Integrative and cooperative regionalism: the economic community of West African states

Abstract

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the most recent effort at regional integration in the Third World, is the first potential success for such endeavors among less developed countries (LDCs). Deficient in some of the neofunctional variables of regional integration, ECOWAS differs from similar LDC groupings. Its formation was the result of high-level political support. The terms and provisions of its treaty create a harmonious political environment for cooperation, and the community has so far been free of the conflicts that destroyed several similar LDC ventures. A quasi-supranational secretariat serves as a vanguard of integration by insulating technical issues from the politics of national interest. Nigeria, the major subregional actor, endeavors to make side payments (despite its economic difficulties), and a more conducive international environment has accompanied the changed attitude of France, the principal extraregional actor, from opposition to support. Despite some contrary forces, ECOWAS may become the Third World's first success in integration.

The global order, regional integration and multiculturally diverse stakeholders

“…Although, a partnership can open the door to multiple knowledge sources (Baloh et al, 2008), there many challenges associated with the regional organization in the Third World. Okolo (1985) provide a list of deficiencies in some of the neo-functional variables of regional integration in the Third World that include: absence of favourable background conditions for integration; institutional structures of regional organizations are weak owing to their limited authority; there is often bickering among member states over unequal sharing of economic gains; nationalism leading to reluctance to sacrifice perceived national interest on the altar; attendant national rivalries and competing ideologies; and truism as Third World countries are highly dependent upon industrialized states for development capital, markets for raw materials and technology.…”

Regionalism

“…As a matter of fact, he is interested in the impact of decolonisation and African understanding of international legal norms on international law, especially with respect to the idea of a norm on 'development' and, finally, that one way of encouraging the study of international law in Africa was the production of textbooks and the publication of materials and documents written and compiled from the African experience and point of view (Ginther, 1982, p. 60). This is also done by Okolo (1985), who complements and inserts theorisation of African regionalism within the wider context of theorisation of regionalism, yet again relying on the functional conditions for regionalism identified by Haas and Schmitter (1966), Ravenhill (1979), Hansen (1969), and Barrera and Haas (1969).…”

The Political Economy of Regional Integration

“…Domestic political instability was crucial for the design of the Arab League, where regional integration was the key to shoring up sovereignty and legitimacy of ruling regimes, trumping both collective security arrangements and intraregional conflict resolution (Barnett & Solingen 2007). More generally, in the wake of decolonization, many political leaders in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have had to fend off internal and external threats to sovereignty, and have often seen regional integration as an instrument to strengthen their position (Okolo 1985, Hurrell 2007. Weak states have been especially prone to seek it (S öderbaum 2004).…”