This edited volume focuses on the development and conflict prevention mechanism of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. The contributors discuss complex socio-political and economic issues and use a cross disciplinary approach to treat most of the dominant research questions in the field. The chapters come nicely together in a kaleidoscope of knowledge deriving from scholarly investigative traditions in political science, anthropology, economics, law, and sociology. The book is conceived as a source of reference and for graduate courses in African politics, development, human rights, transnational law, and international public policy.
Despite the decrease in tension between East and West, the world is still faced by many threats to international security: a deteriorating environment, terrorism, drug trafficking, humanitarian emergencies, serious human rights violations and mass exoduses of populations. There is a growing need to devote more attention to how these international security challenges can be dealt with; piecemeal approaches and strategies no longer suffice. The interaction of security issues, and their global nature, call for broad and integrated strategies of management and of governance. States are now discovering that if they are to protect their own interests, they will need to entrust to the international community, through the agency of international organizations, competences for the protection of the common interest and human welfare. The United Nations will be called upon to operate an integrated global watch in the environmental, military, political, economic, social and humanitarian sectors: a system of early-warning can prevent potential political conflicts or humanitarian emergencies. The present work sheds some light on the principles of international law for the conduct of early-warning and preventive diplomacy, and shows the urgent need for the establishment of a true Global Watch. The world is now threatened by problems never experienced before in the history of the international community, and partnership and cooperation will be crucial if the international security challenges of the future are to be addressed successfully.
Provides a context for understanding West Africa's security dilemmas, highlighting the link between failures of economic development, governance, and democratization on the one hand and military insecurity and violent conflicts on the other.
Essay from the year 2022 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 3/4, , language: English, abstract: This paper is an overview of the role of the African Union in resolving conflicts in Africa through diplomacy. The work was based on a synoptical review of related literature actions and policies. An attempt was also made in classifying the different types of conflicts and related resolution strategies. Africa has been embroiled in a plethora of intra- and interstate conflicts. Most of these conflicts had a transnational character and generated consequences that had implications for regions beyond those in which they occurred. The quest for peace on the continent had remained a critical subject matter, which was at the core of the establishment of both the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its successor, the African Union (AU). African conflicts are classified into six groups as follows: interethnic conflicts, interstate conflicts, liberation conflicts, civil rights conflicts, annexationist conflicts, and political transition conflicts. The key AU Organ for promoting peace and security on the continent is the Peace and Security Council (PSC) which is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts. The Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) is one of the pillars of the African Peace and Security Architecture Leone in the early years of the ECOWAS/ ECOWAS Cease-Fire Operation Monitoring Operation Group (ECOMOG) contributed to the consolidation of mechanisms for conflict prevention and peace building in West Africa. Africa has made remarkable progress in resolving many complex and old conflicts across the continent. Despite this progress, however, millions of people continued to be adversely affected by the consequences of conflict. It is also obvious that the peace achieved is fragile and can not be sustained in the long term, so long as the underlying causes and the needs of the affected populations are not effectively addressed.
Despite the decrease in tension between East and West, the world is still faced by many threats to international security: a deteriorating environment, terrorism, drug trafficking, humanitarian emergencies, serious human rights violations and mass exoduses of populations. There is a growing need to devote more attention to how these international security challenges can be dealt with; piecemeal approaches and strategies no longer suffice. The interaction of security issues, and their global nature, call for broad and integrated strategies of management and of governance. States are now discovering that if they are to protect their own interests, they will need to entrust to the international community, through the agency of international organizations, competences for the protection of the common interest and human welfare. The United Nations will be called upon to operate an integrated global watch in the environmental, military, political, economic, social and humanitarian sectors: a system of early-warning can prevent potential political conflicts or humanitarian emergencies. The present work sheds some light on the principles of international law for the conduct of early-warning and preventive diplomacy, and shows the urgent need for the establishment of a true Global Watch. The world is now threatened by problems never experienced before in the history of the international community, and partnership and cooperation will be crucial if the international security challenges of the future are to be addressed successfully.
Plagued by bloody wars and armed conflicts, political instability, communal violence and displaced persons, and at the mercy of natural catastrophes such as drought and famine, it is not surprising that the Western press has long dismissed Africa as the 'hopeless continent'. In the face of these challenges, Africa today is faced with a stark choice: either unite or perish. The debate on why and how the continent should unite in terms of co-operative peace, security and development is more urgent than at any other time in Africa's post-colonial history. Moving forward from the failure of the earlier, typically idealistic Africa unity project, David Francis demonstrates how peace and security challenges have created the imperative for change. He argues that a series of regional peace and security systems are emerging, and that states that have participated in practical experiments in regional peacekeeping, peace support operations, conflict stabilization/management and preventive diplomacy are building de facto systems of peace and security that could be institutionalized and extended.
Preventive diplomacy constitutes an important part of international conflict resolution mechanisms. The countries in the Asia Pacific region have the political will to use preventive diplomacy to address the needs for sustaining peace and security. The challenge is to find approaches compatible with the consensual norms, and operational for tackling conflicts in the regional context. Structured on this thematic challenge, this book aims to present new approaches and practices of preventative diplomacy, inspired by diplomatic innovation of Asia-Pacific countries and around the world, such as adaptive peace approach, continental approach, dominant coalition, and new leadership in peacebuilding, etc., and takes account recent literature on normative issues relating to preventative diplomacy, such as international rule of law, normative entanglements and evolution, the international, impartial and independent mechanism, the evolution of the norm against child soldiers, the implementation of the woman peace and security agenda, and the role of Jus Post Bellum in the UN peace operations. It also examines how geopolitical competition and the recent covid-19 crisis impact the security of the region, and explores the connection between the Belt and Road Initiative and sustaining peace of the region.This book is a valuable reading on the recent development of approaches and norms of preventative diplomacy and how they can contribute to sustaining peace of the Asia Pacific. It can be used as a text for college students, researchers, and practitioners in the disciplines of international relations, political science, security studies, policy studies, diplomacy, and social issues.
In Africa, various conditions pose pervasive threats to human security. Addressing these threats and promoting human security therefore constitute formidable challenges. As the paradigmatic shift in the discourse on and practice of human security has led to a change in the normative emphasis from sovereignty and non-intervention to responsibility and international humanitarian and human rights norms, questions arise not only as to the relationship between human security and human rights but also as to the contribution of the human rights system in addressing human security threats and promoting human freedom. What tools does the African human rights system have at its disposal that can be used in the promotion of human security on the continent? What are the roles of the African Commission and the AHRC in this regard? What are the potentials and the challenges? How best can these human rights bodies be employed to optimise their contributions to addressing the pervasive human security threats and to promoting the well-being of individuals and communities on the continent? This monograph investigates these and similar issues, including the basic one of the interface between human rights and human security.
