Major civil wars are one of the most important source of human suffering in the world today, leaving millions of people dead, maimed, undernourished, and displaced. Since the end of the Cold War, major civil wars in developing countries have increased in number and in the magnitude of their effects.
Key issues concern the level of wealth and the role of the state.
Unless more is done to prevent humanitarian crises, the world will continue to spend vast sums on food aid, peacekeeping, and diplomacy to cope with humanitarian emergencies. There is increasing evidence that different bureaucratic performance helps explain variations in economic performance around the world. The objective of this UNU work was to undertake the first systematic data collection on bureaucratic structure and performance in Africa and thus to also expand the existing global dataset. The survey indicates that bureaucratic structure and performance vary considerably across Africa. The good news is that the relationship between the public and private sector seems to be improving across the region.