Engaging with Fragile States: Challenges and Opportunities

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank will host a conference on Engaging with Fragile States: Challenges and Opportunities, in close collaboration with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The conference will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 24 and 25 July 2007 at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The aim of the conference is to stimulate discussions among in-country policymakers and bilateral and multilateral development agencies on how best to engage with fragile states, providing governments and donors with a basis for concrete action. About 150-200 key players on fragile states are expected to attend, including several Ministers and other high-ranking government officials, members of the diplomatic community, heads and staff of development agencies, and leading representatives of civil society and NGOs.

Some featured speakers include Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); Ashraf Ghani, Former Minister of Finance, Afghanistan, and Chair, Institute for State Effectiveness; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Former Finance Minister and Foreign Minister, Nigeria (by video); H.E. Antoinette M. Sayeh, Minister of Finance, Liberia (by video); Dr. Soumana Sako, Executive Secretary, Africa Capacity Building Foundation; and, Lazaro Sumbeiywo, Kenyan Special Envoy for Intergovernmental Authority of Development (IGAD).

The conference will have four sessions:

1.  Governance and Fragility;

2.  Post-Conflict Capacity Development and Governance;

3. Country-Level Donor Coordination; and

4. Sustainable Peace and Post-Conflict Transitions

Each session will identify specific problems as experienced in fragile states, discuss actions that have been successful in addressing them, highlight approaches to be avoided, and draw lessons to ensure enhanced development outcomes in fragile states. The sessions will result in guidance for each of the different groups of stakeholders in fragile states--governments, donors, and civil society/NGOs.

To register, please go to: http://www.worldbank.org/ieg/licus/conference/