Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Table of cases
- Table of treaties and agreements
- List of abbreviations
- List of websites
- 1 Negotiation
- 2 Mediation
- 3 Inquiry
- 4 Conciliation
- 5 Arbitration
- 6 The International Court I: organisation and procedure
- 7 The International Court II: the work of the Court
- 8 The Law of the Sea Convention
- 9 International trade disputes
- 10 The United Nations
- 11 Regional organisations
- 12 Trends and prospects
- Appendices
- Index
11 - Regional organisations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Table of cases
- Table of treaties and agreements
- List of abbreviations
- List of websites
- 1 Negotiation
- 2 Mediation
- 3 Inquiry
- 4 Conciliation
- 5 Arbitration
- 6 The International Court I: organisation and procedure
- 7 The International Court II: the work of the Court
- 8 The Law of the Sea Convention
- 9 International trade disputes
- 10 The United Nations
- 11 Regional organisations
- 12 Trends and prospects
- Appendices
- Index
Summary
The growth and development of the United Nations as the major universal organisation has been accompanied by a no less dramatic increase in the number and range of organisations with membership drawn from the states of a particular region. Such regional organisations frequently become involved in the resolution of disputes. Sometimes this is because dispute settlement has been defined as a goal of the organisation. Article 4(e) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, for example, lays down as one of its aims the peaceful resolution of conflicts between member states, and similar provisions can be found in the constitutions of other organisations. But even organisations whose primary concern is with matters of no present relevance may find themselves involved in some form of settlement activity. For bringing states together in an institutional setting provides the parties to a dispute with an opportunity to settle their differences and regional neighbours with the chance to add their encouragement, assistance and pressure as an incentive.
The range of regional organisations
The role played by a particular regional organisation depends very much on the characteristics of the organisation concerned: where it is located, how it is structured and what resources it commands. For this reason, though detailed treatment must be sought elsewhere, a glance at some of the leading regional organisations may be useful. Europe, which contains an exceptional number and variety of organisations, is an instructive place to begin.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- International Dispute Settlement , pp. 257 - 283Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011