Regional economic integration organizations are an essential part of the international institutional architecture outside the United Nations system and key elements of international economic governance. They aim to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, ease the movement of labour and capital across jurisdictions, and contribute to overall regional economic development. The non-economic spillover effects of their operations include contributions to regional peace, stability and harmonious co-existence among states, the protection of human rights, advancing the rule of law, and fostering socio-cultural exchange. Taking a comparative approach, this course focuses on regional economic integration organizations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America, namely the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Caribbean Community, the European Union, and the Southern Common Market. It compares and analyzes these selected regional economic integration organizations from a predominantly legal standpoint. In doing so, the course examines their international law foundations, institutional frameworks, mechanisms for integrating their laws into member states’ legal systems, regimes on trade in goods and services and related issues such as tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade, and dispute settlement mechanisms and jurisprudence. Students will develop competence and facility over several regional economic integration organization treaties and sharpen their analytical, reasoning, critical reading and communication skills through this course.
Method of Evaluation: 30% class participation and 70% final paper of 7000 words on a topic to be discussed and agreed upon with the instructor by Week 7 of the course.