Decentralisation and Democratisation in West Africa

* Dr. Cheibane Coulibaly from Mali, presently visiting fellow at Harvard University.
* Miriam Reijne, Vereniging Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG) International Project Union.

* Dr. Coulibaly: "Subsidiarity and Democracy-Building in West Africa: A Contribution to Institutional Problem-solving in Africa". One of the major current issues in West Africa is how to establish and reinforce democracy, particularly at the local level. Decentralisation programmes, in which most West African states are at present engaged, play an important role in this respect. Some of the most important questions in decentralisation programmes are the following: Should decentralisation be restricted to de-concentration or should it involve devolution? Does it lead to the "restauration of state authority" or to the establishment of a new form of state which takes into account the institutional history of West Africa? In his presentation, Cheibane Coulibaly introduces the notion of "subsidiarity" which emphasises self-governance. He argues that even though the notion of "subsidiarity" is seldom used in current debates on decentralisation, it is the main principle regulating daily life through several local-level institutions in West Africa.
An attempt will be made to find still another speaker on the subject of decentralisation and democracy-building in West Africa.
* Miriam Reijne: Decentralisation and traditional leaders in Togo.