The Madrid Convention – the Niamey Convention: an European model for Africa

Hanna Dumała

Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3922-1295

Abstract

The article is aimed at addressing two crucial questions. Firstly, when preparing convention on trans-border cooperation, has the African Union used as a model the European solutions elaborated by the Council of Europe and, if yes, to what extent? The scope of potential benchmarks includes a definition of trans-border cooperation, structure and content adapted in the convention. Secondly, which of the solutions applied in the Niamey Convention are determined by conditions peculiar to Africa and what are the characteristic features of these solutions? Instead of an empirical analysis of the examples of trans-border cooperation, this article is based on an analysis of the legal sources (the comparative content analysis of the conventions).

Keywords:

cross-border cooperation, Council of Europe, African Union, Madrid Convention, Niamey Convention