Peter Albrecht

Why is it still relevant to probe the notion of fragility? Because although the concept has been heavily criticised it continues to be widely used in policy on conflict, security and development. This brief traces the development of the fragile state concept to argue that it is tenacious precisely because it is analytically vacuous and malleable, rather than an accurate diagnostic tool. Although the concept might be politically useful for international donors, it is unhelpful for developing context-sensitive and targeted interventions.