African Politics and International Relations
Posted in Africa Notes, African Politics, International Law, International Organizations, IPE on Apr 25th, 2012
The WTO and Sustainable Development Lesotho Ambassador Mothae Maruping is the current chair of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Development. ICTSD has a nice report of their recent meeting and its focus on sustainable development. One thought is how to integrate the WTO’s Aid for Trade program with the goal of developing a green [...]
Posted in International Organizations, Subjects on Apr 2nd, 2012
Here is the abstract of the paper I am presenting tomorrow: This paper addresses an understudied, but highly relevant research question: why do states participate in some international organizations more than others? Playing an active role in all fields of global governance requires resources that only a few countries have. Most countries have to pick [...]
Posted in International Law, International Organizations, IPE, Noted on Jun 20th, 2011
The Doha Round still limps along. You know the WTO is in trouble when… … The Financial Times says negotiations are dead. In 2008 they argued that leaders should admit the talks are over. They haven’t really been optimistic since. … We start to argue that an assassination will save it. Jagdish Bhagwati, one of [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, Noted on Feb 11th, 2011
This coming Monday there will be a Foundation Laying Ceremony for the African Union’s new “Peace and Security” Building at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This buidling houses the AU’s efforts to support peace, security, and stability across the Continent. One can only hope that this structural foundation will be more than just [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, International Relations, IPE, Noted on Aug 26th, 2010
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has been central to my research agenda for a long time now. I am currently in the process of completing a book manuscript that examines African participation and influence in global economic governance. I begin with the assumption that they have to work through coalitions, and then proceed to consider [...]
Posted in Economic Development, Environmental Politics, International Law, International Organizations, International Relations, Noted on Aug 4th, 2010
A friend from my Peace Corps days posted on Facebook the UN press release that the General Assembly has adopted a resolution “Recognizing Access to Clean Water, Sanitation as Human Right, By Recorded Vote of 122 in Favour, None Against, 41 Abstentions.” This isn’t exactly getting major press coverage. And, indeed, just because the UN [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, International Relations, IPE, Noted on Apr 1st, 2009
The G20 has a lot of issues on its plate and at the top of the list, obviously, is the on-going financial crisis. I have already commented on the problems African countries face in getting their voices heard. On that point, Africa may have an ally in Pope Benedict who, recently returned from his Africa [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, Noted on Mar 27th, 2009
In my Africa in World Politics class this week, I’ve been talking about the role of African states in global economic governance. This has been a focus of my own research, stressing the important roles coalitions can play, but how those roles are strongly influenced by the institutional and strategic environments that states operate in. [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Law, International Organizations on Mar 16th, 2009
A major debate has been brewing over whether the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir was a “good idea”. In my view, our answer to this question depends on our criteria for a “good idea”. I think a common perception is that this is a justice versus order [...]
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