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This review paper seeks to analyse African integration in terms of its magnitude of solidarity, the state and typology of integration and functioning. It assesses the strengths, weaknesses, objectives, successes and failures of the African integration project as well as threats to its survival. The primary goal is to sift between issues with the vi...
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... major institutionalization of the functions of some of these re- gional communities has manifested itself in the works of the organs of the AU. These organs are ascribed with different mandates prescribed in Constitutive Act (see Table 2). The Act commands order in the function. ...
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... It is an established fact that colonialism in Africa led to the destabilization of indigenous communities, the oppression of indigenous cultures, etc., which ultimately served as a boulevard to disunity among Africans. With time, notable Pan-Africanists such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jomo Kenyatta, etc., were fully convinced that both colonialism and its related practices were largely responsible for the widespread and pervasive practice of racism in Africa and had subsequently eroded both African culture and local customs and values (Chirisa et al., 2014). This eventually led to the series of agitations for self-independence which intensified after the Second World War (Mark, 1979). ...
Thematic proceeding: International Organizations - Serbia and the Contemporary World, which we offer to the public, was prepared with a lot of diligence and refined research zeal, in a methodologically and scientifically acceptable manner, with the aim of shedding light on numerous questions about international organizations, as one of the most dynamic social phenomena that are marked the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. The collection contains very concise intellectual debates and reflections based on epistemological procedures and planning predictions of eminent scientists, diplomats and researchers from Serbia and the world.
Taking into account that the issue of cooperation with international organizations is an important factor in the positioning of states in international relations, the strengthening of this cooperation seems very important today, since the modern world is full of challenges and risks that require institutional linking of states in solving all serious international problems. Re-examination of the legal and political status of the most important international organizations, their structural and functional organization, their competencies, powers and responsibilities, as well as the modus operandi, in this sense is an important prerequisite for a realistic assessment of the place and role of states in contemporary international relations.
From historical experience, it can be argued that in international relations, the general principle of association has always been valid, not only for individuals, but also for states. States connect on the basis of the same motives as individuals - achieving common benefit, eliminating common danger and regulating mutual relations. Just as there is considerable variety in the association of individuals, there is undoubted variety in the association of states. Linking means limiting the power to the extent that enables the coordination of mutual activities. The laws of integration and merging of states into one higher political unit are the creation of opportunities, historical necessities and political needs. Hence, there is no international relationship that cannot be the subject of cooperation and integration into an international organization. After all, this is evidenced by the huge number of international governmental and non-governmental organizations in the world from the beginning of the 21st century. International organizations have become important subjects of international relations and the basic form of their institutionalization. Although international organization had its spiritual supporters back in the Middle Ages (starting with Pierre Dubois, the Czech King Poděbrady, Emeric Crucé, William Penn, Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, Immauel Kant and others), the process of evolution of international organizations became visible on the international level only with the holding of large international congresses and peace conferences (such as the congress that took place after the thirty-year religious war in Münster and Osnabrück, which led to the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia, then the Congress of Vienna from 1814-1815 , the Berlin Congress of 1878 and the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907). On the other hand, the historical course of connecting states did not depend exclusively on political circumstances, but also on the specifics of the development of international economic relations, which, due to the intertwining of interstate and private interests, indirectly or directly influenced the complexity of international forms of cooperation and the emergence of specialized organizations with limited and practical goals (such as river commissions on the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, etc.), or on the creation of the so-called administrative unions that functionally united and placed under the control of a central international body various areas of interstate cooperation (for example, provision of telegraphic and postal services, standardization of measures and weights, protection of industrial property and copyright, health, agriculture, etc.). International organizations that had the features of modern international organizations (e.g. the League of Nations as a true universal international organization or the International Labor Organization) were created after the First World War. Modern international organizations, on the other hand, were formed only after the end of the Second World War, with the establishment of the universal organization of the United Nations. This organization encouraged the establishment of new and the revival and strengthening of existing international organizations. Many such organizations today are connected in the so-called United Nations system.
