UNU-CRIS RESEARCH SEMINAR: Spies, Bullies and Quasi-Members: External Partners and Regional Organisations in Africa

with Fredrik Söderbaum

14 November 11.00-12.30 — hybrid seminar in the Björn Hettne Seminar room.

This is a hybrid session.. You need to register here at UNU-CRIS website to get the zoom link.

Abstract:

Whereas most theories and observers stipulate that regionalism is driven by internal actors ‘from within’ — in response to functional demands or outside pressures — this seminar concentrates specifically on the role of external partners in the promotion of regional international organizations (RIOs) in Africa. Knowledge about external actors and donors in African regionalism remains shallow, fragmented, and too heavily centered on the EU.

Reporting on a recently concluded 4-year research project funded by the Swedish Research Council, three findings are discussed. First, external funding of RIOs in Africa is extremely skewed in favor of the AU and SADC (and to a lesser extent EAC and ECOWAS), and there is little evidence that existing inequalities between different RIOs are likely to disappear any time soon. Second, while more than 40 donors provide regional foreign aid to Africa, a small number of donors provide 80-90% of the funds, in particular the EU, USA, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Norway, France and the UK. Third, there is huge variation in how the dominant donors influence and interact with RIOs and African partners. The most intrusive donors can be understood as spies, bullies, or quasi-members.

Fredrik Söderbaum
Professor of Peace and development research, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg
Associate Research Fellow, UNU-CRIS

Please register below before 11 November 2022 23:59 CET