Regionalism

Political philosophy that emphasizes the primacy of the interests of larger regional groupings over those of individual states. Regionalism stands in contrast to nationalism, in which the interests of the nation-state are considered paramount.

Nationalism has been the preeminent force in international relations for hundreds of years. The Peace of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648 formally established the nation-state system as the accepted political order in Europe. That conflict was the culmination of several large and myriad smaller religious wars stretching over more than a century. Westphalia established the principle that rulers had the right to determine what religion would be observed in their territories. By extension, it recognized the sovereignty of established states and condemned interference in their internal affairs.

Regionalism is largely a product of forces shaping the world since the early 20th century, including decolonization and globalization. After World War II, newly independent nations in Africa and Asia created several regional political and economic organizations, such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD). These organizations had ambitious goals based on a perceived sense of shared interest among former colonies. National interests, however, often overrode regional priorities, checkering the groups' records of achievement.

The OAU was established in 1963 by 23 African states seeking to end the remaining colonialism in Africa and to promote peace and economic development on the continent. The OAU had some modest successes in promoting economic liberalization in Africa, but it failed to prevent or mitigate scores of regional wars and the rise of authoritarian regimes throughout the continent. The OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by a new organization named the African Union (AU).

The AU has shown a greater willingness to intervene in the affairs of member states than did the OAU. In May 2003, an AU force composed of troops from South Africa, Ethiopia, and Mozambique was dispatched to Burundi to enforce peace agreements in the wake of Burundi's recently ended civil war. The AU also sent 300 observers to monitor ethnic violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and is now considering the deployment of peacekeepers to the area.

[Page 626]Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan formed the RCD in 1964 to liberalize and promote trade among the three countries. However, the member states could not develop a mutually acceptable mechanism for expanding trade or mobilizing regional resources. Political instability following the 1979 Iranian revolution caused the RCD to suspend operations until 1985. At that time, a new group, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), arose from the old RCD. In 1990, following the collapse of Soviet communism, seven newly independent states in Central Asia and the Caucasus joined the ECO.

The goals of ECO incorporate both economic and social objectives. Economic goals include promoting sustainable development in member states, removing trade barriers and promoting regional trade, developing transportation and communications links among member states and with neighbor states, developing economic liberalization and privatization, and mobilizing the region's resources (particularly energy) to increase regional economic power. Social objectives of ECO include cooperating to control regional drug trafficking, having mutual ecological and environmental protection, and strengthening cultural ties among the people of the region.

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