ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the theoretical framework, which is based on the theories of international regimes. It examines the issue of the conceptualisation and definition of international regimes. The chapter discusses the topic of regime formation or how theories of international regimes have explained and approached the emergence of regimes. Regime theory emerged in the late 1970s and 1980s as a response to the growing economic interdependence between states. Regime theorists dealt with a number of theoretical issues related to the definition of regimes, regime formation, regime maintenance, and regime effectiveness. The power-based school of regime formation is based on the realist paradigm of international relations theory, which has emphasised the importance of the relative distribution of power in the international system. The interest-based school of international regimes has been the mainstream approach to analysing the emergence, maintenance, and effectiveness of international regimes. The knowledge-based approaches enhanced and expanded the research agenda related to international regimes.
