The Covid-19 pandemic is a massive public health and humanitarian crisis. At the same time, it is a crisis of governance, in which global, national and local governance institutions have been tested to their limits. This paper asks how the pandemic has impacted upon fragility, violent conflict and human rights. It suggests that it should be seen as an opportunity to do better, rather than the same or worse, on peace, governance and social equality. Doing better can only be achieved through cooperation, building on trust relationships emerging during the pandemic. Development partners can engage by: promoting state–civil society cooperation and resilience; encouraging human rights initiatives; supporting inclusive and effective institutions; and by supporting conflict prevention and peacebuilding. To have any chance of succeeding, their initiatives need to draw upon sound analysis and empirical understanding: of the pandemic itself; and of its wider change impacts.