20.

Introduction to Regional
Organizations
Introduction to Regional Organizations


The world has witnessed, since the end of the Second World War, a
proliferation of regional organizations of various types and forms. Regional
organizations are international associations link together geographically and
ideologically related states. any factors have contri!uted to the creation of such
organizations. The "old War, the failure of the Security "ouncil of the #nited
$ations in performing its primary responsi!ilities in maintaining international
peace and security, the eagerness of the newly independent states to cooperate
together for common interests, the desire of states for economic cooperation, all
stimulated the creation of regional organizations, whether defense alliances such as
the $orth %tlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw &act, or general
cooperation organization such as the 'eague of %ra! States, the Organization of
%frican #nity (transformed into %frican #nion), and the Organization of %merican
States, or economic cooperation such as the *uropean "ommunities+,- (thereafter
transformed into the *uropean #nion).
Today, there are many regional organizations of various types and forms in
*urope, the %mericas, %sia, %frica, and the &acific. In the following, the main and
the most important organizations are mentioned. In *urope, there are the *uropean
#nion (*#), the "ouncil of *urope ("O*)+.-, the Western *uropean #nion
(W*#)+/-, the Organization for "ooperation and Security in *urope (O"S*)+0-,
the $orth %tlantic Treaty Organization ($%TO)+1-, and the "ommonwealth of
Independent States ("IS)+2-. In the %merican continent, there is the Organization
of %merican states (O%S). In %frica, there is the %frican #nion (%#). In %sia,
there is the %ssociation of South *ast %sian $ations (%S*%$).+3- Related to the
%ra! World, there are the 'eague of %ra! States, and the "ooperation "ouncil for
the %ra! States of the 4ulf (4""). Related to the Islamic World, there is the
Organization of the Islamic "onference (OI").
+,- $amely the *uropean "oal and Steal "ommunity (*"S"), The *uropean *conomic "ommunity (**") and the
*uropean "ommunity of %tomic *nergy (*uratum). The *uropean #nion.
+.- "O* was created in ,505 with wide6ranging cooperative aims. "urrently, there are forty6si7 mem!er states in
the "ouncil. See generally ". %rcher, Organizing Europe, chapter 0, 'ondon (,550)8 T. Ouchterlony, The Council
of Europe in the New Europe, *din!urgh (,55,), and . Shaw, International Law, pp. /,56., 9 ,,3,63.,
"am!ridge (.::/). See also the "O* we! site at ;;www.coe.int;.
+/- W*# was founded in ,50< as a defense arrangement. Today it is a defense component of the *#, and a means
for strengthening the *uropean pillar of the %tlantic %lliance. See generally %rcher, chapter ,:, and Shaw, pp.
,,3:63,. See also ;;www.weu.int;.
+0- O"S* was emerged in ,551 from the =elsinki &rocess that initiated !y the =elsinki "onference of *uropean
states (plus the #nited States of %merica and "anada) in ,531. It is concerned with three areas> security ?uestions
in *urope8 cooperation in the fields of economic, science and technology8 and cooperation in human rights,
humanitarian fields and democracy. "urrently, there are fifty6five mem!er states in the Organization. See Shaw, pp.
,,356<,8 and O"S* we! site at ;;www.osce.org;.
+1- $%TO was created in ,505 as a defense alliance to counter the Soviet@s threat. Originally, it comprised the
Western *uropean States, 4reece, Turkey, #S and "anada8 currently, it includes the Western and *astern *uropean
States, Turkey, #S and "anada. See generally The NATO Handboo, Arussels (.::.)8 %rcher, chapter 58 and Shaw,
pp. ,,2<63:. See $%TO we! site at ;;www. nato.int;.
+2- "IS was esta!lished !y an agreement signed !y Russia, Aelarus and #kraine in insk on < Becem!er ,55,, to
which other states adhered. "urrently, it comprises all the former Soviet Repu!lic apart from the three Aaltic States.
See Shaw, pp. ,,<,6..
+3- %S*%$ was esta!lished in ,523 as an organization for !oth economic and political cooperation. "urrently, it
comprises Arunei, "am!odia, Indonesia, 'aos, alaysia, yanmar, the &hilippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Cietnam. See generally T.W. %llen, ASEAN !eport, . vols., Washington (,535)8 %. Aroinowski (ed.),
"nderstanding ASEAN, 'ondon (,5<.)8 Shaw, pp. ,,<162. See also %S*%$ we! site at ;;aseansec.org;.