Description
This paper aims to address regional contributions to global governance by exploring the case of Latin America. We believe that this region offers a particularly insightful case study on, at least, three accounts. First, the process of decolonisation in Latin America took place relatively early compared to other regions, such as Africa and Asia. This means that, by the time the institutions of the contemporary liberal international order came into being, most states in Latin America had already had over a century-long history as sovereign, modern states with full membership in the international community. Second, the process through which the former colonies in Latin America became sovereign states evolved through what we denominate a triple-war path: first, independence wars; then, civil wars; and finally, border wars and disputes with neighbours. This triple-war path, we argue, is key to understanding the region’s strong attachment to the principles of territoriality, non-interference, and Westphalian sovereignty. Third, by the end of World War II, the Americas became the first region in the world to establish not one but two multilateral organisations for regional governance: the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (1947) and the Organisation of American States (1948). From then on, there has been a myriad of multilateral initiatives in the region, which means that the space for Latin America to potentially make substantial contributions to global governance through multilateral regional governance has been significant. Nonetheless, the success, relevance, and survival rate of these Hemispheric, regional, and subregional schemes have varied greatly. By tracing the long-term evolution of regional governance in Latin America and the different regional contributions to the contemporary international order, we seek to shed light on the co-constitutive dynamics of regional and global governance mechanisms, and reclaim the key role that developing states played in shaping our present international order.
Key words
Regional Governance – Global Governance – Liberal International Order – State Making - Latin America
