ブックタイトル佐藤栄作　受賞論文集

概要

佐藤栄作　受賞論文集

It requires a thorough, multidimensional approach targeting key factors that inhibitcountries from escaping the poverty trap and embarking on the road towarddevelopment. Considering the magnitude of the problem, many scholars point to thestate as the main entity capable of confronting the challenges ahead.‘As a coercionwieldingorganization that exercises supremacy over other organizations, e.g.households, kinship groups and communities within a given territory, it [the state] hasmore than any other agency been able to shape history’6 .Yet in many African countries, a strong and legitimate state apparatus is absent.Out of the remnants of colonial administrations, ill-equipped authoritarian governmentsemerged that privatized the state for their personal gain. Corruption and clientelismhas become the order of the day 7 . As a consequence, public goods are practically nonexistent,conflict pervades throughout society and state legitimacy has been lost.To combat poverty and its dreadful effects, this essay argues for an active UNinvolvement in strengthening the authority and legitimacy of African states. Authorityis needed to create secure and stable internal environments which will provide thestate and individual Africans with the opportunity to take the first steps towarddevelopment. In order to stay on the path of development, however, state legitimacyneeds to be enhanced. Public trust and commitment are necessary preconditions fora nation’s successful future. The challenge for the UN is thus two-fold: fostering thecreation of stable internal state environments and persuading African governmentsto adopt policies that are directed toward the benefit of their citizens instead of theirown private enrichment. Change will need to come from within Africa. With the fullcommitment of its 192 Member States, the United Nations can play a decisive role inrealizing that change.The first part of this essay will explain why the role of the state is crucial in6426 Hyden, G.“Institutions, Power and Policy Outcomes in Africa”. The Africa Power and Politics Programme [APPP],DiscussionPaperNo.2,2008,p.6.7 Keller, E.J.“Structure, Agency and Political Liberalization in Africa”. Journal of African Political Science, Vol. 1, No.2, 1996, p. 208.