From the above, it follows that the objective process of development of international relations after the Second World War is moving towards global social integration, which does not prevent the existence of wider or narrower forms of cooperation and connection of states at the intercontinental, regional and sub-regional level. This association moves through various forms of institutional cooperation with the aim of solving common problems and achieving common interests. Considering the great diversity of international organizations, as well as the diversity of their activities in the modern period of the development of international relations (from politics, science and culture, to economy, trade and transport, as well as other important social areas), one could also speak of “the century of international organization”. Their importance goes beyond the narrow framework that associations and communities of states had in the past. The expansion of international organizations shows in the most visible way the tendency of continuous development of institutionalized international cooperation. Given that they are created on the basis of international treaties, international organizations are regulated by a relatively young branch of international public law - the law of international organizations. This branch of international law regulates the internal organizational and legal structure of international organizations, their legal capacity in international relations, their legal relations with states and other international organizations, as well as with other subjects of international law (jurisdiction, ability to conclude contracts, right of delegation, privileges and immunities, international responsibility, financing, etc.), acquisition and loss of membership, the process of decision-making and executing decisions, changes in the structure and disappearance of international organizations (succession).
Starting from the fact that the rules on the basis of which a single concept of international organizations would be built do not exist, giving a comparative overview of the main characteristics of some of the existing international organizations is briefly presented in the introductory part of the thematic compendium that deals with general issues. In this part, the problem of the legal subjectivity of international organizations, their role in the creation of international law up to the application of diplomatic law to the officials of international organizations, through specific questions related to the place and role of non-governmental organizations in contemporary international relations and international law, has been studiously investigated.
In order to make the most authoritative conclusions regarding some of the most current issues of international organizations that could contribute to the optimal positioning of states in contemporary international relations (first of all, I mean Serbia), the thematic collection of papers is methodologically systematized in such a way as to include the most diverse analyzes of global and regional international organizations and bodies.
Given that global international organizations serve the realization of common human interests and values, such as the preservation of international peace and security and the promotion of international cooperation between states (primarily through the system of the universal organization of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and related international organizations and contracting bodies), a special chapter of the proceedings it is dedicated to the place and role of these organizations in the current international order. In this regard, care was taken not only about the volume of the material, but also about the practical needs of the readers, which is why the editors of the collection carried out a certain rationalization of several important thematic areas in order to provide easier access to the most important information about global international organizations, their position and role, as well as and the need for their further reform and transformation in view of the dynamics of the development of international relations. At the same time, it was taken into account that in the existing constellation of international relations, international law is conditioned by a complex system of interactions between various subjects and actors of international relations, i.e. that in contemporary international relations, in addition to classical (inter-states or intergovernmental) organizations, various organizations and associations of civil society play an increasingly important role whose founders and members are not states (which is why they are often called - international non-governmental organizations). Therefore, certain works dedicated to non-governmental organizations and bodies (primarily those that exercise specific public powers in achieving broader humanitarian goals, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross) found a deserved place in this part of the proceeding.
In the continuation of the thematic collection, issues related to the status and functioning of important regional international organizations and their place in the system of contemporary international relations are also discussed. Thus, inter alia, regional organizations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of American States, etc. For didactic reasons, regional international organizations are analyzed within special chapters under the names: European, Eurasian, Afro-Asian and American international organizations. In the aforementioned chapters, a synthesis of thematically close theoretical studies of the authors covering various issues and problems of regional integration, as well as the creation and application of international law, was made. Individual analyzes of Serbia's status in certain international organizations, as well as analytical studies on the process of European integration, i.e. assessments of their further improvement in the Western Balkans, give special weight to this part of the proceeding.
In the last part of the thematic proceeding, the very current issues of the positioning of international organizations in contemporary international relations are dealt with. This is done through an evolutionary approach in research and with reference to political, legal, economic and security points of view about changes in the existing institutional system of international relations. The change in the security paradigm in the modern world has led to the need for the emergence of new organizational forms of strategic partnerships in the world. In this regard, this part of the proceeding analyzes the security architecture in Europe through a synthesis of discussions on the role and place of the EU, NATO and OSCE. At the same time, through individual analyses, projections of Serbia's positioning towards these international organizations (as well as some others, including international police organizations), are presented. In this context, the questions of the emergence and recognition of new states in the United Nations system, the role of small states with regard to the problem of NATO expansion, and the foreign policy and legal position of Serbia in the UN regarding the problem of regulating the status of Kosovo and Metohija and the continued presence of NATO in this area are analyzed. Very important studies in this part of the collection are also devoted to the issues of the emergence of multipolarity in the modern world, which is projected through the relations of great powers and international organizations (e.g. through the relationship between NATO and China), but also through the strengthening of the position of some regional security pacts (such as AUKS), and transnational forms of international security and economic organization (such as CSTO and BRICS).
