DUSHANBE, July 6, 2012, Asia-Plus — The Fund for Peace on June 18 released the eighth edition of its annual Failed States Index (FSI), highlighting global political, economic and social pressures experienced by states.
Tajikistan has been ranked among the world’s 60 most fragile states again. Compared to last year, Tajikistan, however, improved its position, moving from 39th to 46th place (85.7 scores).
Uzbekistan with 87.5 scores has remained in the 39th place.
Kyrgyzstan is reportedly the most improved nation, rebounding from a marked fall the previous year that was precipitated by the mid-2010 revolution that led to significant political reforms and ultimately a stable transition of power. Kyrgyzstan with 87.4 scores was ranked 41st.
The ranks of other CIS nations are as follows: Ukraine (113th); Kazakhstan (107th); Armenia (102nd); Belarus (85th); Russia (83rd), Turkmenistan (81st), Moldova (73rd); and Azerbaijan (68th).
The 2012 FSI ranks Somalia as number one for the fifth consecutive year, citing widespread lawlessness, ineffective government, terrorism, insurgency, crime, and well-publicized pirate attacks against foreign vessels.
Finland has remained in the best position, with its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Denmark rounding out the best three rankings. All three nations benefit from strong social and economic indicators, paired with excellent provision of public services and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
This year’s notable changes include countries affected by the Arab Spring. Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia all ranked significantly worse than the previous year. Libya’s decline was the most remarkable, with the country registering the worst year-on-year worsening in the history of the FSI as a result of civil war, a NATO-led campaign of airstrikes and the toppling of the Qaddafi regime. Similarly, Syria registered the fourth-greatest year-on-year worsening in the history of the FSI as the campaign of violence by the Assad government took hold.
In the wake of the massive earthquake and resultant nuclear crisis, Japan also worsened significantly. Though Japan continues to rank among the best seven percent of countries, Japan’s near-record worsening on the FSI demonstrates how susceptible even the most stable of nations are to sudden shocks.
The FSI ranks 177 countries using 12 social, economic, and political indicators of pressure on the state, along with over 100 sub-indicators. These include such issues as Uneven Development, State Legitimacy, Group Grievance, and Human Rights. Each indicator is rated on a scale of 1-10, based on the analysis of millions of publicly available documents, other quantitative data, and assessments by analysts. A high score indicates high pressure on the state, and therefore a higher risk of instability.
The Failed States Index 2012 will be formally launched at an event on the morning of Friday, July 13 at the University Club in Washington, D.C. held in conjunction with Digital Globe and Creative Associates.
The United States think-tank Fund for Peace and the Foreign Policy magazine have published the index since 2005. A failed state has several attributes. Common indicators include a state whose central government is so weak or ineffective that it has little practical control over much of its territory; non-provision of public services; widespread corruption and criminality; refugees and involuntary movement of populations; sharp economic decline.
