Independent africa and the world. Peter Calvocoressi Longman, 1985, 142 pp.

DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230060310
Date01 July 1986
Published date01 July 1986
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT,
Vol.
6,
321-324
(1986)
Book
Reviews
SMALL
IS
DANGEROUS; MICRO
STATES
IN A MACRO WORLD.
A
Report
from the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies
Edited
by
Sheila
Harden
Frances Pointer (Publishers),
1985, 212
pp.
The Falklands War in
1982
and the Grenada Crisis in 1983 showed not only the
particular vulnerability of very small territories to external attack and internal
destabilization, but also that such events could have repercussions far beyond their
borders.
A group under the chairmanship of the Rt Hon Sir Peter Blaker decided to study
the security problems of micro states with populations of one million or less,
generated by their small human and economic resources.
The Report contains a list of states with
a
population of less than one million and
maps of the Caribbean, Pacific, Indian Ocean and African areas in which they are
located. It discusses the scope of the problem, the role of the various international
and regional organizations and the relevance of international law, including the Law
of the Sea, Intervention, Internal Armed Conflicts and Self Determination.
The Report comes up with a series of recommendations
on
defence, trade and
economic assistance, co-operation of regional levels, multilateral peace-keeping and
a Draft Declaration of Micro States by the United Nations General Assembly. There
are three annexes discussing in detail the problems of Southern Africa, the
Caribbean and the Pacific.
The major problem of most of these micro states is their lack of human and
economic resources, and the Report is valuable in bringing about
a
greater
understanding and recognition
of
these problems. H. P. HALL
R
IPA
INDEPENDENT AFRICA AND THE WORLD
Peter Calvocoressi
Longman,
1985, 142
pp.
Historians and other experts are often reluctant to commit themselves to opinions
on
international controversies until they are
no
longer controversial. Peter
Calvocoressi has never had such inhibitions. In his latest book he displays his
characteristic skills in absorbing and simplifying the detail of
a
complicated near-
contemporary question and presenting his conclusions in highly readable and easily
intelligible form. His diagnosis of the current African malaise goes to the heart of
the matter.
On
the political side, he sees as the main problem the instability
of
so
many governments, arising from the lack of
a
trained public service, the

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