Research Theme
Tax, Conflict, and Fragility
In fragile and conflict-affected settings, taxation is not only a source of revenue but also a critical foundation for building state legitimacy, strengthening public authority, and fostering more equitable governance. Our research explores how taxation functions in fragile settings, examining the challenges, risks, and opportunities it presents for peacebuilding, state-building, and citizen engagement. We aim to inform more coherent and context-sensitive policy approaches that support sustainable development and effective governance in fragile states.
Our work focuses both on how formal tax systems operate in fragile settings, as well as on the informal fiscal systems that often exist in these contexts. This includes, but is not limited to, work on:
• Building tax systems in fragile contexts
• The relationship between tax and state-building
• Armed group taxation
• Informal taxation
• Roadblock taxation
Key Resources
Tax, Conflict, and Fragility Library
In the Midst of Conflict and Gang Rule: What Would Make Haiti’s Wealthy Supportive of Property Tax?
Imagine living in a country where non-state actors provide most basic services instead of the state, natural disasters are frequent,…
From Afghanistan to Venezuela, new research shows how roadblocks shape governance and everyday life in conflict contexts
Launch of new project on armed group taxation
Hosted by the United Nations University-World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank and…
Webinar
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Timezone: UTC+2
As of 2024, 50% of the world’s extreme poor lived in fragility, conflict and violence affected countries, and this figure is only projected to increase in the coming years. Fragile and conflict-affected contexts present some of the most complex challenges
Virtual
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Timezone: Europe/London
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