Overcoming Fragility in Africa. Forging a New European Approach

Abstract

The European Report on Development will help the European Union to refine its vision on development, enrich its policies and influence the international debate. It will also complement other flagship reports on development, in an attempt to reflect the diversity of views that may coexist on various issues and – where relevant – the specific European approaches, based both on Europe’s political and social values and its own history and experience. Indeed, we are convinced that there should not be any monopoly of thinking in a field as complex and rich as development policy. This year’s first edition deals with the complex and multidimensional issue of ‘fragility’, with a specific focus on sub-Saharan Africa, where most fragile countries are located. Described as the “toughest development challenge of our era”, dealing with situations of fragility is, rightly, a growing concern both for Europe and for the entire international community. An intensive participatory process, bringing on board a wide range of top scholars, policy-makers and civil society representatives, both from Europe and Africa, was at the heart of this ambitious policy research initiative. Through building common analytical ground on how better to grasp these difficult situations, this first edition of the ERD will help Europe fine tune its strategic approach to fragility and define more coherent policies in the future.