Global InformationFailed state information
A failed state is a state that has lost its ability to fulfill fundamental security and development functions, lacking effective control over its territory and borders. Common characteristics of a failed state include a government incapable of tax collection, law enforcement, security assurance, territorial control, political or civil office staffing, and infrastructure maintenance.[2] When this happens, widespread corruption and criminality, the intervention of state and non-state actors, the appearance of refugees and the involuntary movement of populations, sharp economic decline, and military intervention from both within and outside the state are much more likely to occur.[3]
Originating in the 1990s, the term was initially applied to characterize the situation in Somalia. The country descended into disorder following a coup that ousted its dictator, Siad Barre, in 1991, leading to internal conflicts among the country's clans.[2] In the early 2020s, Afghanistan,[4] the Central African Republic, DR Congo, Haiti,[5][6] Libya,[7][8] Mali,[9][10] Myanmar,[11][12] Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan,[13] Syria,[4] and Yemen[14] have all been described as failed states.[15] There are concerns that Lebanon[4][16][17] and South Africa[18][19] may also be on the path to becoming failed states in the near future.
Various metrics have been developed to describe the level of governance of states, with significant variation among authorities regarding the specific level of government control needed to consider a state as failed.[20] In 2023, the Fund for Peace, a think tank, identified twelve countries in its most susceptible categories on the Fragile States Index.[21] Formally designating a state as "failed" can be a controversial decision with significant geopolitical implications.
- ^ "Somalia Declared World's No. 1 Failed State, Terrorism Cited". ABC News. 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b "The A to Z of international relations". The Economist. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Fragile States FAQ Number 6: What Does 'State Fragility' Mean?". the Fund for Peace. Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ a b c "What makes a failed state?". The Economist. 2021-09-02. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ Taylor, Luke (2023-01-10). "Haiti left with no elected government officials as it spirals towards anarchy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ Editorial Board (2023-05-18). "Opinion | The West fiddles as Haiti unravels". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Authorities try to contain anger in aftermath of Libya floods". Reuters. 2023-09-20.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (2023-09-13). "Libya's floods are result of climate crisis meeting a failed state". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Factbox: Why Mali is in turmoil again". Reuters. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Mali timeline: From military coup to interim leaders removed". Al Jazeera. 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- ^ "Myanmar could be Asia's next failed state". The Economist. 2021-04-15. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "UN envoy: Myanmar faces possibility of major civil war". AP News. 2021-03-31. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "After one year of war, Sudan is a failing state". The Economist. 2024-04-15. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "The US Navy confronts a new Suez crisis". The Economist. 2023-12-19. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bti-indiceswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Analysis: Often on brink, Lebanon headed toward collapse". AP News. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Hezbollah's reaction to the Israel-Hamas war could finally answer whether the group cares more about Lebanon or being a proxy for Iran". Fortune. 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Business leaders fear that South Africa risks becoming a failed state". The Economist. 2021-05-22. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "South Africa could become failed state, says ANC's Fikile Mbalula". BBC. 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ Patrick, Stewart (2007). "'Failed' States and Global Security: Empirical Questions and Policy Dilemmas". International Studies Review. 9 (4): 644–662. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2486.2007.00728.x. 1079-1760.
- ^ "Fragile States Index 2023 – Annual Report | Fragile States Index". fragilestatesindex.org. Retrieved 2023-12-20.