World Development Report 2011 : Conflict, security, and development

With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by conflict, the World Development Report 2011 (WDR) looks into the changing nature of violence in the 21st century. Interstate and civil wars characterized violent conflict in the last century; more pronounced today is violence linked to local disputes, political repression, and organized crime. The Report underlines the negative impact of persistent conflict on a country's or a region' s development prospects, and notes that no low-income, conflict-affected state has yet achieved a single Millennium Development Goal. The WDR 2011 draws on the experiences of countries that have successfully managed to transition away from repetitive violence, pointing to a specific need to prioritize actions that build confidence between states and citizens, and develop institutions that can provide security, justice, and jobs. It draws together ons from national reformers escaping from repetitive cycles of violence, and advocates a greater focus on continuous preventive action, balancing a sometimes excessive concentration on postconflict reconstruction. Based on new research, case studies, and extensive consultations with leaders and other actors throughout the world, the Report proposes a toolkit of options for addressing violence that can be adapted to local contexts, as well as new directions for international policy intended to improve support for national reformers and to tackle stresses that emanate from global or regional trends beyond any one country's control.