Africa as an actor in global governance reform for development

The document assesses Africa's economic vulnerabilities and its limited role in global governance. It argues that while the G20 has emerged as a key coordinator for global challenges like climate change, Africa's voice is weakened by fragmented economies and colonial-era infrastructure. The author contends that Africa must increase intra-African trade and strengthen regional economic communities to earn a more significant place in world decision-making.

• Africa remains the poorest region globally, with a GDP of just over $2 trillion in 2006, and has struggled to reduce poverty despite recent growth. The proportion of the population living on or below $1 per day was 42.4% in 1981 and remained at 41% in 2004, contrasting with significant declines in East Asia and the Pacific.
• The continent is exceptionally vulnerable to various shocks: 44 African countries experienced natural disasters in a 10-year period, 28 are vulnerable to aid shocks, 24 are vulnerable to export shocks due to high dependency on a single product, and at least 13 suffered foreign private capital crises.
• Colonial legacies continue to hinder economic growth, specifically through infrastructure designed to move commodities to Europe rather than between African nations. This results in transport costs that are approximately twice as high as those in typical Asian countries.
• The 2008 global economic crisis highlighted a gap where globalisation occurred without corresponding global governance frameworks. While the G7 has lost importance, the G20 has emerged as a major player for coordinating economic responses and making progress on climate change talks.
• Existing global governance institutions are deemed ill-suited for long-term global challenges—including climate change, food security, and energy security—because they lack sanctioning power, have unwieldy decision-making processes, or prioritize vested rights over rational reform.
• To increase its influence in global politics, Africa must overcome economic fragmentation and increase its abysmally low intra-African trade rate of 10.4%. The author suggests a decentralized regional approach to strengthen regional economic communities, despite current issues with overlapping memberships in groups like COMESA, SADC, and SACU.

APA

Manuel, T. A. (2009). Africa as an actor in global governance reform for development. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Africa-as-an-actor-in-global-governance-reform-for-development.pdf

Chicago

Manuel, Trevor A. Africa as an actor in global governance reform for development. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Africa-as-an-actor-in-global-governance-reform-for-development.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Manuel |first1=Trevor A |title=Africa as an actor in global governance reform for development |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=18 September 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Africa-as-an-actor-in-global-governance-reform-for-development.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{manuel2009africa, author = {Manuel, Trevor A}, title = {{Africa as an actor in global governance reform for development}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Africa-as-an-actor-in-global-governance-reform-for-development.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }