Fragile States Workshop

Why do states fail? In the wake of the pandemic crisis and given the current geopolitical turmoil, understanding the reasons for institutional weakness and developing early warning signals is crucial, more than ever.

From 24 to 28 April 2023, our students of the Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs (GEGPA) took part in a week-long workshop on “Institutional Deficiencies and Failed States”.

Now in its fourth year, the workshop has become a traditional highlight of the GEGPA programme in Nice. Under the expert guidance of Michel-Henry Bouchet, Emeritus Global Finance Professor, and Programme Director Arnaud Leconte, the analysis focussed on bad governance and risk management in both developing and developed countries through a combination of case studies, datamining and socio-political risk assessment.

The workshop concluded with a day of country risk reports by the students and a full day of exchanges with renowned scholars and experts sharing their field experience. We thank Christopher McKee, Chairman of PRS-ICRG, Delphine Petitprez, Manager of South Africa’s Estate Mobile Bottling, Sara Brimbeuf of Transparency International, Cynthia Rocamora from Reclaim Finance, Cecilia Sottilotta of Perugia University, and Thierry Apoteker, Chairman of TAC Consulting, for their precious contributions and lively exchanges with the students.

Discussions tackled among others the root causes of political risk destabilisation, external debt restructuring, liquidity and solvency imbalances, as well as the emergence of global fragmentation with the rising role of China and other BRICS states that challenge an increasingly obsolete institutional architecture.