The Dialogue was then created in 2008 with the mandate to develop a set of peacebuilding and statebuilding objectives and an action plan for effective engagement in fragile states. Their findings were presented at the 4^th High Level Forum in 2011 in Busan, where Ministers and senior officials from the g7+ group of fragile countries and development partners endorsed it and made specific commitments to implement its provisions.

The Dialogue emerged from the 2005 Paris Declaration, which recognised the need for special measures to improve aid effectiveness in situations of conflict and fragility.

In 2007 the DAC Fragile States Principles were launched to provide guidance for donors to improve international engagement in fragile countries.

At the 2008 3rd High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, a number of fragile states called for a dialogue in which they could have an equal voice with development partners in establishing peacebuilding and statebuilding priorities.