Development of the regional organisations Flashcards
1
Q
What is NAFTA/UMSCA
A
- The North American Free Trade Agreement was established in 1994 to increase trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico by eliminating most tariffs between them.
- Purely economic purpose and wasn’t designed to provide members with a greater shared political identity.
2
Q
NAFTA/USMCA successes
A
- Effective in sharply increasing the value of trade between its three members, from $290 billion in 1993 to $1.1 trillion in Mexico in 2016.
- During the same period US foreign direct investment in Mexico increased from $15 billion to $100 billion.
3
Q
Limitations of NAFTA/USMCA
A
- Caused significant job losses and wage stagnation in the US as US manufacturers have been forced to compete with low-wage competition from Mexico.
- In 2018, pressure from President Trump led NAFTA to be renegotiated and replaced by the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) - how each state sought the best terms for themselves when negotiating suggests they only agreed for their national advantage.
- Failed to develop a sense of regional identity between the US, Canada and Mexico - a limited example of regionalism.
4
Q
African Union
A
- Established the Organisation of the African Union (OAU) in 1963.
- Primary focus was ending colonial rule in Africa and encouraging closer cooperation and between the newly independent states through its’ Charter - replaced by the African Union.
- More economic and politically ambitious and it does resemble the UN’s structures.
5
Q
AU structures
How is it similar to the EU?
A
- AU’s Assembly = main decision-making body which all African heads of government attend.
- Pan-African Parliament = debates issues and provides advice for the assembly.
- AU’s commission = implements AU policies and decisions.
- AU’s Peace and Security Council = provides a mechanism for African Union forces to intervene in member-states to stop genocide and crimes against humanities.
6
Q
Limitations of the AU
A
- 2019 = 54 African nations at very different stages of development while European integration began with just 6 EEC members already at an advanced stage of development.
- Tribal and ethnic differences which have provoked genocide in Rwanda, civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and crimes against humanity in Darfur suggests the AU lacks a common sense of identity necessary for enhanced cooperation.
- Criticised African rulers for their lack of commitment to democracy and for extensive corruption - unlikely to embrace African unity as this would significantly reduce their power and influence.
- 2004 = AU’s toleration of significant human rights abuses in Zimbabwe under President Mugabe and Libya under President Gaddafi suggests the AU puts dictators’ interests before pan-Afican unity.
- Treaty of Rome (EEC) committed to an ‘ever closer union’. While, the AU charter (2002) is committed to defending the ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states.
7
Q
Arab League
A
- Established in 1945 with 22 members (2019).
- Example of SECURITY and POLITICAL regionalism - main focus is resolving the disputes within the Arab world and representing the interests of Arab states on the world stage (prevents cultural homogenisation).
- The Council of the Arab League, comprising of representatives of each state, meets twice every year. It has a permanent secretariat headed by a secretary-general.
8
Q
Successes of the AL
A
- 2011 = agreed to suspend Syria from membership because of President Gaddafi’s attacks on the civilian population.
- 2011 = supported the UN’s imposition of a no-fly zone on Libya.
- 2015 = supported Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen against the Houthi rebels.
- 2019 = the first ever summit between EU and Arab League leaders took place in Egypt; focussed on establishing a shared response to security, migration and environmental challenges.
9
Q
Limitations of the AL
A
- Council decisions are binding only on those members which supported them. When it does agree resolutions, they rarely commit its members to action.
- Failed its key role in encouraging peace in the Middle East:
+ Failed to mediate a ceasefire in the Syrian Civil War. Instead, Iran and Russia became the main players in the conflict, further marginalising AL’s influence.
+ Failed to intervene effectively to restore stability within post-Gaddafi Libya and failed to coordinate military action against the Islamic state.
+ Its’ recognition of Palestine as a state means it has no political leverage with Israel in trying to drive forward a peace process.
10
Q
ASEAN
A
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (c. 1967) with a membership reaching 10 in 2019 and is collectively the 6th largest economy globally in 2018..
- ASEAN’s Regional Forum enables members to work with other regional powers, such as China and Japan, to peacefully resolve regional disputes.
- All members are committed to nuclear proliferation and share counter-terrorism intelligence.
- Negotiated free-trade agreements between themselves and with neighbouring powers, including China.
11
Q
Limitations of ASEAN
A
- Commitment to an eventual free market is undermined by huge discrepancies in economic development between highly developed (Singapore) and less developed states like Cambodia.
- Further integration hampered by the members’ different political system (China and Laos are communist and Malaysia is a democracy).
- Weakened its diplomatic influence by significant differences between its member states (Cambodia has close ties with China while the Philippines is aligned with the USA) - cannot coordinate an agreed response to Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea.
- Committed to non-interference in its members’ domestic affairs - criticised for not suspending Myanmar for its treatment of the Rohingya Muslims.
- Since the key decision-makers are its heads of government, it lacks the supranational institutions for further integration like the EU.
12
Q
Will regional blocs ever rival the EU - Yes
A
- EU has gradually expanded and developed since 1951. Given the rise of ‘new regionalism’ didn’t emerge until the 1990s, perhaps it’s still early for other regions that may undergo a similar path.
- Other regional blocs have moved to expand their remit - many evolved from being purely economical to now sharing political and security aims (ASEAN/AU).
- Hard to predict whether other regional blocs will emerge on the global stage - may react in response to how power plays in the int. sys (AU - feature of multipolarity or the rise in power of the Global South). OR if there to be a revival of a dominant hegemony, we may see different forms of bandwagoning.
13
Q
No - regional blocs will not rival the EU
A
- EU’s role in promoting cultural values and ideals - clear identity in promoting democracy, peace and security. Unique, given its foundation in the wake of WWII, its’ role in addressing the long-standing rivalry between F/G and the all pervasive ‘never again’ regarding the conflict.
- EU’s unique role in promoting certain policies globally = pioneered HR, established its own judicial system and is instrumental in environ agreements (2009 Copenhagen).
- The EU has a balance of strong powers, but not superpowers - enables it to ‘pool sovereignty’ in the absence of a dominant superpower.
