1st Edition

Regional Security The Capacity of International Organizations

By Rodrigo Tavares Copyright 2010
    232 Pages
    by Routledge

    230 Pages
    by Routledge

    Regional organizations are an inescapable feature of global politics. Virtually all countries in the world are members of at least one regional or other intergovernmental organization.

    The involvement of international organizations in the realm of regional peace and security, and their cooperation in this domain with the United Nations, has reached an unprecedented level. Regional organizations have traditionally been formed around economic, political, or environmental objectives, however, over the last decades these organizations have gradually penetrated into the security sphere and developed their capacities in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, or post-war reconstruction.

    In Europe, Africa, Asia, or the Americas, regional and other intergovernmental organizations have been concurrently empowered by the UN and their own member states to maintain peace and security. Despite suffering from important discrepancies in both their mandates and capacities, regional organizations have become indisputable actors that play a role from the outbreak of a crisis to the reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of a conflict

    Presenting the most up-to-date critical and comparative analysis of the major regional security institutions, assessing a wide range of regional organizations and providing an accessible and comprehensive guide to 11 key organizations, this book is the first systematic study of the capacities of the most recognized intergovernmental organizations with a security mandate. Regional Security is essential reading for all students of international organizations, peace and security studies and global governance.

    1. International Organizations in Regional Security  2. African Union (AU)  3. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  4. Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)  5. Southern African Development Community (SADC)  6. Organization of American States (OAS)  7. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  8. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)  9. League of Arab States (LAS)  10. Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)  11. European Union (EU)  12. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)  13. Conclusions

    Biography

    Rodrigo Tavares is a Research Fellow at United Nations University (UNU-CRIS), Belgium and the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He also has served as a consultant to the UN and national governments.