Development, governance, and security in the Middle East: Obstacles and opportunities

“Development, governance, and security in the Middle East: Obstacles and opportunities” is a multi-year project in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency seeking to examine the governance failures present in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and to unpack how these failures have hindered stable development and human security. In particular, the series of essays and other pieces published through the project aims to inform the efforts of the international community, multilateral institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and other actors as they engage in development efforts in the Middle East.

The project’s first tranche of papers examines the lessons derived from cases throughout the MENA region, with a particular focus on conflict and post-conflict settings, showing how political structures, regional dynamics, and international involvement and interference have stunted the political aspirations and impeded the human security of people across the region.