This section of research is being led by Laurie Nathan at the University of Cape Town.  He has summarised the work below:

Context and Motivation 

Primary Research Question, Focus and Scope 

The project will have a strong comparative emphasis and will seek to make general observations, where possible, from empirical research. It is therefore important that the case studies have a common research question, focus, scope and understanding of terminology.  

The primary research question is: 

What factors determine the effectiveness of regional organisations in relation to regional security and the prevention, management and resolution of violent conflict? 

We are interested in the regional organisations envisaged by Article 52 of the UN Charter and recognised as such by the UN. Article 52 promotes regional arrangements and agencies for dealing with matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security as are appropriate for regional action and in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN. The Security Council shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of local disputes through these regional arrangements and agencies, on the initiative of the Council or the states concerned. The primary focus is thus not on regionalisation, regionalism and ‘regionness’ although these issues are likely to be relevant and should therefore be considered when addressing the research question.The time period under consideration will be from the formation of the regional organisation to the present. 

The effectiveness of a regional organisation will be analysed principally in relation to its role in preventing, managing and resolving violent conflict within member states and between member states. The organisation’s role in addressing external threats to the region and conflict between a member state and a non-member state are relevant but any extra-regional peacemaking role lies outside the scope of the project. In addition, we are interested in the organisation’s counter-terrorism agenda, activities and impact, including any possible undermining of human rights and freedoms.The effectiveness of the organisation will also be assessed in relation to its mandate and goals. In some cases it might be necessary to distinguish between the formal and informal mandates of the organisation. 

We recognise that assessments of an organisation’s effectiveness are subjective and depend on the judgement of the analyst. The assessments might also be shaped by the analyst’s a priori expectations, and the bar might be set too high or too low in this regard. Linked to these problems are research difficulties relating to causality and evidence: it might be extremely difficult to prove that an organisation has had a particular effect or that a particular variable was significant or insignificant.  

We plan to address these problems in the following ways: the researchers must produce strong evidence to support their conclusions and must take account of the academic literature on the organisation in question; there will be an initial process of peer review whereby the case study authors comment on each other’s draft papers; there will be an academic workshop at which the case studies are presented and debated; and there will be a further review prior to publication.  

Key Factors Determining Effectiveness 

The case studies will investigate whether and to what extent the following factors have influenced the effectiveness of regional organisations in relation to peace and security. An initial set of factors based on a literature review was discussed and refined at the preparatory workshop in March 2007.

Conflict in the region. The prevalence, scope, nature and intensity of intra- and inter-state conflict shapes both the organisation’s peace and security agenda and its ability to deal successfully with that agenda.

State capacity and cohesion. Regional organisations are forums of states. Consequently, the political, economic and administrative strength of member states is likely to have a major bearing on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation. 

Organisational mandate. The organisation’s mandate in relation to peace and security will influence its activities in this regard. A related factor in some regions is the presence of several regional organisations with overlapping membership and mandates.

Common values. The degree of normative congruence among member states has a strong influence on their level of trust and cohesion, their ability to develop common policies on security, their willingness to adhere to those policies and their ability to act with common purpose in crisis situations. Over time, common values might constitute a political culture that characterises the organisation.   

Dominance and influence of member states. The role of a regional hegemon or dominant member state within the organisation, in the region and in relation to conflicts has a strong bearing on the organisation’s effectiveness. Also relevant in this regard is the extent of contestation around hegemony and influence among member states.

Extra-regional actors. The role of extra-regional actors in relation to regional politics and the regional organisation might be significant enabling or constraining factors. These actors include foreign powers, the UN and other international bodies.

Regional economy. Relevant factors might include the actual and comparative economic strength of member states; the extent of regional economic integration, trade, investment and infrastructure; the organisation’s mandate in relation to economic integration; and the presence of extractive resources.

Domestic politics. In various ways domestic politics inform the posture, policies and decisions of member states in relation to regional politics and the regional organisation.

Learning organisation. Although difficult to observe and measure, the extent to which a regional organisation identifies and acts on lessons from past experience might influence its effectiveness.

Role of leaders. The political leaders of member states (e.g. presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers) and the leaders of a regional organisation (e.g. the executive secretary) might have a major impact on the organisation.

The factors outlined above have to be considered in relation to each other. They also have to be considered historically. They might change over time and their impact and relationships might change significantly over time.  

Case Studies 

The following case studies have been commissioned:

• The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

• The European Union (EU) and the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

• The Organisation of American States (OAS)

• The Southern African Development Community (SADC)

• Central Asia

Process and Outputs 

As noted previously, the first phase of research will take the form of case studies on regional organisations and the case studies will have a common research focus. The authors will be contracted to prepare a paper for publication in the Working Paper series of the CSRC and will present their papers at an academic seminar in October 2007. At this event we will identify the themes for comparative cross-cutting papers. The themes are likely to coincide with at least some of the key factors listed above. For example, the role of the regional hegemon and contestations over hegemony and influence might be the subject of a thematic paper.  

The thematic papers could also seek to develop a particular argument. One such argument is that the dominant West European model of regional security and regional organisations is ill-suited to other regions. Another argument is that the effectiveness of a regional organisation depends on its external and internal logic, the external logic being the belief by member states that the organisation will meet their interests and the internal logic relating to the degree of common values and trust between them. 

At the October seminar we will consider further outputs of the project, including an edited volume with case studies and thematic chapters; single or multi-authored journal articles; and policy oriented outputs.