U.S. Army War College
The State-Owned Enterprise as a Vehicle for Stability
This report looks at the role of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in post-conflict environments. It recommends that agents engaged in stability operations should work with development planners to encourage mid- to long-term institutional capacity building that enhances the conflict-prone country’s broader capacity for sustained growth. The intended end state of SOEs in stability operations should be functioning entities that can attract new investment, perhaps by privatization when and where appropriate. Although revitalizing SOEs can be complex and ambiguous, the task can be a useful, intermediate objective on the road to a post-conflict sustainable economy.
