3 - Regional Economic Integration and the Governance Challenge in Africa: Missing Links in the African Peer Review Mechanism
Corresponding Author(s) : Peace Akudo Jiboku
Africa Development,
Vol. 41 No. 2 (2016): Africa Development
Abstract
There exists a growing consensus among scholars and observers that critical issues on governance and development in Africa, which have remained unresolved, continue to pose obstacles to Africa’s economic integration efforts. Although the continent has witnessed different stages in the evolution of regional economic integration, and notwithstanding that regionalism has continued to occupy a central position in Africa’s development agenda, there is a missing link between the efforts of African states and regional organisations towards realising key regional integration objectives. This is especially because of two sets of factors: salient issues such as lack of good governance and democracy, poor leadership and domestic mismanagement; and continuing emphases on absolute sovereignty and the attendant issues around national interests versus regional interests. Thus, Africa has remained the least integrated and developed of the world’s major regions. This article examines the regional economic integration problematic in Africa from the angle of governance deficits in African countries. The article adopts a qualitative research methodology and is based on data obtained from literature, primary sources (interviews) and official documents/archival materials. Using a thematic discourse analysis and drawing insights from functionalism/neo-functionalism and neo-realism theories, the article assesses the effectiveness of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in interrogating issues on regionalism in Africa. It identifies missing links in the APR process in furthering the African Union/NEPAD integration and development objectives.
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- Adedeji, A., 2002, History and Prospects for Regional Integration in Africa, paper presented at the Third Meeting of the African Development Forum, Addis Ababa. 5 March.
- Adedeji, A., 2004, ‘NEPAD: Yet Another Plan, Another Initiative and New Partnership?’ In B. Onimode (ed.) African Development and Governance in the 21st Century: Looking Back to Move Forward – Essays in Honour of Adebayo Adedeji at Seventy, London and New York: ZED Books.
- Adetula, V.A.O., 2004, Regional integration in Africa: Prospect for Closer Cooperation Between West, East and Southern Africa, paper presented at the Meeting of IDASA/FREDSKORPSET Research Programme – Governance and Democracy, Parktonian Hotel, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-4 May.
- Adogamhe, P.G., 2008, Pan-Africanism Re-visited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development, African Review of Integration, 2(2).
- AfriMAP, 2009, Strengthening Popular Participation in the African Union: A Guide to AU Structures and Processes, Oxfam and AfriMAP.
- Agubuzu, L.O.C., 2004, Regional Economic Integration: A Development Paradigm for Africa. In B. Onimode (ed.) African Development and Governance in the 21st Century: Looking Back to Move Forward – Essays in Honour of Adebayo Adedeji at Seventy, London and New York: Zed Books, pp.192-4.
- Akokpari, J., 2003. The OAU, AU, NEPAD and the Promotion of Good Governance in Africa. Occasional Paper 14, Electoral Institute of Southern Africa.
- Akokpari, J., 2010/11, Politics and Governance in Africa. In K.G. Adar, M.K. Juma, and K.N. Miti (eds.) The State of Africa – Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas 2010/11. Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa, pp. 69-82.
- APRM, 2003, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), [NEPAD/HSGIC/03-2003/APRM/ MOU].
- APRM, 2003, Base Document, [AHG/235(XXXVIII) Annex I1].
- AU/NEPAD, 2003, Guidelines for Countries to Prepare for and to Participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), NEPAD/APRM/Panel2/country/10-2003/Doc 7.
- Collard-Wexler, S., 2006, Integration Under Anarchy: Neo-realism and the European Union, European Journal of International Relations 12, 6 September, SAGE Publishers.
- Economic Commission for Africa, 2008, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Handbook for African Civil Society, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
- Economic Commission for Africa, 2010, Assessing Regional Integration in Africa IV: Enhancing Intra-African Trade, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
- Economic Commission for Africa, 2011a, Progress Report on the Implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Second Meeting of the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation (CGPP), United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, 9-10 March.
