Taxes and fragile states – how political can it get? The 2014 OECD report on Domestic Resource Mobilization in Fragile States is an interesting - and paradoxical - example of the current debate on statebuilding. Linking domestic resource mobilisation and fragile states is a very welcome approach, and the political thinking driving it is just what is needed in development debates. But by relying on assumptions about fragile states that are optimistic at the best of times, means this report falls short of expectation. Taxation was once considered a mainly technical issue – but effective ...
The “EU’s comprehensive approach to external conflict and crisis”, launched jointly last week by the European Commission and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has been a long-awaited Communication for those following the development of the EU’s external action closely. It refers to conflict and crisis in it’s title but, in essence, goes beyond this as it aims to clarify the guiding principles for a joint EU external action across all areas, while emphasising dealing with conflict (prevention) and post-crisis recovery. The EU started discussing the need for this ...
December 19, 2013
Posted: 12:06 PM CEST
by ecdpm
in Africa Change Dynamics, Conflict, security and resilience, Cross-cutting issues, ECDPM, Economic Governance, Food security, Political economy analysis, Strengthening European External Action, Trade and Regional integration
This year a lot had happened in international development and co-operation. The EU External Action Service review was launched, the African Union celebrated its’ 50th anniversary, and dialogue around the post-2015 agenda began to take centre stage. We look back over the last year of ECDPM blogs and share the top ten of 2013. The most viewed blogs have covered topics from political economy analysis to regional integration in Southern Africa. Top ten blogs of 2013: EEAS review and development: yet another EU coordination challenge? What and who drives regional integration in Southern Africa? Le ...
+++ ECDPM Challenges blog series. Post number seven +++ The New Deal has the potential to be a real game changer for engagement in fragile states, if the spirit of the New Deal is genuinely adhered to and ambitions are not set at unrealistic levels. At the end of 2013, the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States is making strides, with the recent launch of the Somali Compact, followed on its heels by South Sudan. Other countries, such as Sierra Leone, have already incorporated elements of the New Deal in their national development strategy. ...
+++ ECDPM Challenges blog series. Post number four +++ The African Peace and Security Architecture might have a strong track record, but that’s no reason for complacency Messages from the recent ‘Revitalising The Africa-EU Partnership’ conference hosted by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and ECDPM, and the European Think Tank Group (ETTG) Conference on Africa-EU relations. Despite improved performance in peace and security matters over recent years, one of the major challenges in 2014 will be to further broaden the dialogue in peace and security beyond the more narrow security dimensions, ensuring the highest-level African-EU political engagement to ...
Transcription: Même si il ya maintenant un nouveau président au Mali suite à un processus electoral organisé en hâte, , le développement , la gouvernance et la sécurité dans la région de l’Afrique du Nord -Ouest , une région également appelée le Sahel ( nous parlons de personnes qui vivent au Mali, Mauritanie, Algérie, Niger, Burkina Faso, Libye, le Tchad , mais aussi des pays voisins) est toujours un sujet de préoccupation pour les décideurs politiques africains et européens. Question 1: Pourquoi le Sahel est-il important pour les relations Afrique -Europe ? En fait, il ...
Yesterday’s donors’ conference on Mali organised in Brussels by the EU and France “in close coordination with Mali” pledged over 3 billion euros. It gathered several hundreds representatives from all over the Sahel region, Western Africa, and the world, but was it just another donor-recipient show? The statements made today following the conference will inevitably be equally frustrating, but will the glass be half full or half empty? An electoral renaissance? In many respects, the glass is half full because the country is said to be half way to its next presidential elections, which are ...
The EU’s “comprehensive approach” in external action policy has provoked a range of responses - but the most widespread seems to be confusion. Ask 10 people from across the EU institutions to define the comprehensive approach and chances are you’ll get 10 different answers. While the basic premise is simple enough to grasp, it’s hard to find consensus, common language or any sense that the EU is actually acting comprehensively. Current developments in Mali have made the necessity for clarity even more pressing. This blog seeks to explore the key questions needed to frame the ...
‘Resilience’ is topping the list of new buzzwords in international cooperation rhetoric lately. Many policy makers, including from the European Commission, are using it abundantly. Thus the policy proposal entitled ‘The EU Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crisis’ the EU launched last week is an important document because it frames the term. Up to now, EU humanitarian aid and development cooperation actors used the word - which has its origin in material sciences, psychology and ecology – without any conceptual underpinning and orientation on how to translate it into practice. In its policy ...
To meet the challenges that natural disasters, armed conflicts and structural forms of fragility bring to countries or entire regions, more flexibility and participation in implementing the EU policy on Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) is needed. “We want to be more involved and take leadership in the LRRD process and be accompanied by our partners,” urged Mr. Amadou Alahouri, High Commissioner of Niger for the 3N Initiative (“Nigerians Nourish Nigerians”) during a public hearing on this topic at the European Parliament on 3 September 2012 in Brussels. The Parliament held this meeting at ...
