|
Meeting the special needs of fragile states often requires the use of a range of instruments in addition to aid—including humanitarian assistance, diplomacy, security, justice, and financial measures such as debt relief. A coherent, whole of government approach is therefore required of international actors, involving those agencies responsible for instance, for political, security, justice, and financial affairs, as well as those responsible for development aid and humanitarian assistance, respecting the mandates of each agency.
Critical to underpinning whole-of-government approaches in fragile states is the recognition that long-term stability, support to state-building and development will only be achieved when governance and institutional capacity-building is built in to the approach. Approaches must be both timely (not waiting, for example, for conflict to end before becoming involved) and flexible (adjusting to circumstances as they arise).
The OECD’s Principles for Good International Engagement in Fragile States emphasise the critical importance of coherent and joined up action by political, economic, security and development actors working both at the partner country level and in donor capitals and organisation headquarters. These efforts must be mutually reinforcing way so as to maximize the potential impact of development efforts.
To deepen understanding of these issues and improve knowledge of existing good practice in the area, FSG is conducting work in 2007-2008 on evaluating existing practice in whole of government initiatives, and identifying useful approaches and new directions for the future, looking for examples at issues of Security System Reform, Integrated Planning, Diplomacy and Development, and Public Financial Management. Complementing policy coherence guidance for development already being elaborated in the OECD, the overall purpose of this FSG work is to produce agreed DAC guidance for donors on how to improve whole of government approaches in fragile states.
www.oecd.org/dac/fragilestates/wga
|
