Lessons Learned from World Bank Experience in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Abstract

The World Bank is engaged in 38 post-conflict countries and areas. A fifth of Bank commitments were devoted to those countries in FY2004. The Bank created a new post-conflict unit in 1998 and instituted a new grant facility, the post-conflict fund to reinforce its capacity to respond to reconstruction situations. Twenty-two conflict-affected countries have ongoing post- conflict fund grants. This note explores recent experience of the World Bank with post-conflict reconstruction with the objective of drawing lessons for future assistance. The need for early engagement in post conflict settings, for a strong field presence, for adapting Bank services and products to the realities of post-conflict situations, and for effective aid coordination and partnerships with other donors, emerges as key lessons. The paper also draws on the 1997 policy framework paper on the role of the Bank in post-conflict reconstruction and Bank strategy, economic and sector work, project, and program documents. The paper is organized as follows: section one gives introduction. Section two draws the main issues that emerged from the Bank's experience in post-conflict settings. This provides the basis for section three, which offers concluding remarks.