Arab regionalism details and examines the power relations involved in the making of an Arab region. On an empirical level, this book concentrates on the drawing of topographic and ideational boundaries in the Arab region, on Arab regional organizations, on the functional cooperation among Arab states and institutions, and on the socio-cultural infra-structure that supports the Arab region making process, with a strong focus on post-1990 dynamics. On a theoretical level, this work makes a case for the analytical autonomy of "Arab" regionalism (as opposed to regionalism in the Middle East or in the Mediterranean) and for the necessity of approaching it as an actual process instead of a failed project. The attitude of debasement and erasure towards Arab regionalism that is common-place in the field of regional studies is replaced in this book for the acknowledgment that there is much more political coordination, economic cooperation and social integration in the Arab region than has previously been assumed. Providing a fresh perspective on Arab regionalism, this book will be an essential resource for scholars and researchers with an interest in Regionalism, Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations.

Regional cooperation, regionalism and regionalization in the Middle East are usually considered to be weak and rather ceremonial. However, since September 11, 2001, a new regional order is emerging and the impact of geostrategic changes in the international environment has yet to be satisfactorily studied. With older regional organizations suffering from weaknesses, new forms appear to be developing and flourishing, due either to European support or growing sub-regional identities. This volume offers refined theoretical models and approaches which are attuned to the new dynamics and contradictions of a wide range of regionalist projects in the contemporary Middle East. Case studies of the most important regional organizations in different policy fields offer comprehensive overviews of the main actors, institutions, historical development and current issues.

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism - the first of its kind - offers a systematic and wide-ranging survey of the scholarship on regionalism, regionalization, and regional governance. Unpacking the major debates, leading authors of the field synthesize the state of the art, provide a guide to the comparative study of regionalism, and identify future avenues of research. Twenty-seven chapters review the theoretical and empirical scholarship with regard to the emergence of regionalism, the institutional design of regional organizations and issue-specific governance, as well as the effects of regionalism and its relationship with processes of regionalization. The authors explore theories of cooperation, integration, and diffusion explaining the rise and the different forms of regionalism. The handbook also discusses the state of the art on the world regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Various chapters survey the literature on regional governance in major issue areas such as security and peace, trade and finance, environment, migration, social and gender policies, as well as democracy and human rights. Finally, the handbook engages in cross-regional comparisons with regard to institutional design, dispute settlement, identities and communities, legitimacy and democracy, as well as inter- and transregionalism.

In 2001, the United Nations University launched UNU-CRIS, a research and training programme on comparative regional integration to study the role of regional integration in global governance. This is a timely product of the research undertaken at UNU-CRIS. The report represents a unique collaboration between all regional UN Economic Commissions. It focuses on one of the central issues in the debate on global governance.

L’ambizione di questo volume è presentare nuovi paradigmi di analisi del processo di integrazione regionale nel 17 Maghreb, da un punto di vista politico, economico e della gestione della sicurezza. Frequentemente trascurata nell’ambito degli “studi comparativi regionali”, il regionalismo maghrebino rappresenta un fenomeno complesso, che può fornire interessanti informazioni sulle “intersezioni dei fattori domestici e internazionali che danno forma alle fortune economiche, agli interessi nell’ambito della sicurezza, e sulle attività culturali degli attori politici” (Katzenstein 1996, 5). Frequently neglected in the field of “comparative regionalist studies”, Maghrebi regionalism represents a complex phenomenon, which could provide interesting information concerning the “intersection of the international and domestic factors that shape the economic fortunes, security interests, and cultural activities of political actors” (Katzenstein 1996, 5).

