What is the verdict on the compromise deal on the European External Action Service (EEAS)?...(read more)...
The results of the UK elections will mean a change in UK development policy, no matter who takes power on 6 May. ...(read more)...
Fragile states are at the top of the policy and political agenda for donors, and at the heart of the UK electoral debates on the future of international development. In its 2009 White Paper, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) commits to substantially increase bilateral aid to fragile states; in their Green Paper, the Conservatives define conflict as a development issue and peace and stability as pre-requisite of development. Whoever wins the UK elections in May, engaging...(read more)...
As discussions begin in Rome on donor support to the Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), it is time to move beyond debate on sound principles and address the root causes of failed policy coordination in agriculture The Annual General Assembly of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GPDRD) seems a good opportunity to start this shift in thinking. ...(read more)...
International efforts to stabilise fragile states must go beyond peace enforcement to improve the quality of life. ...(read more)...
This blog welcomes the emphasis on justice and security in the recent UK Government White Paper on International Development. ...(read more)...
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has its roots in state collapse and fragmentation within Somalia itself. This blog argues that security measures alone will not solve the problem, and that a development approach is needed that will restore order and rule of law within Somalia. It sets out three principles for an effective development approach: strategies that are driven locally; a willingness to engage with those on all sides; and the development of new economic opportunities. ...(read more)...
A ground-breaking study on participatory governance in Nepal is launched, as the country celebrates its first peace-time Republic Day. As well as highlighting participation issues in Nepal, the study has implications for wider governance issues both within and beyond the country....(read more)...
UK Members of Parliament face public scrutiny in the wake of an expenses scandal, sparking a wide-ranging debate on the very nature of politics and governance. Taking this further, the blog warns against the wholesale transfer of western 'models' of democracy, such as the Westminster Model, to other contexts. It suggests that various governance initiatives in developing countries may provide useful lessons for western democracies. ...(read more)...
Welcoming Seth Kaplan's book, Fixing Fragile States, this blog stresses the complexity of fragile settings, and the need to make difficult choices. ...(read more)...
A new approach is needed to address the problems of fragile states, going beyond 'more' and 'better' development....(read more)...