ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the two dominant contemporary discourses on business and conflict in fragile states, tracing their sources and surveying their expressions in contemporary international policy. It explores the logical extension of this perspective, namely advocacy for a variety of legal-regulatory approaches to contain the worst forms of corporate conduct in fragile states, both through legal accountability in the companies’ home countries and through international regulation. The book also explores the competing view of the multinational corporation as a force for conflict reduction in fragile states. It further explores how promising approaches can be applied in fragmented and even hostile political environments. The book argues that international policy debates caught up in old ways of looking at business, conflict and fragility are for the most part ignoring violence reduction and conflict management approaches that can mitigate today’s conflicts.