Presenting case studies and comparisons across seven countries, this book addresses key questions as to the nature of state fragility, policies used to mitigate it, assessment of outcomes and prospects.

Nematullah Bizhan is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Development Policy Centre at The Australian National University, Australia, and a Senior Research Associate with the Global Economic Governance Program, Oxford University, UK.

1. State fragility: An introduction 2. Building legitimacy and state capacity in Afghanistan 3. Proximate causes of state fragility and sources of resilience in Lebanon 4. The origin and persistence of state fragility in Burundi 5. Heterogeneous fragility in Pakistan 6. The persistence of fragility in Sierra Leone 7. A weak state and strong microsocieties in Papua New Guinea 8. Consolidating peace and legitimacy in Rwanda 9. Conclusion