Regional organisations have in recent years focused increasingly on the promotion of peace and security. They may be considered more effective and legitimate external actors than the United Nations and other international actors. They are also more likely to have an interest in preventing, containing or resolving conflict and insecurity in their regions. Although the vast majority of the literature on regional security architecture focuses on conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding, regional organisations are increasingly seeking to address transnational or ‘unconventional’ security threats.
There are various issues, challenges and opportunities that can be drawn from the literature on regional security architecture in these regions. These include:
- A strong regional power can be a benefit and a disadvantage.
- In order for a regional grouping to be successful, member nations need to have common values and a shared perception of threats.
- Sub-regional groupings are useful components of regional security architecture although they vary greatly in resources and capacity
- All participating states have to perceive benefits from participating in regional cooperation
- Low-level approaches, such as regular and systematic meetings of officials and confidence-building measures can help build trust.
- When dealing with transnational threats, a holistic, multi-sectoral approach is required. A mix of tools is also important.
