Cross border areas have long been a central concern to West Africa’s sub regional politics. The demarcation of borders during the colonial period and the strategic location of natural resources in cross-border areas have historically posed threats to peace and stability. Yet, these areas hold a largely untapped potential for development.

Socio-economic integration, undertaken as part of joint actions by neighboring states, has been shown to accelerate economic growth and promote sustainable peace and stability in cross-border regions. Furthermore national governments alone cannot achieve the MDG targets set for 2015.