Security Regime Research Paper

1.6.3 Security Regime: Regimes are a common phenomenon in such non Security Dimensions of international relations as the regulators of international trade and transport. Regime theory is derived from the liberal tradition that argues that international institutions or regimes affect the behaviour of states (or other international actors). While realism predicts that conflict should be the norm in international relations, regime theorists say that there is cooperation despite anarchy. Often they cite cooperation in trade, human rights and collective security among other issues. These instances of cooperation are regimes. The most commonly cited definition of regimes comes from Stephen Krasner. He defines regimes as principles, norms,

There is evidence states may, at least in some circumstances be more prone to involvement in international and civil wars. Furthermore, democracies are less prone to engage in genocide or other forms of mass violence against their own citizens than authoritarian regions. Thus links between governance and security are gaining in significance with the wider acceptance of definitions of human security, which see human rights abuser as major threats to security. It is thus agreed that regional role in promoting and protecting good governance and human rights among states that they share cultural and history

Regional economic cooperation and integration do have important security dimensions and implications. This is because economic cooperation and integration may be driven by the desire to reduce the likelihood of political or military conflict between the states involved. SADC and COMESA were founded on this basis. The economic regionalism has also the self-protecting response with security overtones to economic globalization. By working together in regional groups, states can help to protect markets and industries in their region, increase their competitiveness in the global economy and strengthen their hand in global economic forms such as the World trade Organisation (WTO). This translates into “economic security”. The obvious trend towards the intensification of cooperation on intra-regional levels is gaining momentum. After the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the USA, Canada and Mexico, the exploration of possibilities for cooperation and interaction between NAFTA and the EU in the form of a Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) has intensified. TAFTA supporters point out that the combined US-EU GDP represents 57 per cent of the total world GDP (Barfield, 1998). On the basis of the Lomé conventions, the EU continues its economic cooperation with 71 African, Caribbean