East Africa Geog section B Assess the importance of IGO's in development.

Assess the contribution of IGO’s in addressing development.

IGO’s are intergovernmental organisations such as the EU, NATO and the UN. They each have important roles in helping countries within them develop for example the UN’s mission is to create peace between members, intervene in times of war and thus in diffusing conflict aid development. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are also part of an IGO, the East African Community, established in 1967 however collapsed during Idi Amin’s rule in Uganda, however it was “revived” in 2000. One of the best tested models of development is a trade bloc such as the EAC which is similar to the superpower EU. IGO’s such as the EAC are crucial for development and the UN having established in 2000 the Millennium Development Goals however there are flaws with each organisation, particularly given the turbulent conflicts which occur in the East African Region and the deep divisions in ideology.

The EAC addresses one of the main development issues within this region and somewhat unique to this region, the diverse ethnicities that breed conflicts. Ethnic conflict is identity conflict which due to colonial arbitrary borders that forged nations out of ethnic divisions have erupted in armed conflict and ethnic cleansing, damaging populations and infrastructure such as the 1993 Rwandan genocide. The EAC has sought to create one identity to heal the ethnic fissures, for example Kenyans, Tanzanian’s and Ugandan’s can see each other as alike under the new identity of East African Community. It also allows the free movement of people between borders like the EU which means the region can move away from its colonial past into a collaborative region, this also creates geographical mobility a key component of Rostow’s pre-conditions of take off stage to development.

The IGO also addresses economic issues such as trade having implemented the LAPSSET project which aims to connect the region better together and to maritime and international markets via a 32 berth port and international airports, develop the lucrative tourism industry and thus move away from cash crops and develop oil to supply a domestic supply of energy, a particularly important commodity to have as oil becomes finite. It is projected to increase annual growth for Kenya of 10% however the benefits of this may not be felt by all member states. There are significantly weaker economies amongst stronger as figure 12 highlights, suggesting members may not be equal or reap equal benefits.

However it could be argued this may spread HIV as people move freely, considering the already high rates of 6.3 and 6.5 as figure 3 shows this could further exacerbate this epidemic or as the Kenyan government declared a “national disaster”. There are also concerns over the stability of the organisation, for example it collapsed in 1971 due to conflicting ideology between member states, as each nation has different priorities, ethnicities and religions for example Sudan adheres to Sharia Law and wishes to be part of the EAC this could cause conflict with predominantly Christian Kenya. Members worry of sovereignty, this is perhaps similar to the current situation in the EU in which some member states feel their autonomy is compromised by being a member. The LAPSSET project is costing $30billion and will take years to accomplish, whilst it is also environmentally damaging on precious mangroves which are a vital sea defence against erosion and tsunami’s. Suggesting some flaws with this IGO.

A perhaps more humanitarian oriented IGO is that of the UN, particularly due to its MDG’s. The MDG’s have caused much developmental progress worldwide, for example Venezuela has been declared illiteracy free and administers 32 million doses of antiretroviral drugs to prevent AIDs. However, whilst Uganda is on track to halve the proportion of people without safe drinking water and achieve gender parity (figure4), Kenya and Tanzania are “lagging amid” Ban-ki Moon. It is however an excellent initiative for development as it focuses on issues of gender and poverty rather than just trade. Establishing gender parity means more economically active and educated populations leading to development, whilst it also helps in conflict zones for example during the Rwandan Civil war the UN deployed military troops to keep civilians safe. However, whilst the MDG’s have and perhaps will continue to help social development they can be argued as a form of Western imperialism, imposing western ideas upon developing countries. For example, gender parity albeit essential goes against many Islamic cultures, prevalent in East Africa suggesting in order to develop cultures must be displaced. Similarly it could be argued the MDG’s are somewhat naïve in their assumptions countries, as View 4 explains, that have been disrupted by colonialism, foreign aid, geography and climate could possibly eradicate hunger, create gender parity, get access to clean water in a mere 15 years. Development for East Africa and many LEDC’s is not a quick process, they are met with challenges that the Western world, particularly Britain never faced, such as tectonic hazards and slavery.

Both IGO’s are important for development and have to led to genuine progress, Uganda has begun to reverse the spread of AID’s, Kenya has had increased attraction from superpower China in its LAPSSET project and opened up trade links however IGO’s also may cause friction, as perhaps they suggest cultural homogeneity is the path to development however the Asian Tigers have shown culture and development do not need to be mutually exclusive, and perhaps may not be stable for instance the EAC may collapse again. The UN has unequivocally provided much assistance to East Africa however it is perhaps applying a Western measuring rod to measure development rather than addressing other challenges Africa faces, and its miniscule time frame of 15 years  means its goals are arguably impossible to achieve.