The failure of the Somali state from 1993 to 2012 represents one of the world.s most profound and prolonged cases of state collapse. Initially, education and other government services came to a standstill. With the halt of fighting in some areas, local co

The coherence and effectiveness of engagement with the world.s .fragile and conflict-affected states..beyond ethical imperatives and geo-strategic considerations.turns on answers to two vexing questions. First, on what defensible basis is any given countr

In this paper, we estimate the costs of state failure, both for the failing state itself and for its neighbours. In our analysis, the cost of failure arises from two distinct sources: organized violence due to the incapacity of the state to ensure its own citizens' security and low quality of...

The current consensus objective of development aid in the international community is to reduce poverty in general and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in particular. In addition, the dominant view identifies economic growth as the principal means to this end. But the policy...