Taking into account all of the above, it should be pointed out that international organizations in contemporary circumstances, along with states, represent the most important subjects of the creation of a new international order whose goals are generally related to the democratization of contemporary international relations and the globalization of the world economy. Their continuous expansion indicates their increased importance for the further development of international relations. Today, international organizations represent irreplaceable forums for the exchange of different views and experiences of importance for the preservation of international peace and security, more balanced social development, political cooperation and overall economic progress.
Finally, but not least, I would like to thank all the authors of this thematic proceeding for the diligence they invested in writing articles and analyzes dedicated to the topic: International Organizations - Serbia and the Contemporary World. Also, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleague and Co-Editor of this collection, Toni Mileski, a Full Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, as well as to the Faculty itself, which is the co-publisher of this edition with the IIPE. I thank with deep respect the esteemed members of the international Editorial Board. Finally, I express my special gratitude to Professor Branislav Đorđević, Director of the IIPE, for the trust shown in the preparation of this internationally important scientific publication.
Duško Dimitrijević
Editor in Chief
... They have improved integration by creating inter-country connectivity through the global revolution in telecom technology, the growing commercialization and privatization of national services. They have brought visible cooperation in early warning systems, agricultural research and capacity building through knowledge sharing [16]. They are recognized in the Abuja Treaty as the building blocks towards an African Economic Community (AEC), with level of autonomy [48]. ...
Introduction. African Union’s regional economic communities are stronghold for the African continent towards economic integration in various sub-regions and sectors of the African people. Their efforts have further deepen both trade and political interests among them which have equally boosted the integration drive of the African Union for the overall benefits of the Africans. Their moves have articulated many incentive, for more investments and attraction of Foreign Direct Investment that have brought continental reforms like stabilization, market policy, liberalization and privatisation methods adopted for regional arrangements to increase both private and public investments. Methods and materials. The paper adopts secondary source of data to elicit information while it makes use of integration theory to Midwife the import for the study towards economic, monetary market development and political union in African. Analysis and Results. The paper posits to examine their areas of dimensions, problems and prospects for collaboration to maximize economic goals and objectives which include security governance, economic growth, etc. The paper identifies problems like over concentration with the regional economic communities and their attendant peculiarities, while it notes the prospects of joint activities between the African Union and the regional economic Communities to build their capacities, harmonize and coordinate their institutions towards collaborations.
... It is an established fact that colonialism in Africa led to the destabilization of indigenous communities, the oppression of indigenous cultures, etc., which ultimately served as a boulevard to disunity among Africans. With time, notable Pan-Africanists such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jomo Kenyatta, etc., were fully convinced that both colonialism and its related practices were largely responsible for the widespread and pervasive practice of racism in Africa and had subsequently eroded both African culture and local customs and values (Chirisa et al., 2014). This eventually led to the series of agitations for self-independence which intensified after the Second World War (Mark, 1979). ...
... It is an established fact that colonialism in Africa led to the destabilization of indigenous communities, the oppression of indigenous cultures, etc., which ultimately served as a boulevard to disunity among Africans. With time, notable Pan-Africanists such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jomo Kenyatta, etc., were fully convinced that both colonialism and its related practices were largely responsible for the widespread and pervasive practice of racism in Africa and had subsequently eroded both African culture and local customs and values (Chirisa et al., 2014). This eventually led to the series of agitations for self-independence which intensified after the Second World War (Mark, 1979). ...
... It is an established fact that colonialism in Africa led to the destabilization of indigenous communities, the oppression of indigenous cultures, etc., which ultimately served as a boulevard to disunity among Africans. With time, notable Pan-Africanists such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jomo Kenyatta, etc., were fully convinced that both colonialism and its related practices were largely responsible for the widespread and pervasive practice of racism in Africa and had subsequently eroded both African culture and local customs and values (Chirisa et al., 2014). This eventually led to the series of agitations for self-independence which intensified after the Second World War (Mark, 1979). ...
... The geopolitical configuration of Africa has been largely determined by the continent's European colonial powers and, as such, has little to do with the patchwork of identities that exist within and across nation states. This latter point recognises that regional integration in Africa has always had a strong political component with states seeing it as a means of establishing a pan-African identity and of establishing coherence between states: a view championed by the AU which was established in 1963 (Chirisa et al., 2014). With its origins in establishing a post-colonial order, the AU has gradually evolved its agenda towards deeper economic integration across the continent (Hartzenberg, 2011), most notably expressed within the 1991 Abuja Treaty which aimed to create an African economic community by 2025. ...
