Readings And Documents On Ecowas

This book examines regional economic integration in West Africa within the context of the institutional evolution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It uses the tools of the New Institutional Economics School (NIE) to explore the origins and development of the most recent ECOWAS Treaty. Particular attention is given to the interface between domestic legal arrangements and the success of open markets at the regional and international levels.

The doctrine of international relations (inter-state, indeed), territorial ideologies, the logic of autochthony and its ramifications, ethnic cleansing, are all hinged at different levels upon the same pseudo-fact: to every society a closed and exclusive territory demarcated by fixed and linear borders. This way of thinking, totally foreign to African societies for a long time, has generated today more contradictions than it can ever solve. The authors of this book make a clear distinction between territory formation "from the top" as being a deliberate political project, and its formation "from below" as being a more diffused historical process which is determined by the scheme of antagonisms and compromises between social forces. In lieu of a stark opposition between "the top" and "below", the authors unveil the interdependence and mutual influence which form the basis of a dual system within which legal formation -by the colonial authorities first, then by the postcolonial one- is confronted with a host of subaltern spatial dynamics, neglecting thereby the legitimacy which only them can provide. As an essential read for anyone who is interested in the relationship between knowledge and power, this book offers stimulating perspectives on the issue of African unity and its epistemological and political challenges. It renews profoundly our approaches to human security, citizenship, borders and mobility.

The inspiration to write on the ECOWAS Treaty and the role of financial institutions derived from the apparent and unabated efforts of the various governments in the West African subregion to find solutions to the inexplicable sufferings and underdevelopment of the region and its people in the face of abundant but untapped human and natural resources. The strategy of integration has been employed by other jurisdictions, some of them more developed, as an option in addressing the forgoing challenges. So many years after the establishment of ECOWAS, the dream is far from being attained. Given the critical financial engagements inherent in the ECOWAS integration strategy, it is considered desirable that the treaty is rationalized to accommodate a wider role for financial institutions within the control of a supra national framework.

While Africa is too often regarded as lying on the periphery of the global political arena, this is not the case. African nations have played an important historical role in world affairs. It is with this understanding that the authors in this volume set out upon researching and writing their chapters, making an important collective contribution to our understanding of modern Africa. Taken as a whole, the chapters represent the range of research in African development, and fully tie this development to the global political economy. African nations play significant roles in world politics, both as nations influenced by the ebbs and flows of the global economy and by the international political system, but also as actors, directly influencing politics and economics. It is only through an understanding of both the history and present place of Africa in global affairs that we can begin to assess the way forward for future development.

The book is a collection of analyses on country-specific and universal efforts, programmes and projects from Africa and beyond, aimed at realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the chapters focus on the achievements and challenges that can potentially aid countries of the world and the United Nations in achieving the 17 SDGs. The chapters focus more on the challenges, prospects and concrete steps taken in the Global South towards the attainment of these goals.