Regime change and nation building: can donors restore governance in post‐conflict states?

Abstract

AbstractForeign aid agencies and international assistance organisations are now heavily involved in nation building in post‐conflict states. Their record of strengthening democratic governance in countries where civil war or military force replaced unpopular regimes is mixed. Experience suggests that a complex set of conditions must be created quickly in order to rebuild indigenous governance. Ensuring security, providing assistance through a transparent and coherent plan of action, coordinating donors' activities, establishing strong and legitimate national authority, strengthening democratic political processes, transferring responsibility and resources for development to a new government, stabilising the economy and strengthening social capital and human assets must all be done in quick succession. Achieving these goals requires a cadre of civilian and, sometimes, military personnel with expertise in post‐conflict nation building. The frequency with which government aid programmes and international assistance organisations engage in post‐conflict reconstruction also suggests the need for more explicit national and international policies and the creation of specialised nation‐building agencies to undertake these difficult tasks. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.