ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the idea and practice of regional governance as a component of world order, a contribution to the debate about the most appropriate location for tasks within a range of governance mechanisms. It details in depth the "idea" of regional governance before contrasting it with actual practice. The chapter explores regional governance mechanisms and the functions that they perform. Governance, of course, involves an array of actors—including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), transnational social movements, networks, coalitions, and epistemic communities—but intergovernmental regional organizations provide the focus. They often are the hub of regional interactions and are leaders in the generation of rules, norms, and treaties. Regional governance is a wider process involving state and non-state actors and several locations of authority. It is relevant to the organization of political reality, which has resulted in the establishment of regional institutions, discourse, and practice.