- Economic Commission for Africa, 2011b, Capturing the 21st Century: African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Best Practices and Lessons Learned, Addis-Ababa: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
- Economic Commission for Africa, 2011c, Diversity Management in Africa: Findings from the African Peer Review Mechanism and a Framework for Analysis and Policy Making, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
- Gibb, R., 2009, Regional Integration and Africa’s Development Trajectory: Metatheories, Expectations and Reality, Third World Quarterly, 30(4). Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, pp. 701-721.
- Haas, E., 1971, The Study of Regional Integration: Reflections on the Joys and Anguish of Pre-theorising. In L.N. Lindberg and S.A. Scheingold (eds.) Regional Integration: Theory and Research, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
- Hartzenberg, T., 2011, Regional Integration in Africa. Staff Working Paper ERSP-2011-14. Economic Research and Statistics Division, World Trade Organisation, pp. 1-8.
- Lamberte, M.B., 2004, Part of 1 Programme to Support Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia. High Level Certificate on Asia’s Economic Cooperation and Integration. 1 -2 July, ADB Headquarters Manila, Philippines, p. 4.
- Landsberg, C., 2012, Reflections on the African Union After Decade One: Looking Back in order to Look Forward, Africa Insight, 42(3), pp. 1-11.
- Mulikita, N.M., 2005, NEPAD’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Bureaucratic Reform and the Challenge of Wealth Creation in Africa. Paper prepared for the African Association for Public Administration and Management, 26th annual roundtable conference, Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa, 7–11 March.
- Murithi, T. 2008, Contextualising the Debate on a Union Government for Africa. In T. Murithi, Towards a Union Government for Africa – Challenges and Opportunities. Monograph Series 140, Institute for Security Studies.
- NEPAD, 2011, NEPAD – A Continental Thrust: Advancing Africa’s Development, Midrand, South Africa: NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency.
- NEPAD/ECA/OSAA, 2012, Africa’s Decade of Change – Reflections on 10 Years of NEPAD, Midrand, South Africa: NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency.
- Okeke Uzodike, U., 2010/11, Pan-African governance architecture: Prospects and future. In K.G. Adar, M.K. Juma and K.N. Miti (eds.) The State of Africa – Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, 2010/11, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa, pp. 87-100.
- Okeke Uzodike, U., 2009, The Role of Regional Economic Communities in Africa’s Eco-nomic Integration: Prospects and Constraints, Africa Insight, 39 (2), pp. 26-42.
- Qobo, M., 2007, The Challenges of Regional Integration in Africa: In the Context of Globalisation and the Prospects for a United States of Africa, Institute of Security Studies, Paper 145.
- South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), 2010, The African Peer Review Mechanism: Progress and Prospects, Occasional Paper No. 59, SAIIA Roundtable.
- Tungwarara, O., 2010, The African Peer Review Mechanism: A Compilation of Studies of the Process in Nine African Countries, Johannesburg, South Africa: Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa.
References
Adedeji, A., 2002, History and Prospects for Regional Integration in Africa, paper presented at the Third Meeting of the African Development Forum, Addis Ababa. 5 March.
Adedeji, A., 2004, ‘NEPAD: Yet Another Plan, Another Initiative and New Partnership?’ In B. Onimode (ed.) African Development and Governance in the 21st Century: Looking Back to Move Forward – Essays in Honour of Adebayo Adedeji at Seventy, London and New York: ZED Books.
Adetula, V.A.O., 2004, Regional integration in Africa: Prospect for Closer Cooperation Between West, East and Southern Africa, paper presented at the Meeting of IDASA/FREDSKORPSET Research Programme – Governance and Democracy, Parktonian Hotel, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-4 May.
Adogamhe, P.G., 2008, Pan-Africanism Re-visited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development, African Review of Integration, 2(2).
AfriMAP, 2009, Strengthening Popular Participation in the African Union: A Guide to AU Structures and Processes, Oxfam and AfriMAP.
Agubuzu, L.O.C., 2004, Regional Economic Integration: A Development Paradigm for Africa. In B. Onimode (ed.) African Development and Governance in the 21st Century: Looking Back to Move Forward – Essays in Honour of Adebayo Adedeji at Seventy, London and New York: Zed Books, pp.192-4.
