MULTILATERALISM AND REGIONALISM IN SUB SAHARAN

Peace is a pre requisite for human development in helping countries to forge for further economic and security development, encouraging them to work individually and collectively. All the great and even emerging powers will have to confront new threats that will require multilateral cooperation; climate change, a looming energy crisis, transnational crime and terrorism are some of the non conventional threats that will drive even the most strong ones to increase cooperation. In regards to globalization as a process that embraces some advantages as well as many disadvantages for developing countries, they have used multilateral forums to move forward for a greater say
During the cold war Southern and developing countries established among others the Non-aligned movement (NAM) and the group of 77 (G77). These fora brings together a huge number of developing countries that they no longer feel the need to challenge the great powers. Their main objective of these groups was however to augment the intercontinental significance of developing countries and emerging powers and to create a conducive multipolar world. Therefore a South-South integration and cooperation from regional public goods perspective have been effective, keeping multilateralism and development in mind.
Africa has a long history of international cooperation, regional and sub-regional institutions that were established and maintained to address political and economic issues and others in addressing environmental issues. In specific, these areas include multilateral environmental agreements and institutions that are concerned with biodiversity conservation and utilization of transnational resources. Today, energy, climate change and stabilizing fragile and post conflict states are economic issues that must be built on a sense of shared responsibility for the wellbeing of global political economy and should involve the participation of major stakeholders in that economy. They are part of international security and environmental dialogue. They must be the concern of economic multilateralism as well, therefore much of the paper will cover the economic issues in addition to other global issues.
Most of the countries in Africa have been achieving rapid economic development and industrialization on the basis of liberalization and multilateralism and specifically on the market oriented strategies. They have gained from GATT/WTO system and have been actively supporting its multilateralism. Therefore the a misperception about Africa failing to ensure coherence to forge for a positive interface shall be positively highlighted.
All the 53 African countries are members of the United Nations. The UN charter has a vision of promoting international peace and development with a principle emphasis on human rights, equal rights for both men and women and nations small and big through international cooperation in getting a solution to economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character. The members of the African Union accounts for a quarter of the votes in the governing body of UN system, in fact the largest voting block.
It is clear that countries cannot stick to multilateralism only. Countries are too diverse in their developments. Negotiations under the umbrella of WTO take too much time as well. Regionalism is then an alternative to consider at least for countries geographically close to each other, especially for countries with common economic ties.
Right from the charter of the United Nations to the African Union constitution, and on the other hand to sub regional Economic institutions such as such as community for Sahel- Saharan States, Economic Community of Central and East African States, Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Arab Maghreb Union and Economic Commission of West African states, Africa is integrating within. These regional economic communities are primarily involved with the promotion of regional cooperation with a spotlight on economic developments. Their formation lies within the principles of sovereignty, solidarity, peace and security, human rights, democracy and security and peaceful settlements of disputes. Most of them however has embarked on extensive environmental issues.
Within the Sub regional treaty, SADC has been very active in the security and peace cooperation besides cooperating along the environmental issues adopting various protocols in shared water management 1995, energy 1996,wild life conservation and law enforcement 1999 among others. SADC also established the Zambezi Basin commission 2004 after more than two decades of failed negotiations.
Other more recently established sub region institutions includes the East Africa Community 1999. The main aim of this initiative was to expand the cooperation within the member states- Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda where conflict has been a big impediment to regional cooperation. It was established under the principles of democracy and good governance, peace and security, economic development and regional development.
The contemporary international society is composed of a large number and a variety of actors. Most of this countries are basically regional states although they might be dependent on international exchange, their fundamental foreign policy issue is on a regional level.
Multilateral forums have been quite important for developing countries in pushing for a greater say in a global governance. However, it also helps Africa to participate internationally to leverage concessions from the international community.