We would like to share this new paper from the The Brookings Institution, written by Laurence Chandy in collaboration with Brina Seidel and Christine Zhang. The paper assesses how donor practices differ between countries affected by fragility and stable countries.

15 years ago donor policy toward fragile states could be characterised as mildly allergic, but in the recent years, it can be seen that there have been earnest efforts to deepen support and find ways of assisting these countries. The World Bank has committed to double resources to fragile states through IDA. The UK recently made a similar commitment to raise the share of its spending to fragile states.

The main concern of the paper is how all this new money is spent—and ensuring that the principles of good practice do not go out the window as can happen when donors work in difficult environments. The findings of the paper are quite sobering and it is hoped that it will stimulate a conversation about the role of donors, and their division of labor, in fragile countries.

Access the paper here.

H.E. Minister Isabella Lövin, one of the Co-chairs of the International Dialogue, visited Somalia's capital Mogadishu on the 1st of December 2016.

This Conceptual Note is intended for national actors and their international partners operating in countries affected by fragility and conflict. Its purpose is to support their efforts to realise the 2030 Agenda, including but not limited to SDG 16, using the principles of the New Deal. This can be achieved by: 1) Supporting country-owned transitions towards resilience through prioritisation and sequencing of the SDGs in ways that take account of conflict and fragility; 2) maximising the possibility for greater coherence and accountability between country-led planning, stakeholder consultation processes, and partner support; and 3) working to ensure results are sustainable.

About 65 million people live in forced displacement: almost one percent of the world’s population. The conflict in Syria and the ensuing flow of refugees toward the European Union have captured headlines across the world recently, but the crisis of forced displacement is not new. For decades large numbers of people have been forced to flee from their homes by conflict and violence, and most have been hosted in developing countries for prolonged periods.   What is new is the increasing scale and complexity of the crisis in a globalised world and the growing recognition that it is both a humanitarian and a development challenge. The World Bank Group have produced, in close partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a new report titled ''Forcibly Displaced''.  It is a ground-breaking study which analyses data to understand the scope of the challenge and articulates a development approach to resolving the crisis, namely helping the displaced and their hosts rebuild their lives. Read the report here.

The Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) 2015 Annual Report highlights the CSPPS work towards peaceful and inclusive societies in 2015. Namely in advocacy for sustainable peace; safeguarding inclusivity and supporting the role of Civil Society in peace building and state building in conflict-affected states. In the Annual Report you will also find relevant updates on CSPPS governance and membership as well as on communications and outreach efforts. Read the report here.