Exploring African Agency in Global Politics

Abstract

African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are increasingly recognized as important actors in global politics, including in climate governance, where multilateral efforts remain constrained by geopolitical rivalries. However, little is known about how they exercise agency in practice. Across the policy fields of climate change, migration, health and energy, emerging evidence underscores the growing capacity within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to shape regional and global processes beyond its tradi- tionally constrained role. Consequently, this paper moves beyond descriptions of RECs as passive policy recipients to examine how ECCAS engages with key global policy fields, and how it makes use of bureaucratic and institutional agency within multi-level climate governance structures. Using a qualitative research approach based on interviews with ECCAS staff and specialized institutions (SIs), and informed by sensemaking and prac- tice theories, this working paper analyzes how technical staff, political authorities, and member states interact in the design and implementation of regional climate initiatives. It shows that while political endorsement by Heads of State remains formally necessary, bureaucratic actors, through leveraging of expertise, climate data, and donor engage- ment, exercise significant discretionary authority in shaping project design, regional coor- dination, and external partnerships. Using mechanisms such as working groups, regional policy frameworks, and collaboration with SIs, ECCAS functions as a transnational hub that links local knowledge, regional priorities, and global climate regimes. The findings demonstrate that ECCAS actively interprets, negotiates, and co-produces climate gover- nance practices. Overall, the paper contributes to broader debates on African agency and the role of regional bureaucracies in global environmental governance.