Conflict

Conflict is a key issue impacting on countries in the East Asia region, and the bouts of instability and violence that have threatened the well being of countries is by no means a new phenomenon.

East Asia’s "economic miracle" in the 1970's and 80's masked the severe internal social cleavages that are present in many countries. At the same time, the economic downturn of the late 1990's exacerbated existing political and socio-economic divisions and conflicts. The recent upsurge in violence and conflict has made it clear that if sustainable development is to take root, there is a need for efforts that can foster social cohesion and build effective institutions and mechanisms to mediate conflict and manage diversity. Economic growth alone will not make these issues go away.

Recognizing that conflict undermines the World Bank’s core mission, by causing social and economic disintegration and by reducing development gains, the World Bank has been providing greater attention to conflict management and social stability in its development planning and oversight.

Operational policies are now in place that emphasize the importance of integrating conflict sensitivity and analysis into the Bank’s development assistance. The World Bank's Operational Policy on Development Cooperation and Conflict (O.P. 2.30) enhances the Bank's capacity to respond to conflict situations through flexible and rapid application of the Bank’s resources to break cycles of conflict. In addition, the Bank's activities in conflict-affected areas are guided by the Operational Policy on Emergency Recovery Assistance (O.P. 8.50).

World Bank instruments for strategic engagement in conflict-affected countries include Country Assistance Strategies, Transitional Support Strategies, Watching Briefs and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Finally, Bank policies are guided by the three broad categories of country context: (a) countries that are vulnerable to conflict; (b) countries in conflict; and (c) countries emerging from conflict.