International Handbook of Economic Integration edited by Miroslav Jovanovi provides timely and rich academic contributions to considerations of the widest array of integration-related issues. European integration has been providing an inspiration to a number of academics and researchers. The Handbook is a recognition of the dynamic and strong solidarity of the European integration. At the same time, the European Union often provided an example for integration schemes throughout the world which spread enormously since the mid-1990s. Leading experts from all continents contributed to this Handbook which will be a valuable input into academic and policy-making discussions and actions. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission Miroslav Jovanovi s publication represents a rich contribution to the complex issue of regional integration, its benefits, its shortcomings, and its relationship with multilateral trade opening. It sheds light over an issue which is the subject of intense discussions in trade circles. Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO Much has been written on trade agreements as a mechanism to integrate the markets of two of more countries often inspired by the European example. In recent years, attention has increasingly focused on the importance of economic geography as a determinant of industrial location. This book combines the two strands of analysis, bringing together leading experts in the fields of economic geography and international trade. The result is an outstanding compilation of papers that illuminate how policies and economic forces affect the location of economic activity in an integrated Europe. Bernard Hoekman, Director, The World Bank, US The open multilateral trading system is a tremendous success of the past half century, and has contributed greatly to the world s unprecedented rate of economic growth. Over the past two decades however, preferential trading arrangements have proliferated, raising questions as to how compatible they are with the open multilateral system, and what policies might be adopted to improve outcomes. The essays in this volume detail the emergence of PTAS and provide comprehensive and up-to-date analyses of the state of play of preferential arrangements in all regions of the world. The volume will provide a useful reference for all those wanting to understand existing preferential arrangements and their role in the international economy today. Anne O. Krueger, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University, US Economic integration is a complex and multifaceted giant, with a myriad aspects ranging from regional and global concentration and dispersal of economic activity to social and political consequences for individuals and communities in developed and developing countries alike. This landmark, three volume collection of chapters by leading authors, drawn from many fields, is a worthy and timely contribution to the analysis of a phenomenon with profound implications for the future world economy - and its governance. James Zhan, Director, Investment & Enterprise Division, UNCTAD With this Handbook, Miroslav Jovanovi has provided readers with both an excellent stand-alone original reference book as well as the first volume in a comprehensive three-volume set. This introduction into a rich and expanding academic and practical world of international economic integration also provides a theoretical and analytical framework to the reader, presenting select analytical studies and encouraging further research. International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume I covers two broad themes: general integration issues and regional integration groups. The first part discusses topics that range from an overview of the regional integration deals registered with the World Trade Organization, to multilateralism and regionalism, hub-and-spoke integration networks, limits to integration, rules of origin, and globalization. The second part of the Han

EU–Middle East relations are multifaceted, varied and complex, shaped by historical, political, economic, migratory, social and cultural dynamics. Covering these relations from a broad perspective that captures continuities, ruptures and entanglements, this handbook provides a clearer understanding of trends, thus contributing to a range of different turns in international relations. The interdisciplinary and diverse assessments through which readers may grasp a more nuanced comprehension of the intricate entanglements in EU–Middle East relations are carefully provided in these pages by leading experts in the various (sub)fields, including academics, think-tankers, as well as policymakers. The volume offers original reflections on historical constructions; theoretical approaches; multilateralism and geopolitical perspectives; contemporary issues; peace, security and conflict; and development, economics, trade and society. This handbook provides an entry point for an informed exploration of the multiple themes, actors, structures, policies and processes that mould EU–Middle East relations. It is designed for policymakers, academics and students of all levels interested in politics, international and global studies, contemporary history, regionalism and area studies.

This book explores the conditions under which Nuclear Weapons Free Zones (NWFZs) can be established. It analyzes four hypotheses that explain the factors contributing to the formation of NWFZs, building upon realist, constructivist and liberal theories from international relations. Through structured focused comparison, the book presents and compares the emergence of NWFZs in Latin America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East, which is a prospect for a NWFZ. The book argues that NWFZ projects depend on the following conditions: the security interest of regional states in avoiding nuclear threats, preexisting regional institutions and regional economic cooperation, leadership by a core of regional powers and shared interest in spreading non-proliferation norms. Democracy is not a necessary condition, but democratization can help overcome barriers presented by hesitant or opposed regional governments. As too many of the mentioned necessary conditions are lacking in the Middle East, a NWFZ project, thus, will be possible only after major political changes. This book will be of much interest to students of nuclear proliferation, arms control, security studies and International Relations.

The present publication has been conceived as a critical reflection, in different disciplinary fields, on the social, institutional, and cultural impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and Africa. The issues presented here were first discussed as part of a larger research project at two conferences, held in Rome in June and October 2022. After extensive revision, these results have now been collected as fully developed articles in the current two volumes: the first focuses on the cultural, artistic, and media-related facets of the pandemic; the second on its social and institutional implications. This Volume II examines the effects of the health crisis on the socio-political landscape, addressing, among other themes, the responses of civil societies to the infection, the consequences of quarantines, the role of the pandemic in blurring the boundaries between democracy and authoritarianism. The articles cover a wide range of geographical regions, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, China, Singapore, and Japan.

A compilation of original essays dealing with ethnic challenges to the modern nation-state and to modernity itself, on the philosophical, political and social levels. These issues are examined theoretically and in a number of case studies encompassing three types of states: industrialized, liberal states in Western Europe, settler states in America, Africa and the Middle East, and post-colonial states in Asia and Africa. Contributors come from leading universities in Israel, Europe and North America and from several academic disciplines.