Fragile states are risky environments. Many states fail in their responsibilities to their citizens but those states which are fragile, failed or weak are particularly liable to render their citizens vulnerable. Failures of authority or legitimacy can lead to the emergence of significant organised violence; the impact of this can then be compounded by the failure of the state to protect its citizens, especially minorities. Thus conflict as a cause of displacement often correlates with state fragility, whether as a symptom or a cause of fragility, and the ability of fragile states and their neighbours to deal with displacement has become a key indicator of failure or progress.
This issue of FMR attempts to go behind the definitions, typologies and indicators to explore some of the concepts and realities. The articles that follow also look at a variety of cases where displacement and state fragility go together or where countries are emerging from conflict-related displacement and fragility. They also discuss some of the humanitarian and development responses.
State fragility may play a significant role in forced migration relating to natural disasters or environmental crises, as failures in governance affect the vulnerabilities of populations and their ability to adapt and be resilient. We will be following up on some of these issues in FMR 45, due out in December 2013, which will have ‘Crisis migration’ as its theme.