Though rich in natural resources and wealth generating potential, West African nations are currently marred by war, political instability, and economic uncertainty. While many factors have contributed to this, there are solutions to alleviate the plight of West African people. As post-colonial West Africa struggles to organize its individual economies, human resources and infrastructure to adequately manage natural resources; I explore regional economic integration of nations, the role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional functions, and postulate a synthesis for sustainable development, growth and stability through the promotion of a healthy and robust economy.

ASEAN transport connectivity is critical to the completion of the ASEAN Economic Community. Cross-border transportation development helps to lower trading time and transaction costs, therefore facilitates the regional economic integration. ASEAN Member States initiated two regional land transport projects: the ASEAN Highway Network project and the Singapore-Kunming Railway Link. The implementation of regional transport projects requires involvement of various stakeholders, but the disparity of funding capacity of individual states is likely to cause collective action dilemma. Regional development banks and donor countries have provided financial sources for the projects, but their contribution remained limited. This research suggests that the main obstacles are the lack of focused mechanisms on transport development, weak project coordination, and overemphasize of ASEAN-way diplomacy in ASEAN. Consequently, different national priorities bottleneck the least developed countries to utilize donors’ funding, and thus slowed down the implementation of regional transport networks. All these make not only the realization of the project but also the completion of ASEAN Economic Community very difficult.

第二章探討「太平洋經濟共同體」此一概念之形成過程、發展背景。往前追溯到二次 大戰前之「大東亞共榮圈」、戰後六○年代此概念之提倡、以及七○、八○年代之發 展。援具體數據資料交代論証假設命題是否成立。 第三章探討「太平洋經濟共同體」與「歐洲共同體」相較下之特質。並列述其成立「 共同體」之有利及不利因素為何，並論証假設命題二是否成立。 第四章旨在探討，面對既存「太平洋經濟共同體」成立不利因素 (障礙) ，如何加以 克服? 「共同體」未來的發展方向應如何? 為說明此點，試圖從以下理論中尋找實踐 之依據及可遵循之軌跡：地緣政治上的「浮區理論」(Pan-area or Pan-reg ion )、 依賴發展理論(dependent-development Theory)、整合理論(Intergration Theory)( 政治上與經濟上的) 、及集體 (公共) 財貨理論(Collective or Public Goods)。並 著力於後者。 第五章探討將理論與實際加以結合。試圖從第四章的集體 (公共) 財化理論中對「共 同體」現存之障礙，找尋顧服之途徑。 第六章結論中，則評估以「集體 (公共) 財貨理論」作為「太平洋經濟共同體」成立 理論依據之適用性。並試提出有關「共同體」未來發展之假設命題。本文歸結