Akokpari, J., 2003. The OAU, AU, NEPAD and the Promotion of Good Governance in Africa. Occasional Paper 14, Electoral Institute of Southern Africa.
Akokpari, J., 2010/11, Politics and Governance in Africa. In K.G. Adar, M.K. Juma, and K.N. Miti (eds.) The State of Africa – Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas 2010/11. Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa, pp. 69-82.
APRM, 2003, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), [NEPAD/HSGIC/03-2003/APRM/ MOU].
APRM, 2003, Base Document, [AHG/235(XXXVIII) Annex I1].
AU/NEPAD, 2003, Guidelines for Countries to Prepare for and to Participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), NEPAD/APRM/Panel2/country/10-2003/Doc 7.
Collard-Wexler, S., 2006, Integration Under Anarchy: Neo-realism and the European Union, European Journal of International Relations 12, 6 September, SAGE Publishers.
Economic Commission for Africa, 2008, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Handbook for African Civil Society, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
Economic Commission for Africa, 2010, Assessing Regional Integration in Africa IV: Enhancing Intra-African Trade, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
Economic Commission for Africa, 2011a, Progress Report on the Implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Second Meeting of the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation (CGPP), United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, 9-10 March.
Economic Commission for Africa, 2011b, Capturing the 21st Century: African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Best Practices and Lessons Learned, Addis-Ababa: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
Economic Commission for Africa, 2011c, Diversity Management in Africa: Findings from the African Peer Review Mechanism and a Framework for Analysis and Policy Making, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ECA.
Gibb, R., 2009, Regional Integration and Africa’s Development Trajectory: Metatheories, Expectations and Reality, Third World Quarterly, 30(4). Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, pp. 701-721.
Haas, E., 1971, The Study of Regional Integration: Reflections on the Joys and Anguish of Pre-theorising. In L.N. Lindberg and S.A. Scheingold (eds.) Regional Integration: Theory and Research, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Hartzenberg, T., 2011, Regional Integration in Africa. Staff Working Paper ERSP-2011-14. Economic Research and Statistics Division, World Trade Organisation, pp. 1-8.
Lamberte, M.B., 2004, Part of 1 Programme to Support Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia. High Level Certificate on Asia’s Economic Cooperation and Integration. 1 -2 July, ADB Headquarters Manila, Philippines, p. 4.
Landsberg, C., 2012, Reflections on the African Union After Decade One: Looking Back in order to Look Forward, Africa Insight, 42(3), pp. 1-11.
Mulikita, N.M., 2005, NEPAD’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Bureaucratic Reform and the Challenge of Wealth Creation in Africa. Paper prepared for the African Association for Public Administration and Management, 26th annual roundtable conference, Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa, 7–11 March.
Murithi, T. 2008, Contextualising the Debate on a Union Government for Africa. In T. Murithi, Towards a Union Government for Africa – Challenges and Opportunities. Monograph Series 140, Institute for Security Studies.
NEPAD, 2011, NEPAD – A Continental Thrust: Advancing Africa’s Development, Midrand, South Africa: NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency.
NEPAD/ECA/OSAA, 2012, Africa’s Decade of Change – Reflections on 10 Years of NEPAD, Midrand, South Africa: NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency.
Okeke Uzodike, U., 2010/11, Pan-African governance architecture: Prospects and future. In K.G. Adar, M.K. Juma and K.N. Miti (eds.) The State of Africa – Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, 2010/11, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa, pp. 87-100.
Okeke Uzodike, U., 2009, The Role of Regional Economic Communities in Africa’s Eco-nomic Integration: Prospects and Constraints, Africa Insight, 39 (2), pp. 26-42.
Qobo, M., 2007, The Challenges of Regional Integration in Africa: In the Context of Globalisation and the Prospects for a United States of Africa, Institute of Security Studies, Paper 145.
South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), 2010, The African Peer Review Mechanism: Progress and Prospects, Occasional Paper No. 59, SAIIA Roundtable.
Tungwarara, O., 2010, The African Peer Review Mechanism: A Compilation of Studies of the Process in Nine African Countries, Johannesburg, South Africa: Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa.