IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aif/report/v10y2025i1p52-67.html

African Small States in International Relations: Do They Matter or Are They Inconsequential?

Author

Listed:
  • Issa Kansaye

    (Institut Supérieur de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée (ISFRA/PU), Université des Sciences Juridiques et Politiques de Bamako, Bamako, Mali)

Abstract

African small states are frequently overlooked in mainstream international relations discourse due to their limited population, territorial size, economic output, and military capacity. Traditionally seen as peripheral actors, these states are often assumed to be inconsequential in global affairs. This article challenges that perception by critically examining the agency and influence of African small states within the international system. Drawing on liberal institutionalist and constructivist frameworks, the article explores how these states—despite structural constraints—utilize multilateralism, strategic diplomacy, and norm entrepreneurship to assert their presence and interests. Through case studies including Botswana, Seychelles, Cape Verde, and Djibouti, the paper illustrates how small states engage effectively in global governance, regional integration, and issue-specific diplomacy, particularly in areas such as climate change, security cooperation, and democratic governance. The analysis reveals that African small states matter not because of traditional power metrics, but due to their ability to act as moral leaders, policy innovators, and strategic partners. Institutions like the African Union, SADC, and international forums like the United Nations have provided platforms through which small states can amplify their voices and build coalitions. Moreover, the article identifies key challenges—such as economic vulnerability, limited diplomatic capacity, and susceptibility to external shocks—that constrain these states, while also highlighting the strategic opportunities they harness, including niche diplomacy and diaspora engagement. Ultimately, the article concludes that African small states are not merely passive recipients of international norms or aid, but proactive agents shaping and navigating a complex global order. Their contributions, while modest in scale, are significant in scope, particularly as the world increasingly values normative leadership, soft power, and multilateral collaboration.

Suggested Citation

  • Issa Kansaye, 2025. "African Small States in International Relations: Do They Matter or Are They Inconsequential?," Journal of Scientific Reports, IJSAB International, vol. 10(1), pages 52-67.
    • Handle: RePEc:aif:report:v:10:y:2025:i:1:p:52-67
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ijsab.com/wp-content/uploads/1115.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.ijsab.com/jsr-volume-10-issue-1/8047
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Briguglio, Lino, 1995. "Small island developing states and their economic vulnerabilities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(9), pages 1615-1632, September.
    2. Carola Betzold, 2015. "Adapting to climate change in small island developing states," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 481-489, December.
    3. Wendt, Alexander, 1992. "Anarchy is what states make of it: the social construction of power politics," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(2), pages 391-425, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lohmann, Paul & Pondorfer, Andreas & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2019. "Natural Hazards and Well-Being in a Small-Scale Island Society," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 344-353.
    2. Athaulla A. Rasheed, 2019. "Role of Small Islands in UN Climate Negotiations: A Constructivist Viewpoint," International Studies, , vol. 56(4), pages 215-235, October.
    3. Lea Steininger & Casimir Hesse, 2024. "Buying into new ideas: The ECB’s evolving justification of unlimited liquidity," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp357, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    4. N. A. Baranov, 2021. "Elections as an Institution of Trust: Features of Functioning in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Administrative Consulting, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. North-West Institute of Management., issue 10.
    5. Armindo Frias & João Cabral & à lvaro Costa, 2015. "Logistic optimization in tourism networks," ERSA conference papers ersa15p1451, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Jale Samuwai & Jeremy Maxwell Hills, 2018. "Assessing Climate Finance Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Hidetaka Yoshimatsu, 2012. "Identity, policy ideas, and Asian diplomacy: Japan’s response to the rise of China," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 359-376, December.
    8. Harald Schoen, 2008. "Identity, Instrumental Self-Interest and Institutional Evaluations," European Union Politics, , vol. 9(1), pages 5-29, March.
    9. Małgorzata Markowska, 2015. "A measure for regional resilience to economic crisis," Statistics in Transition new series, Główny Urząd Statystyczny (Polska), vol. 16(2), pages 293-308, June.
    10. Riaz Shareef, 2004. "Country Risk Ratings of Small Island Tourism Economies," Working Papers 2004.25, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    11. Raja Oloan Saut Gurning & Gunung Hutapea & Edward Marpaung & Johny Malisan & Dedy Arianto & Wilmar Jonris Siahaan & Bagas Bimantoro & Sujarwanto & I Ketut Suastika & Agoes Santoso & Danu Utama & Abdy , 2022. "Conceptualizing Floating Logistics Supporting Facility as Innovative and Sustainable Transport in Remote Areas: Case of Small Islands in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-22, July.
    12. Satish Chand, 2006. "Economic growth in Forum Island countries: Lessons of the past decade and opportunities ahead," International and Development Economics Working Papers idec06-01, International and Development Economics.
    13. Matus Halas, 2018. "Balancing Against Threats In Interactions Determined By Distance And Overall Gains," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(05), pages 1-22, August.
    14. Sandberg, Kristin Ingstad & Andresen, Steinar & Bjune, Gunnar, 2010. "A new approach to global health institutions? A case study of new vaccine introduction and the formation of the GAVI Alliance," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(7), pages 1349-1356, October.
    15. Sebastian Garmann, 2018. "God save the queen, god save us all? Monarchies and institutional quality," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 65(2), pages 186-204, May.
    16. Loik Ramon, 2016. "Integration Trends of EU Internal Security and Law Enforcement: How Legal, Technological and Operational Advancements Matter," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 3-27, October.
    17. Anna YAMCHUK, 2014. "The EU-UN cooperation for maintaining international peace and security," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 5, pages 113-129, June.
    18. Messono Ombolo Omang & Fabrice Assoumou Zambo, 2026. "Effect of Globalization on Economic Vulnerability in 142 Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 17(1), pages 2845-2888, February.
    19. McGuire, Finn & Rao, Megha & Walker, Simon & Meessen, Bruno & Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet & Jarjue, Gibril & Ginindza, Ntombifuthi & Odame, Emmanuel & Bland, Simon & Bershteyn, Anna & Revill, Paul, 2025. "High health system performance, low health system resilience: Navigating vulnerability – an illustrative example using Small and Island States," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    20. A D Adom, 2016. "Resilience of developing countries to shocks: Case study of WAEMU countries with SUR and VAR Approaches," Economic Issues Journal Articles, Economic Issues, vol. 21(2), pages 105-138, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aif:report:v:10:y:2025:i:1:p:52-67. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Farjana Rahman (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.