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Fragile and conflict-affected settings account for a growing share of global poverty. Roughly 2 billion people live in these areas, accounting for 25% of the world’s population but 72% of the world’s extreme poor. At the national level, many fragile economies struggle to sustain growth, create jobs, and recover from repeated shocks.

Yet even amid conflict, climate stress, and political instability, some communities continue to adapt, work, trade, and invest. For these “islands of resilience,” local livelihoods, skills, trust, and collective action support local economic activity that connects to broader growth trajectories. Understanding these dynamics can help identify how strategic support can strengthen resilience, recovery, and livelihoods in at-risk economies.

Join us for this event marking the launch of the IFPRI–UNU-WIDER research partnership, which will work with local partners to generate evidence on the engines of growth that sustain economic activity amid fragility. This seminar will bring together researchers, donors, policy stakeholders, and implementation partners to discuss why some local economies remain resilient under stress, what evidence is needed to guide investment and programming, and how policy can support locally grounded pathways to economic recovery.

This event was supported by the CGIAR Food Frontiers and Security Program. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by CGIAR funders through the CGIAR Trust Fund. For more information visit: https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/food-frontiers-and-security/.

Welcome Remarks

• Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), IFPRI
• Patricia Justino, Director, UNU-WIDER

Presentations from IFPRI and UNU-WIDER

• Katrina Kosec, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
• Patricia Justino, Director, UNU-WIDER

Panel Discussion: Unlocking Local Economies for Resilient Recovery

• Ambassador Seif Kandeel, Director General, Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding
• Elizabeth Radin, Senior Director of Research, International Rescue Committee
• Luis Felipe López-Calva, Global Director, Prosperity Vertical, World Bank Group

Closing Remarks

• Purnima Menon, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, IFPRI

Moderator

• Kibrom Abay, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI