State-building in Fragile and Conflict-affected Conditions
The paper argues that the instability of the 21st century is rooted in a "crisis of governance" where citizens lose trust in their state. It moves away from short-term humanitarian "aid" toward a long-term "State-building Agenda." The central thesis is that a state is only legitimate when it can bridge the gap between its international legal recognition and its actual ability to perform core functions for its people.
Key Pillars of the Paper
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The Ten Functions of the State: The authors identify ten essential tasks that a state must perform simultaneously to be effective. These range from maintaining a monopoly on the means of violence and the rule of law to managing public finances, investing in human capital, and creating a market.
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The Sovereignty Gap: It identifies the "gap" as the space where a state fails to perform its duties, leading to corruption, criminality, and reliance on foreign actors. The goal of state-building is to "close" this gap.
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The Double Compact: A proposed strategy where the state enters into two simultaneous agreements:
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With its Citizens: Providing security and services in exchange for taxes and legitimacy.
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With the International Community: Ensuring transparency and reform in exchange for predictable, long-term investment.
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Simultaneous Transitions: The paper emphasizes that states must manage multiple transitions at once—political, economic, and administrative—rather than focusing on just one area (like elections) at the expense of others (like financial management).