ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1, I argued that Euro-centric approaches of the integration theorists are inadequate to explain regional cooperative efforts among developing countries. One reason for this is that Euro-centric theorists overemphasized integration and the creation of supranational institutions with authority to override the participating members’ decision-making institutions. By focusing too heavily on integration, they gave inadequate attention to other more realistic forms of regional cooperation efforts. For example, regional cooperative agreements among developing countries can exist on a specific issue area such as trade, monetary exchange, security, social welfare, science and technology, and meteorology without any “spillover effect” as integration theorists would argue. Policymakers in developing countries are more comfortable in coordinating their policies on specific issue areas with each other rather than pursuing any kind of integration, which presupposes surrender of sovereign policy-making power to a supranational institution. Sometimes, policymakers’ concerns on different issue areas are intertwined intermittently. In such a context, they may pursue cooperation on several issues simultaneously. However, the choice of issue areas for cooperation and the nature and terms of regional cooperation depend much on the participating member countries’ domestic politics and leadership preferences.
