Editorial

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Notes

‘… although Africa has always been central to the work of the UN, the organization has tended to serve as a conveyor belt for ideas and perspectives from outside. There has also been serious underrepresentation and sometimes even complete absence of African researchers set up by the UN system. Only very limited use is made of African research, as illustrated in the UN flagship publications, in which an average of only 2 per cent of citations are to such literature. Most are to the UN's own literature, an incestuous dependence that gives only the illusion of debate. African scholars who are involved in the formulation of policy proposals are generally relegated to gathering data and producing case studies; within the division of intellectual labour, their work features in the textboxes while the theoretical frameworks and analysis come from institutions in the North. Furthermore, most input by African scholars is limited to matters concerning Africa, thus consigning their work to a ghetto while also failing to capitalize on the potential for comparative insights’. (UNRISD 2004: 11)