ABSTRACT Monetary union has become a contentious issue in recent times especially since the successful launch of the European monetary zone. The African Union has plans to create an economic and monetary union for its members. This will involve the creation of a new unified currency for the whole of Africa. This work seeks to give an appraisal of the significance of a monetary union to Africa, look at the challenges and prospects of such an agenda and determine whether or not a monetary union...
ABSTRACT Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs) have been touted by the UN as a sure way for harnessing synergy to realise the 17 Global Goals. Goal 17 aims to achieve Global Partnership. Targets 17.16 to 17.17 are specifically dedicated to MSPs. They identify, public, private and civil society partnership as a means to boost critical factors, which would equip states to achieve the goals. These include, financial resource mobilisation, technology and sharing of knowledge and expertise. Given ...
ABSTRACT Election observation has become a feature of democratic elections in most parts of the world as well as a key indicator of the credibility of elections. Consequently, continental, regional and sub-regional bodies have moved to form their own groups to observe and, in some instances, monitor elections in countries within their regions. Notwithstanding the relevance of election observation missions, there have been criticisms relating to the extent to which the actions of such missions...
ABSTRACT The United States has been known for its isolationist, neutrality and noninterventionist tendencies since independence as a result of the caution sounded by its founding fathers, such as George Washington, that future foreign policy makers should ensure they do not involve the state in any permanently entangling alliances. Things, however, changed after World War II when the US saw the need to exert its influence on the world stage to advance its interest by spreading their values th...
ABSTRACT The study examined ECOWAS’s consistency in its operationalisation of the 1999 and 2001 protocols in managing post elections crisis. The 2010/2011 Ivorian Crisis and the Gambian 2016/2017 crisis bordering on unconstitutional change of government were the case studies. Given the provisions of the 1999 and 2001 Protocols, it was obvious that ECOWAS was bound to intervene in the two crises to shore up to its legitimacy and redeem its image. In the two cases, ECOWAS deployed its pacific...
ABSTRACT Culture has been harnessed by states as a diplomatic tool for eons. Its role in fostering crosscultural and international cooperation is highly noticeable. Intercultural exchanges, especially those initiated by the state or even the private sector, is known to create an atmosphere of friendship and trust, as well as eliminate negative notions held of other cultures. Cultural Diplomacy, as one of the major soft power currencies of states, is used by Nigeria and the U.S., perhaps for ...
ABSTRACT In today’s world, cyberspace and cyberpower have become crucial elements of international security. This brings cyber-threats and the measures to counter them to the apex of the modern security dialogue. In the post-Snowden era, national approaches to cybersecurity seem to be sparking a ‘digital arms race’ rather than fostering more security. Hence, cyberspace presents a dilemma of epic proportions, which challenges the traditional notions of state-centric security within the ...
ABSTRACT Globalization has enhanced the interconnectedness and interdependence of states. No state can solely depend on itself, globalization as a phenomenon however has both positive and negative sides. One of such negatives is the intensification of transnational crimes such as human trafficking. Human trafficking poses serious threats to developing countries like Ghana. This study therefore examines the security implications of human trafficking in African countries using Ghana as a case s...
ABSTRACT Laws governing child rights are part of international human rights law thus children are recognized as social actors in the international system. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is one of such international instruments which guarantees the rights of children irrespective of their country of origin. Ghana led the world by becoming the first country to ratify this convention and as such is required under international law to uphold the provisions of th...
ABSTRACT As a result of the failure of the UN and the entire international system to protect people against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity such as was committed in Rwanda and Srebrenica in 1994 and 1995 respectively, the international system deemed it necessary to settle on a legal and political structure for a united international action (humanitarian intervention) that will protect people against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against ...
ABSTRACT Over the last decade, the concept of good governance has been highly canvassed for across the world. For Africa in particular, the concept has been viewed as a panacea for its increasing challenges in governance and sustainable economic development. This has necessitated development partners such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to spell out a set of principles to guide their objectives in member countries...
ABSTRACT The end of the cold war changed the dynamics of the international system. Countries no longer have to swing the pendulum from East to West, but are required to adhere to the tenet of democracy in order to receive support from the West. This wave of change propelled the transition from military regime to democratic regime, with the adoption of the 1992 constitution by Jerry John Rawlings. The change also impacted on the formulation and implementation of Ghana’s foreign policy under ...
ABSTRACT Economic integration has been an important phenomenon and a major facet of growth in the world. Amongst many regional groups on the continent of Africa, the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has over the years proven to be in good standing in an effort to integrate its member states for economic, social and political benefits. This study examined the economic integration of ECOWAS, specifically looking at the prospects and challenges in the area of trade as an eff...
ABSTRACT Regional integration scholars have written extensively on the role culture plays in the overall success or otherwise of regional integration the world over. The role of culture in the integration of Africa has also received some attention. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1987, realizing the importance of culture to regional integration, and accepting that the ECOWAS region had such cultural diversity that could be harnessed for the good of the subregion, p...
ABSTRACT Democratic elections and democratic governance in Africa have been major issues of debate for scholars around the world, focusing on arguments surrounding the nature that democracy in Africa should take in terms of the western style of democracy or developing Africa’s unique democracy. As a contribution to this conversation, this study discusses the conduct and implications of democratic elections and the state of democratic governance in Africa, using Ghana and the Gambia as cas...