Harmonisation, alignment, basket funds, SWAPs, general budget support, sector budget support, sector reform programmes, performance assessment framework etc. The world of development has witnessed the emergence of numerous new concepts and paradigms in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the selected experience with the new concepts and approaches as witnessed by consultants from CopenhagenDC.

Since the end of the cold war, protracted conflicts further to civil war, often of ethnic or religious nature – and/or dictated by antagonism to the new unipolar world order - in a number of cases have resulted in comprehensive, combined civilian-military, interventions (including Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq). In addition, internationally supported peace-building operations have taken place in a large number of countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, DR Congo, Darfur, Angola and Mozambique.