JICA-RI Hosts Talks with OECD division on Service Delivery of Fragile States

A practical approach to state-building of fragile states was the topic of a seminar held by JICA-RI on April 15. As seminar presenters, JICA-RI’s Senior Research Fellow Shinichi Takeuchi was joined by Senior Economist and researcher Yukimasa Fukuda of the Institute for International Monetary Affairs and the former Polish Ambassador to Japan, Jerzy Pomianowski. Pomianowski is head of the Partnership for Democratic Governance (PDG) -- a division of OECD which seeks to improve capacity and service delivery of fragile states. The meeting addressed the question of the extent to which government functions of service delivery can be outsourced, particularly in extremely fragile situations.

Takeuchi set the stage by elaborating on two important aspects of state-building – state capacity for service delivery and legitimacy – and suggested a context-based approach to intervention according to three patterns of post-conflict scenarios identified from his research. Fukuda exemplified how intervention by the international community can also lead to obstruction of state-building in fragile states. He also suggested that Japan observe the DAC "Principles for Good International Engagement in Fragile States & Situations" donor guidelines which it took part in drafting. Pomianowski presented the core competencies of PDG and expressed how, as an extension of OECD that engages in direct dialogue with recipient governments, it is well-positioned to build coherence within aid activities among donors.

RELATED RESEARCH AREA: Peace and Development