States of fragility and official development assistance

Desai, Harsh

doi:10.1787/44bbde61-en

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…(2018 [11]) found that building resilience is significantly associated with the development of fiscal institutions, including the capacity to raise tax revenue, contain current spending, lower military spending and, to some degree, increase social expenditure.…”

Section: Building Financial Resilience In Fragile Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Financing in fragile contexts

Thompson¹

2020

OECD Development Co-Operation Working Papers

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Section: Building Financial Resilience In Fragile Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Financing in fragile contexts

Thompson¹

2020

OECD Development Co-Operation Working Papers

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“…1 International donors invest substantial proportions of their portfolios in countries classified as fragile states. Member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) spent 63% of their net country-allocable official development assistance (ODA) on fragile contexts in 2018 (Desai, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 Since definitions of fragility, fragile states, and fragile contexts have changed over the past decade, it is not possible to quantify the increase in countries considered fragile. Desai shows that the OECD's States of Fragility report identified 57 fragile countries in 2020, up from 50 in 2015, and 43 in 2010 (Desai, 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

What makes “difficult” settings difficult? Contextual challenges for accountability

Joshi

2023

Development Policy Review

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Motivation: It is increasingly common for international development actors to work in difficult and fragile settings, yet much of our understanding of accountability through social and political action comes from more stable settings. As an increasing percentage of the world's population live in places characterized by fragility, it is essential to understand the context for accountability in these settings. Purpose: This article proposes a framework based on three domains of contestation: natural resources, identity, and legitimacy. Based on this framework, it unpacks the constraints towards progress on accountability in difficult settings, and the challenges in creating an environment for citizen claim-making. Methods and approach: The article draws on research from a five-year Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) programme which focused on examining social and political action in Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Research papers from the programme were analysed together with a close reading of existing literature to decipher the common traits hampering citizen action and state response in difficult settings. Findings: The core argument is that a weak state and the prevalence of non-state groups vying for power are fundamental to difficult contexts in three different domains: natural resources, legitimacy, and identity, in which underlying contestation generates conflict, violence, and fragility. The three domains are set within two structural factors: historical legacies and social norms. The article traces how contestation in these domains within structural factors influences the behaviour of powerholders as well as the outlook of citizens who could make accountability claims. Policy implications: The article concludes by suggesting that lessons for development actors attempting to promote accountability in these settings are: to "work with the grain", e.g. recognize the context and work with it; explore possibilities for change at the local level, e.g. where alliance building and networking might be more feasible; and look for the small wins-because in a context fraught with difficulties, small achievements such as overcoming fear should be counted as a success.

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