Giving Compass' Take:

• Brookings analyzes reports reports from the UN and World Bank that shows how fragile states can be stabilized with development-based spending on defense.

• This isn't always the primary goal of aid organizations, but security concerns have been addressed by donors in the past. As conflicts in Syria and others escalate, we must look at how more financing can make people safer.

• Can health gains be achieved in conflict regions? This articles explores the issue.

One of the first things that visitors see when entering the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C., is a small plaque proclaiming a grand aspiration: “Our dream is a world free of poverty.” Over time, this mantra has become associated with projects ranging from building dams and highways, to creating jobs and spurring private sector growth. But in a world where 2 billion people continue to live in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence, will the next generation of development finance support police and armies to keep the peace? In many ways, the answer could be yes.

The intellectual groundwork for this potential shift has been laid over the past decade. Two World Development Reports tackled the security-development nexus. The WDR 2011explicitly argued that investments in citizen security and justice reform can help countries break recurring cycles of violence. The WDR 2017 surmised that good governance reduces incentives for violent behavior though channels such as effective deterrence, equitable distribution of resources, and legitimate dispute resolution. Meanwhile, the United Nations and World Bank have also published two reports that bring together expertise in security and development: a methodology on how to analyze public spending of defense and justice institutions in fragile states and a flagship study on prevention of violent conflict.

An emerging conclusion from these studies is that security actors can benefit from development interventions, which boost their performance, ensure greater accountability, and financial solvency.

Read the full article about how the development sector approaches security by Paul M. Bisca at Brookings.