scholarly journals Peacekeeping in a bad neighbourhood: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in peace and security in West Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Francis
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
West African ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Peace And Security

Economic Community of West African States, Regional security and the Implementation of Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect: Rhetoric or Reality?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-183
Author(s):  
Peter Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Humanitarian Intervention ◽  
West African ◽  
Responsibility To Protect ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
Peace And Security ◽  
Conflicting Interests

The last 25 years have seen Economic Community of West African States, through the use of various norms, structures and protocols, make the promotion of security and the implementation of humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect (R2P) important aspects of the political landscape in the sub-region. The article argues that despite the great strides made by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the implementation of R2P, there are not only challenges (inadequate funds available for peace and security missions, conflicting interests and lack of agreement, poor co-ordination, inadequate human and logistics capacity) with its application in the sub-region, but also concerns about its future. Thus, to promote security and realise the goals of implementing humanitarian intervention and R2P in the ECOWAS sub-region, not only should the actors involved have the requisite capacity but also political will and commitment, citizen awareness, and co-operation among ECOWAS member-states and with the international community should remain crucial to the process.

The Politics of West African Economic Co-operation: C.E.A.O. and E.C.O.W.A.S.

1983 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Bach
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
West African ◽  
African Unity ◽  
Economic Community

Since the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States in 1975, its acronym has become well known, even though ‘E.C.O.W.A.S.’ still means little more than a synonym for ‘West Africa’ and a symbolic tribute to the ideals of African unity. The Community has certainly witnessed a growth of its bureaucracy and institutions, but the limited co-operation actually achieved has been based on strengthening links which were developed in the region since the early 1960s rather than on the transfer of state prerogatives to Community organs on specific issues.

The Mano River Union

1982 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Robson
Keyword(s):  
International Economic ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Monetary Union ◽  
West African ◽  
Economic And Monetary Union ◽  
Economic Community

Of the four current schemes for international economic integration in West Africa, the operation of the Communauté économique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest has been recently reviewed, the Economic Community of West African States continues to be widely discussed, while the agreement of the Presidents of Senegal and Gambia in Dakar on 17 December 1981 to establish a Senegambian Confederation, and to develop an economic and monetary union between the two countries, is as yet in its formative stages. This article examines the structure, progress, and potential of the Mano River Union (M.R.U.) about which little has been published.

The Politics and Diplomacy of Peacekeeping in West Africa: The Ecowas Operation in Liberia

1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ademola Adeleke
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
West African ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
The Gambia ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Guinea Bissau

TheEconomic Community of West African States (Ecowas) was established in May 1975 as an organisation to promote the development of the sub-region, and for 15 years did not deviate from this mandate. The 16 member-states – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo – restricted their interactions to purely economic matters and ran shy of political issues confronting West Africa. This tradition changed in 1990 when Ecowas decided to intervene in the civil war which had broken out in Liberia. Its strategy to resolve the conflict followed two parallel but mutually interactive channels — making and enforcing peace. The former involved negotiations and arbitration; the latter the deployment in August 1990 of a 3,000 strong multinational force to supervise a cease-fire.

Investor–State Dispute Settlement using the ECOWAS Court of Justice: An Analysis and Some Proposals 

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 496-518
Author(s):  
Matthew Happold
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
West African ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Court Of Justice

Abstract In the light of increasing discontent with arbitration as a method of investor–State dispute settlement (ISDS), alongside proposals for the establishment of court systems for the settlement of such disputes, this article suggests that such a mechanism might already be available for West African States in the form of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The ECOWAS Court of Justice, the article shows, can already deal with a variety of investor–State disputes, while reforms are suggested to extend its investment jurisdiction and render it more effective. Such initiatives, it argues, would assist in developing African States’ role as ‘investment rule makers’ rather than ‘rule takers’, as well as further ECOWAS’s mission to promote economic integration within West Africa.

SOURCES OF THE LAW OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)

2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunday Babalola Ajulo
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
West African ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Member States ◽  
Community Court ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
The Law

Articles 6(e) and 15(1–4) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty (1993) provide for the establishment of a Court of Justice of the Community. These provisions should, however, be read along with those of the Protocol on the Community Court of Justice initialled in 1991. Attempts have been made to analyse various aspects of the institutions of the Community, including the Court of Justice. While Bankole Thompson examined the legal problems of the economic integration in West Africa, Kofi Oteng Kufuor attempted to look at the Court of Justice from the angle of compliance with its judgments by member states. Denakin, for his part, appraised generally the prospects of the Court.

scholarly journals Regional Institutions as Bypasses of States in the Provision of Public Goods: The Case of West Africa

AJIL Unbound ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 247-251
Author(s):  
Edefe Ojomo
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
West African ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Regional Institutions ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
National Capacity ◽  
Governance Roles

The idea of “West Africa” encompasses a medley of countries with diverse historical, political, and cultural features. However, their governance and development profiles are distinctly similar: the United Nations recognizes eleven of the fifteen members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as least developed countries. In this context, regional institutions are usually established to strengthen state capacity by providing resources to address national capacity deficits. Above all, they serve as systems of support that are supplementary to state institutions with distinct governance roles. However, regional institutions can—and should—play a second role: serving as alternatives to weak or fragile state institutions that are deficient in the supply of different public goods. By performing this second role, regional arrangements become international institutional bypasses.

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