Fragile states and fragile cities was the topic of the ICM’s fourth retreat held on May 8-9. Experts, academics, and ambassadors representing governments and civil society organizations examined the question: how can the multilateral response to “fragility” be made more efficient and effective? With 1.4 billion people living in fragile states and more than half of the world’s population living in cities today, the complex challenges posed by fragility requires crucial consideration at the (…)
The ICM hosted a public consultation on December 16th on its discussion paper “Fragile States and Fragile Cities.”
Watch the webcast:
Nearly 1.2 billion people live in fragile states, including one‐third of the world’s poor. Challenges emerging from fragile states, such as transnational threats, regional spillovers, local insecurity, and underdevelopment require the attention of multilateral institutions. While there is no agreed upon definition of a “fragile state,” limited (…)
Nearly 1.2 billion people live in fragile states, including one‐third of the world’s poor. Fragile states are vulnerable to internal and external shocks, including armed conflict. Challenges emerging from fragile states, such as transnational threats, regional spillovers, and local insecurity and under‐development require the attention of multilateral institutions.
Interviews
“Cities are a key entry point into addressing wider challenges of fragility,” said Jennifer Salahub, Senior Program Officer at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). As the primary sites of different delivery of services and the engines of economic growth, she says cities provide insights into the drivers of fragility and opportunities to intervene.
According to Ms. Salahub, some of these drivers include inequality in a number of areas: income, social class, religion, (…)
There is a need to invest in more conflict prevention, and states and donors are reluctant to do that, said Charles Call, associate professor at the School of International Service at American University. “We spend more on peacekeeping than we do on everything else the UN does globally.”
“I think we need more funds that are catalytic and agile, that can be deployed quickly when you’re looking at a real potential of mass violence,” Mr. Call said. Mr. Call felt that UN agencies such as the (…)