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Tax & conflict workshop and roundtable – pathways to statebuilding
Thu, 27 March 2025 08:30
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Fri, 28 March 2025 16:00
UNU-WIDER, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, hosts a two-day tax & conflict workshop and roundtable, ‘Pathways to statebuilding – challenges and opportunities’, to explore the fiscal foundations of governance in fragile settings.
The event examines how taxation—formal, informal, and extra-legal—shapes statebuilding in conflict-affected areas. Competition over revenue mobilization drives power struggles between state and non-state actors, influencing transitions from armed groups to governing bodies. The discussions highlight findings from UNU-WIDER’s From conflict to cohesion research area, alongside new work on criminal governance, to propose sustainable policy solutions.
The workshop focuses on rebuilding institutional and fiscal capacity in post-conflict states, where weak governance structures, financial constraints, and shifting donor priorities create significant challenges. High-level roundtables bring together experts, policymakers, and researchers to discuss pathways for strengthening bureaucracies, improving public financial management, and ensuring long-term stability.
Discussions take place under Chatham House rules to foster open and solution-oriented dialogue.
Day 1 Programme
| 08:30-08:40 | Welcome and introductions |
| 08:40-09:00 | Project conceptual framework |
| 09:00-10:30 | The role of revenue mobilization in contexts of violence and fragility |
| 10:30-10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45-12:15 | Building effective fiscal capacity in fragile settings |
| 12:15-13:15 | Lunch |
| 13:15-15:15 | Policy solutions to criminal governance |
| 15:15-15:30 | Coffee break |
| 15:30-17:00 | Session on building a database on armed group taxation |
Day 2 Programme
| 10:30-11:00 | Welcome coffee |
| 11:00-11:15 | Opening remarks |
| 11:15-12:45 | Roundtable 1: Pathways to strengthening institutional and fiscal capacity in fragile settings: learning from past experiences |
| 12:45-14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00-15:30 | Roundtable 2: The role of the international development cooperation in supporting institutional and fiscal recovery in fragile contexts |
| 15:30-16:00 | Coffee and networking |