Regional Economic Institutions and Conflict Mitigation

Download or read book Regional Economic Institutions and Conflict Mitigation written by Yoram Z. Haftel and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2012-05-21 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In addition to the explicit goal of advancing mutual economic interests, regional economic organizations (REOs) are intended to foster regional cohesion and peace. Drawing on a data set detailing the institutional features of 25 REOs established during the 1980s and 1990s, complemented by a case study of ASEAN, Yoram Z. Haftel investigates the factors that affect REOs' ability to mitigate interstate military conflict. He finds fewer interstate conflicts among REO members who have developed high levels of economic integration and who cultivate regular interaction among member-states' representatives. Haftel concludes that, with an appropriate institutional design and fully implemented agreements, an REO can indeed play a role in mitigating interstate conflict and make a meaningful contribution to regional peace.