How Soon Can Donors Exit From Post-Conflict States? - Working Paper 141

When can a donor successfully exit from an on-the-ground presence in a post-conflict state? The answer, according to a new CGD working paper by former visiting fellow Satish Chand and his co-author: not for a very long time. In the cases of Liberia, Mozambique, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, considered here, the authors argue, the best-case scenario for successful exit ranges from 15 to 27 years. Of essence, however, is the time spent in post-conflict countries, rather than the dollar value of support provided. An extended donor presence, argues Chand, provides the space for the creation, sustenance, and maturation of institutions that are finally able to undergird the state from rolling back into state failure on donor exit.