As the international economy globalises, there is a need for national infrastructure systems to adapt to form a global infrastructure system. This network of networks aids mobility between national systems as a means of supporting their territorial needs and preferences. This reflects a strategic approach to state infrastructuring as nations seek to utilise these physical systems to support and enhance their territoriality. Providing a thorough examination through the lens of economic infrastructure, the book addresses the forces of integration and fragmentation in global networks
... The modeling of the African Union followed the EU pattern. However, the existing political, economic and social disparities in Africa may weaken the African Union (Chirisa, Mumba, and Dirwai 2014). ...
... According to Chirisa et al. (2014), integration is the process by which a group of states voluntarily and to varying degrees gain access to each other's markets and creates mechanisms and methods that minimize conflicts and maximize the internal and external economic, political, social and cultural benefits of their interaction. This concept can be classified as a function and there are four main types of integration. ...
In the era of globalization, the development of countries with small open economies largely depends
on the intensity of the use of various forms of international economic relations. At the present stage
of development, the problem of competitiveness is central to the economic policy of the state. The
creation of competitive advantages over competitors becomes a strategic direction of its activities.
The purpose of the study is to identify factors that most significantly affect the competitiveness of the
economy. A comparative analysis of the countries-participants of the Eurasian Economic Union and
other integration associations in the global competitiveness rating was carried out. Multiple
regression model based on a sample of 50 countries was constructed to assess the factors affecting
competitiveness. The degree of influence of the Global Innovation Index, Index of Economic
Freedom and Logistics Performance Index on the Global Competitiveness Index was studied. As a
result, it was determined that the innovation index has a significant impact on the competitiveness of
the economy. On the example of the economy of Kazakhstan, measures are proposed to stimulate
innovation, which can help to increase its competitiveness.
... For example, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA, 2015), observed that a regional economic integration process that generates uneven and asymmetrical benefits for its member-states without adequate remedies may likely generate conflicts. This observation is supported by Chirisa et al. (2014), who established that the risk of conflict increases with progression of integration, if not handled carefully. ...
... While they are characterised by ambitious targets, they have a dismally poor implementation record (Hartzenberg, 2011). African regional integration arrangements are generally ambitious schemes with unrealistic time frames towards deeper integration and in some cases even political union (Hartzenberg, 2011;Chirisa et al., 2014;Nathan, 2004). Furthermore, NEPAD (2016) confirms that neither the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action (LPA)-which imagined the division of Africa into five regional economiesnor the Abuja Treaty, which replaced it in 1991, can be said to qualify as a success. ...
The chapter explores the nature of the regional integration failure in Africa in relation to war and conflict. Thematic analysis was used to explore the eight African Union Regional Economic Communities (RECs) by reading transcripts, identifying possible themes, comparing and contrasting themes, and building theoretical conclusions. The chapter found that war and conflict are the least factors that cause the failure of African regional integration plans. The chapter concludes that peace – the absence of war and conflict in Africa, that can be brought about by the silencing of guns is important but not a guarantee for the success of regional integration. It can, however, create a good environment for regional integration, though not necessarily lead to successful regional integration. Although peace does not guarantee successful regional integration, it has a positive value and should be maintained. Furthermore, regional economic communities should be used to promote peace in Africa, as the chapter established that they increase economic and political trust among African countries.
... According to Chirisa et al. (2014), integration is the process by which a group of states voluntarily and to varying degrees gain access to each other's markets and creates mechanisms and methods that minimize conflicts and maximize the internal and external economic, political, social and cultural benefits of their interaction. This concept can be classified as a function and there are four main types of integration. ...
In the era of globalization, the development of countries with small open economies largely depends on the intensity of the use of various forms of international economic relations. At the present stage of development, the problem of competitiveness is central to the economic policy of the state. The creation of competitive advantages over competitors becomes a strategic direction of its activities.
The purpose of the study is to identify factors that most significantly affect the competitiveness of the economy. A comparative analysis of the countries-participants of the Eurasian Economic Union and
other integration associations in the global competitiveness rating was carried out. Multiple regression model based on a sample of 50 countries was constructed to assess the factors affecting
competitiveness. The degree of influence of the Global Innovation Index, Index of Economic Freedom and Logistics Performance Index on the Global Competitiveness Index was studied. As a result, it was determined that the innovation index has a significant impact on the competitiveness of the economy. On the example of the economy of Kazakhstan, measures are proposed to stimulate innovation, which can help to increase its competitiveness.
