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Why statebuilding?
Facing the unique challenges that fragile states are dealing with, requires a concerted international approach to support positive statebuilding processes, based on robust state-society relations. INCAF has pioneered new thinking on statebuilding and is translating that thinking into clear recommendations for better practice.
What is statebuilding?
Statebuilding is a deeply political process forged out of complex struggles over the balance of power, the rules of engagement and how resources should be distributed.
Figure 1. Building “states in society”: Three critical aspects of state-society relations
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Broad social expectations about
what the state should do.
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The political settlement reflects the agreement on the “rules of the game”.
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The capability and responsiveness of the state to effectively fulfil its principal functions and provide key services.
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At the heart of the interaction among the three aspects lies the matter of legitimacy, which provides the basis for rule by primarily non-coercive means. States derive legitimacy from multiple sources that may coexist and/or compete. Understanding the sources of legitimacy must be central to external interventions in statebuilding efforts.
Recent publications include:
Consult the full list of recent publications in the Conflict & Fragility Series.
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