Regional economic arrrangements / edited by Malcolm S. Adiseshiah

The post-world-war world has thrown up a new economic entity - the Regional Economic Grouping. The six main regional arrangements are the European Economic Community, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, the Latin America Free Trade Association, the Association of South East Asian Nations and the Economic Community of West African States.

Regional economic arrangements are today at the starting stage everywhere, including in the case of the oldest bodies, the European Community-of the West and the East. The changes taking place in them are a pointer to the relatively complex and rich future awaiting all regional economic arrangements.

The Economic Affairs Group of the India International Centre organized, during the first half of 1988, a monthly presentation of each of the six main regional economic arrangements. There are some commonalities as well as many special features among the groupings. In what direction will the future of these bodies develop? Will there be a theory developing to sustain and explain their working? Is there a possibility of their emerging clearly and authoritatively as the middle level between the nation state and the global world bodies like the UN, GATT and UNCTAD to help meet and solve the in-between needs and problems that are faced at the regional level. These and other questions arise from a study of these bodies.