Somaliland and Afghanistan?

Since the attacks on the USA on September 11th 2001, the weakening and re-building of states has ranked high on the political and research agenda.

Strong but fragile

Horizontal inequalities in Indonesia

Today, most of the international community sees Indonesia as a 'fragile' state, with a recent history of violent conflict and a poor record of access to government services.

Useful web links

PDF version

Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. Copyright remains with the original authors but (unless stated otherwise) any article may be copied or quoted without restriction, provided both source (id21, insights) and authors are properly acknowledged and informed. Copyright © 2006 id21. All rights reserved.