Paper short abstract:

This paper looks at the evolution of the World Bank's approach to fragile states since the 1990s, and the role that social protection has played within these countries in achieving the Bank's 'twin goals' of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Paper long abstract:

Social protection has become a dominant strategy in the World Bank's toolkit as it seeks to achieve its 'twin goals' of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. However, its social protection strategies over the years have been predominantly focused on middle-income countries with strong institutional architecture. After years of minimal engagement, however, the World Bank has recently focused its attention on the issue of 'fragile and conflict-affected states', as it is predicted that over 50% of the global poor will reside in fragile and conflict-affected states by the year 2020. Drawing on documentary analysis and over 40 interviews with senior World Bank staff, this paper traces the development of the Bank's approach to fragile states since the 1990s, and analyses the role social protection has played over time within its developmental strategies in its fight to combat poverty and inequality in these countries.