World Bank Seeks New Focus on Capacity Building, Jobs Creation
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The international community should refocus its development efforts toward strengthening national institutions and improving governance in ways that promote citizen security, provide justice and create jobs, particularly in fragile states, the World Bank’s latest World Development Report suggests.
The World Development Report 2011 says this new focus is necessary to address and end chronic cycles of violence and conflict that currently affect up to 1.5 billion people around the world. This chronic insecurity is among the biggest threats to existing and future development efforts, the report argues. Failure to address its roots could stall, and even reverse, progress made in global health, education and other Millennium Development Goals-related efforts, the report adds.
The report says capable and legitimate national institutions are crucial because they could help mediate the various stresses, such as unemployment, income shocks and ethnic or political tensions, that are among the lead causes of violence and unrest, as shown by recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.
