World Bank Fragility Forum 2026
FF2026 takes place amid a rapidly evolving FCV landscape. FCV now affects countries at all levels of income with widespread effects on development and poverty reduction. In 2024, for the first time, FCV-affected countries accounted for over half of the people living in extreme poverty. Moreover, the decades-long global decline in extreme poverty is now projected to reverse by 2030 because of the growing number of extreme poor in FCV-affected countries.
In response to this evolving landscape, the World Bank Group (WBG) has refreshed its FCV Strategy to be more effective in FCV settings. Building on lessons learned, the refreshed Strategy identifies the need for strategic shifts towards better anticipation of FCV risks, stronger differentiation of development programming in accordance with the potential for lasting impact in different FCV settings, and more effective engagement on jobs in FCV. It also recognizes that the WBG will need to evolve its own systems and operations to enable these shifts.
FF2026 will be organized into three thematic areas, aligned with the shifts outlined in the refreshed WBG FCV Strategy. Additional special topics to be addressed include forced displacement, gender, organized crime and violence, justice, security, and climate, among others.
2026 Themes
In FCV environments, sustainable jobs and livelihoods are largely underpinned by small, local enterprises. Yet supporting jobs in domestic Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in FCV contexts is a challenging endeavor given the risks, constraints in the business environment, the scale and scope of MSME capacity building and financing needs, and the complexity of undertaking necessary reforms in politically contested contexts.
Fragility Forum sessions addressing this thematic area will discuss challenges and good practices in supporting the private sector in FCV and how this contributes to resilience, stability, and a lasting peace. It will focus on domestic MSMEs in particular including reforms, foundational systems, infrastructure, human capital development, and investments in capacity and private capital mobilization for MSMEs and supporting institutions. Sessions will focus on the challenges of jobs and livelihoods for women, youth, and refugees, key sectors for job growth and livelihoods in FCV such as farming and agribusiness, and how job growth can be further enabled by expanded access to energy and digital.
Anticipating FCV risks allows us to respond proactively to mitigate and potentially contribute to prevention of violent conflict and its impacts. Recent advances in data technologies combined with in-depth contextual knowledge allow development practitioners to better anticipate risks of political instability and escalation or outbreak of violent conflict that could reverse hard-won development gains.
Discussions in this thematic area will explore data, analytical frameworks, and practical approaches for FCV risk monitoring, forecasting and management, including AI technology and advanced modeling. Discussions will be around their reliability and effectiveness in providing actionable early warning or risk forecasts. We will examine anticipating FCV risks in the context of compounding risks, such as macro-fiscal pressures, climate, food insecurity, and others that can exacerbate FCV and lead to spillovers.
Building on risk assessments, it will explore the scope of action in identifying and supporting opportunities to shift conflict trajectories or prevent escalation. Leaders and policymakers will share reflections on moments seized and missed opportunities.
This theme will explore the complexities and tradeoffs in engaging with governments that demonstrate commitment to impactful reforms and actions that have lasting impact. It will examine the role of the international community in supporting positive transition, and its responsibilities when such commitment is absent . Against the backdrop of escalating FCV risks and scarce resources, discussions will also consider what constitutes lasting impact looks in challenging contexts, including protracted conflict, crisis, and periods of recovery and reconstruction.
In addition, discussions will focus on the mandates, roles and timescales of different partners in supporting trajectory shifting, transformational commitments, including development, humanitarian, peacebuilding, security, and political partners. Partnerships in FCV settings may take diverse forms, including analytical collaboration, policy dialogue along multiple tracks, and joint financing with multilateral and bilateral partners, civil society organizations, as well as international and local private sector actors. Discussions will focus on building effective partnership models, promoting innovative approaches, and identifying opportunities to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable.
More information
The description is extracted from worldbank.org.
