Making States Work: State Failure and the Crisis of Governance

by United Nations, Michael Ignatieff (Editor), Ramesh Thakur (Editor)

In the wealth of literature on state failure, little attention has been paid to the questions of what constitutes state success and what enables a state to succeed. This book examines the strategies and tactics of international actors, local political elites, and civil society groups to build or rebuild public institutions before they reach the point of failure—to make the state work. It is frequently assumed that the collapse of state structures leads to a vacuum of political power. This is rarely the case. Basic questions of how best to ensure physical and economic security don't disappear when the institutions of the state break down. Non-state actors in such situations may exercise political power over local populations to provide basic social services from education to medical care. Even where non-state actors exist as parasites, political life goes on. How to engage in such an environment is a problem for policymakers in intergovernmental organizations and donor governments. But it poses far greater difficulties for the embattled state institutions and the populations of such territories. Making States Work examines how these various actors have responded to crises in the legitimacy and viability of state institutions, emphasizing situations in which the state has been salvaged or at least kept afloat.

Genres: Politics

424 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2005

About the author

From http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/index.sh...

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.

Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 193 Member States to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.

The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, environment and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women, governance, economic and social development and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more, in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future generations.

The UN has 4 main purposes:

* To keep peace throughout the world;
* To develop friendly relations among nations;
* To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms;
* To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.