Social cohesion and forced displacement

This desk review aims to contribute toward a stronger conceptual and practical understanding of social cohesion in the context of forced displacement. The review includes reflection onthe current portfolio of WBG forced displacement projects, many of which have a stated aim to improve social cohesion. The review identifies a number of gaps in current practice including a lack of clear definition of social cohesion; a lack of analysis on the political and historical context; (which determine social relations in the context of forced displacement); a lack of coherence in project design with a tendency to be over-optimistic about the extent to which a project by itself can promote social cohesion; and a lack of monitoring and evaluation to establish changes and influences on social tensions.