Challenges to Regional Integration: The Case of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
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Date
2013-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study explores and examines the challenges of regional integration in the sub region of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Political and Economic integration has been part of African strategy to overcome fragmentation and improve the continent‟s position in the global political economy. Regional Economic Communities have been part of this and there are more such efforts in Africa than other continents. One of these, Intergovernmental Authority on Development was initiated in 1986 to coordinate efforts at combating drought and desertification and Reorganized in 1996, it has since been more active in managing regional conflicts. The paper uses the IGAD region as a case study to argue that there are more political and economic integration. In continental and regional perspectives there seem to be strong evidence that political and economic integration are close related, these include Neo-functionalism, Intergovernmentalism,Custom Union theory, Optimal Currency theory, Fiscal federalism and International Political Economy respectively. The study also discusses pre-conditions that are necessary to regional integration such as diversity in production, adequate infrastructure, political will, domestic peace, robust and strong private sector, strong market pressure and mutual trust among member countries and challenges for regional integration, including lack of supra nationalism and political will, overlapping membership, distrust among membership, lack of complementarities and poor infrastructure. The appraisal of this study reveals the challenges of IGAD region. The major challenges are political and security (lack of supra nationalism, lack of political will, security), structural challenges (weak institution, over lapping membership, lack of a proper managing of relations among member states) economic and social challenges (poverty, lack of complementarities, inadequate infrastructure, fast growth of population, endemic diseases and HIV/AIDS), problems on human and resources (lack of enough man power and finance). In conclusion the regional integration process in the IGAD region is still at lower level. Thus, this study stresses that if actual and sustainable regional integration is to advance, IGAD needs further agreements to implement and achieve their goal, and it needs synchronization of national efforts to improve agricultural production, bring the region‟s conflicts under control and need to reduce it
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Regional Integration