The quality of governance in Africa is particularly in discussion since the end of the Cold War. In 2002, African states created the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) with the declared goal to improve governance on the continent. Around half of Africa’s states have agreed on conducting a...

The international development debate has been marked by two major trends in recent years: intensified discussions on the effectiveness of aid, and the proliferation of actors involved in international cooperation. This study aims to contribute to the debate on aid effectiveness by exploring...

The interface between research and policy-making is gaining relevance, as global challenges and their complexities increase. Policy-makers worldwide discuss and need to address complex common global challenges such as climate change, peace and security or human food security. This is highly...

In October 2005 the European Commission proposed a Strategy for Africa to be pursued by the European Union (EU). The European Council will decide on the strategy in December. What is new about this strategies and policies of the Commission, Member States and European Community within a single...

Concern with governance has become a prominent topic in Africa. With the African Review Mechanism (APRM), African leaders have addressed a taboo in post-independence Africa. The Organisation for African Unity’s (OAU) emphasis on the sacrosanct principle of non-interference and territorial...

China’s headlong rise to the status of a world power is leading to some profound changes in the global system: Indeed, we can say that a new multipolar order is in the making. The consequences of this transformation are impressively evident in Africa. China’s expanding presence there is...

Sub-Saharan Africa comprises 48 states at various stages of social, economic and political development. Despite the heterogeneity of these countries, the following general developments relating to statehood and governance in the past 15 years can at least be identified: Such pan-African...

Among the EU institutions, the European Parliament (EP) tends to be notoriously underestimated. This is particularly true in the field of external relations, usually perceived as a prerogative of the executive. As seen from the past legislature (2004–2009) the EP showed, however, that there...