Articles

Articles

How to grow businesses in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Fragile and conflict-affected countries have become a growing part of the development agenda, not least because of the impact of fragility and conflict on poverty levels, and vice versa.More than a billion people live in countries affected by fragility and conflict. The recently releasedOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development report, “States of Fragility 2015,” emphasizes that reducing the poverty in these countries is an urgent priority. The 50 countries on the OECD’s fragile states list are home to 43 percent of people living on less than $1.25 per day, potentially reaching 62 percent by 2030. Boosting economic growth and improving livelihoods in these markets is therefore essential.

Governance