WASHINGTON, DC, United States (CMC) — The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) has developed a new approach to support Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in the face of growing challenges posed by criminal violence.

The “Framework to Support Populations in Situations of Fragility, Conflict and Criminal Violence” addresses one of the region’s main development challenges.

The IDB said that violence has an estimated cost of at least 3.5 per cent of regional gross domestic product and that one of the framework’s main novelties is a territorial approach, identifying areas affected by fragility, conflict and criminal violence not only at the national level but also at the subnational one.

“Currently, middle-income countries in our region, with relatively strong institutions at the national level, face challenges in terms of conflict and criminal violence in specific geographic areas, with impacts that span cities, departments, and even larger regions, sometimes transcending borders,” the IDB said.

The IDB Group said it is the first multilateral institution to prioritise a comprehensive territorial approach that includes middle-income countries.

It said a second novel aspect is its focus on the growth of violence and criminal governance in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as their social, economic and institutional effects. The presence and activities of criminal organisations, it noted, weaken development opportunities, often forcing the internal and international displacement of people and amplifying pre-existing inequalities.

The Framework to Support Populations in Situations of Fragility, Conflict and Criminal Violence is the IDB Group’s strategic roadmap for achieving tangible results through financial and non-financial support.

The IDB Group said it will redouble its efforts to boost capacity to identify and understand the drivers, manifestations and effects of fragility, conflict and criminal violence; strengthen technical support to countries; and work with approaches tailored to on-the-ground realities.

“This new, more comprehensive and ambitious approach to our work is a key step forward for the IDB Group in its support to the region on issues of citizen security and criminal violence,” said IDB Vice-President for Countries Anabel González.

“We are aware of the enormous challenges posed by the fight against fragility and crime, but by working together with our partners, the private sector and other relevant actors we can make significant strides to improve the lives of millions of people,” said González.

In the meantime, IDB Vice-President for Sectors and Knowledge Ana María Ibáñez said the bank has has extensive experience supporting countries in the region on issues of citizen security, institutional capacity, migratory flows and sustainable territorial development.

“This experience has taught us key lessons that we will incorporate into the new IDB Group approach to matters of fragility and criminal violence, all of which will undoubtedly make our work more impactful,” she said.

The document is aligned with the IDB Group’s new Institutional Strategy approved by the governors, which identifies institutional capacity, rule of law and citizen security as one of our seven operational priorities.