How legal, economic, and political factors have influenced regionalist endeavours, and what approaches are the most serviceable for the future of regionalism in a globalised world?

Regionalism has been defined as the coming together of nations with a common sense of purpose, consolidated by institutions that help charter a collective identity within a geographical region. It is difficult to graph the true origins of the concept of regionalism and region-building. However, arguably, it was not until the end of the second World War that it began to gain gravitas as an ideology in the sphere of international relations. The acceptance of regionalism on the European continent highlighted the true potential of regional associations. Regionalism in Europe created an environment that aided the construction of stability and peace through a purposeful harmonisation in trading rules and a consolidation of bargaining power.

Although, following the advent of the Cold War, regionalism gained a negative connotation. It was often described as the forerunner for polarisation, fragmentation, protectionism, marginalisation and so on. The Doha Round (2001) reminded the world of the true efficacy of regionalism, particularly for developing nations. Regionalism is an important concept to study as it goes beyond simple trade liberalisation, it also strengthens democratic discourses, legislations, and crucial policy areas that enhance growth and facilitate structural change in a region.

This study discusses in detail the current state of regionalism, followed by an exemplification of the main models of regionalism as implemented by the three key regional blocs, namely, the European Union, the Association of South East Asian Nations, and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The thesis discusses these key models of regionalism to analyse their serviceability and applicability to their respective regions to discuss to some extent the future of regionalism in the globalised world order. It is difficult to find a study that analyses the legal and institutional spects of the various regional associations, it is an aspect of this field that is often overlooked. Ultimately, this study aims to enhance the understanding of the transformative potential that regionalism possesses in shaping the contemporary geopolitical landscape.

This study adopts a combination ofsocio-legal, interdisciplinary, and historic legal research methodologies to draw from fields such as law, economics, political science, and history to present a thorough analysis of the development of regionalism and what the future holds for it. The study is concluded by a discussion on the most serviceable model of regionalism in today’s globalised world, which is open regionalism.