Regional organization

Organizations grouping almost all the countries in their respective continents. Note that Russia and Turkey are members of both the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). See also: international organization.
Several smaller regional organizations with non-overlapping memberships.
Several non-overlapping large alliances. Softer colours indicate observer/associate or candidate countries.

Regional organizations (ROs) are, in a sense, international organizations (IOs), as they incorporate international membership and encompass geopolitical entities that operationally transcend a single nation state. However, their membership is characterized by boundaries and demarcations characteristic to a defined and unique geography, such as continents, or geopolitics, such as economic blocs. They have been established to foster cooperation and political and economic integration or dialogue among states or entities within a restrictive geographical or geopolitical boundary. They both reflect common patterns of development and history that have been fostered since the end of World War II as well as the fragmentation inherent in globalization. Most ROs tend to work alongside well-established multilateral organizations such as the United Nations.[1] While in many instances a regional organization is simply referred to as an international organization, in many others it makes sense to use the term regional organization to stress the more limited scope of a particular membership.

Examples of ROs include, a.o., the African Union (AU), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Arab League (AL), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Council of Europe (CoE), Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), European Union (EU), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Union of South American Nations (USAN).

See also

References

  1. ↑ United Nations. "Cooperation with regional organizations", in Annual Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 1995, ch. 4

Further reading

  • Rodrigo Tavares (2009), Regional Security: The Capacity of International Organizations. London and New York: Routledge.
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