Sharing Knowledge to Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies
The Fragility Forum 2020, which was postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 and re-launched as a virtual series held between June and August 2020, brought together more than 1,000 participants from across the development, humanitarian, diplomatic and security communities to share their knowledge under the theme “Partnering for Development and Peace.”.
With the aim to improve the way in which domestic development processes interact with security, diplomacy, mediation, and other efforts to prevent conflicts from becoming violent, the Bank produced Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict. The report stresses the importance of grievances related to exclusion—from access to power, natural resources, security and justice, for example—that are at the root of many violent conflicts today.
With forced displacement a continuing issue, in 2017 the Bank launched the report, Forcibly Displaced – Toward a development approach supporting refugees, the internally displaced, and their hosts.
Highlights from the World Bank Group’s Operational Work
Horn of Africa: Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project
This project supports a long-term development response to systemic and structural constraints faced by underserved refugee-hosting areas in Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti, further exacerbated by the presence of refugees. It seeks to address forced displacement impacts as a development challenge, as well as a humanitarian and security issue–covering social, economic, and environmental needs in host communities through interlinked technical and investment support. It also aims to help the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) with policy dialogue and engagement, research, capacity support, knowledge management, and partnerships for innovative responses to displacement and mixed migration in the Horn of Africa.
Iraq: Emergency Reconstruction Project
In the last two decades, Iraq has witnessed a dramatic fall in almost all human development indicators, and civil war and insurgency have further undermined service delivery. This $350 million project, with additional financing of $400 million approved in late 2017, will promote inclusive recovery and reconstruction in conflict-affected areas through reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the restoration of public services delivery.
Central African Republic: Londo (‘Stand-Up’) Project
With about a quarter of its population displaced, the situation in CAR has the potential to destabilize fragile neighboring countries. The Bank’s stabilization project will provide temporary employment to vulnerable people through national labor-intensive public works programs. The project has successfully deployed in rebel-controlled areas and set examples in partnering with peacekeeping forces and the humanitarian community.
Pastoralism and Stability in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa (PASSHA) Project
Pastoralism is key to the economies in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa (HoA). These countries have recently experienced mounting levels of instability and insecurity, threatening the livelihoods of the local farmers and ranchers. In the northern parts of the Sahel and the Sahara, there is a marked increase in all types of trafficking, kidnapping and stealing of cattle and goods. This project will support activities to understand what impact pastoral interventions can have on reducing conflict; support programs to monitor conflicts and provide regional conflict warning systems.
Lebanon: National Volunteer Service Program
This program seeks to increase social cohesion and employability among Lebanese youth aged 15-24 through the delivery of soft skills training and the promotion of civic engagement for improved social service delivery. To date, more than 6,000 youths and 120 different municipalities, NGOs, schools, and universities have been directly involved in the project’s activities. This project is supported by the State and Peacebuilding Fund as well as the MENA MDFT and the World Bank’s Leadership Learning and Innovation Vice-Presidency.
IFC in Iraq: Mass Global Energy Sulimaniya
In Iraq, the number one concern for many people is a lack of electricity. Power stations and transmission lines are in dire need of upgrade, and demand has spiked in areas affected by the region’s migrant crisis. Low oil prices are straining public finances and the security situation makes investors loath to put their money in Iraq, even for short periods.
IFC, the WBG’s private sector arm, and Lebanon’s Bank Audi are jolting Iraq’s power infrastructure back into shape by investing $375 million investment in Iraqi company, Mass Global Energy Sulimaniya. The financing will enable the company to build a new power station near Baghdad, and expand an existing power plant in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The region has experienced a recent influx of more than 1 million Iraqis fleeing violence from the Islamic State, as well as 250,000 Syrian refugees. Blackouts and “load shedding” occur daily across the country. Expanding electricity capacity and repairing transmission lines will go a long way to meet Iraq’s critical development needs after decades of war and under-investment.
IFC is deploying blended concessional finance through the IDA-IFC-MIGA Private Sector Window and other related facilities, including those focused on agribusiness, SME finance, infrastructure and women entrepreneurs and expanding coverage in middle income countries affected by FCS issues, such as forced displacement.
Over the past three years, IFC has invested $2.6 billion (IFC own account), $9.1 billion including core mobilization in FCS and LIC-IDA. In FY20, IFC committed $2.4 billion in FCS and LIC-IDA ($928 million own account, $1.5 billion mobilization).
IFC activities in Sub-Saharan Africa | IFC activities in MENA
Last Updated: Oct 01, 2020