Considerable attention and ambition surround the role of the private sector in development. The private sector is seen variously as a way to support incomes and economic opportunity, reduce poverty and exclusion, stimulate growth, secure commercial or geopolitical advantage, access natural resources, bridge the development financing gap and sustain political support with partner governments and populations.
These drivers, interests and opportunities put a weight of expectation on the role of the private sector that might not always be realistic in countries facing the highest levels of fragility. This paper examines this complexity in the context of building resilience and supporting peace. It examines the links between private sector development and investment, on the one hand, and fragility, peace and resilience, on the other. The paper outlines opportunities and strategic implications for applying the tools of private sector development in countries facing the highest levels of fragility.
