North-South and South-South Cooperation in a Sahelian Regional Organization: the Comite Permanent Inter-Etats De Lutte Contre La Secheresse Dans Le Sahel.

The dissertation addresses the problem of underdevelopment and drought in the Sahel West Africa, and the efforts of the Comite permanent Inter-etats de Lutte contre la Secheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS) to overcome these difficulties. The research attempts to answer the following: How much inter-Sahelian cooperation has been achieved? Is the CILSS/Club du Sahel framework productive in increasing North-South cooperation? Have CILSS' goals been attained? What is the likely impact of the Sahel Development Program? Data were collected from documents from CILSS, the Club du Sahel, USAID, and the Sahelian governments. In addition, interviews of the personnel of these institutions were conducted between March and August, 1980. While the CILSS/Club du Sahel framework has increased South-South and North-South cooperation and dialogue in some areas, many obstacles remain. Although development assistance rose dramatically following the drought, CILSS has been unable to finance completely the First Generation projects. Moreover, donor and Sahelian interests have shaped the course of development away from regional needs. Donors and Sahelians exhibit preferences across countries, project categories, project types, and sectors. The likely effect is that the goals of food self-sufficiency and economic development will elude the Sahel governments. Increasingly, CILSS has opted for a strategy of greater reliance upon donor expertise and resources at a moment when donor largesse appears to be contracting. The contradictions inherent in the CILSS program and structure, as well as the problems of South-South and North-South cooperation, diminish the hopes of meeting CILSS' objectives and continue the difficulties faced by the Sahel.PhDInternational lawUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/159088/1/8225049.pd