INDIA-PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION: A THEORETICAL APPROACH O REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Abstract
The paper posits that the persistent enmity among India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, driven by jingoistic nationalism, has led to a situation where these countries prioritize security concerns over national development. This antagonism has reached such a critical point that it seems nearly irreparable. The paper suggests that this predicament could be mitigated by fostering globalization optimism, which entails promoting interstate cooperation, soft borders, and people-to-people contacts. Achieving these goals would require regional and economic integration—a concept that has been successfully implemented in Europe and has been widely discussed by scholars across various fields.
The paper draws upon theoretical and historical studies, as well as practical insights gathered from organizations and stakeholders during a recent field trip to Pakistan. It highlights the failure of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) to implement its "program of action," which emphasized the importance of regional and interregional cooperation among developing countries. The NIEO aimed to create a unified community for economic development, but the concept of Collective Self-Reliance emerged as a significant alternative.
The idea of Collective Self-Reliance, discussed extensively since the Non-Aligned Movement's Lusaka summit, focuses on enhancing technical and economic cooperation among developing countries. It is not intended to replace the existing economic order but to provide a practical means for these countries to address their worsening global economic conditions. Collective Self-Reliance promotes national self-sufficiency while facilitating cooperation among underdeveloped nations. However, it remains an auxiliary approach rather than a comprehensive solution. As the number of cooperating countries grows, collaboration tends to become more selective, making regional cooperation crucial.
In summary, the concept of Collective Self-Reliance plays a crucial role in fostering regional cooperation among developing countries by encouraging both national self-reliance and collaborative efforts, particularly in the context of challenging global economic conditions.
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New International Economic Order: The origin of the concept can be traced from the mid-1970s. It constitutes a framework for eliminating the prevalent anarchy in the international economic system, with all its features which are being utilized by developed countries for their vested interests and for continuing their neocolonial rule over the underdeveloped countries. It also stands for making the international system equitable, rational, fairer and just by adopting the code of conduct of the industrialized countries and by accepting the due rights of the underdeveloped countries (see: A. Heywood, Global Politics, Palgrave Macmillan, United Kingdom, 2011, p. 464).
Program of Action: It was a special U.N. General Assembly session held on 1 May, 1974, in which the following problems which developing countries were facing were raised and discussed: (i) The imbalance of trade between the developed and developing/underdeveloped countries; (ii) The reform of the International Monetary System, which used to give undue preferences to the Industrialized countries; (iii) The creation of the environment, which would provide help for developing countries in consolidating the efforts of the International community for setting up the industries in developing countries;
iv) The support for the agendas of different organizations and seeking Cooperation from the international community in formulating the code of conduct at the international level for the transfer of technology and scienti¿c knowledge dealing with research from developed to developing countries, etc. (see: Ibid., p. 194).
Concept of Collective Self-Reliance: The third world countries had an objective to move from underdeveloped to developed status, and for this they employed the NIEO as a tool and made the concept of Collective Self-Reliance a major theme of various conferences of the NIEO. Later on, the NIEO de¿ned it as a capability of satisfying the basic requirements of the people, particularly in the context of the third world countries. The developing countries believed that this alone can ensure their equal and effective participation in international relations (see: K. Gopal, Geopolitical Relations and Regional Cooperation: A Study of South Asia, Trans Asia Publications, New Delhi, 1996, p. 10).
Lusaka summit: In 1970, the Non-Aligned countries held their third summit in Lusaka (Zambia), attended by 54 countries, other than the 9, who acted as observers. The summit emphasized that the Non-Aligned countries are able to make use of their inÀuence and collective wisdom to utilize the balance of power as a tool for strengthening the roots of interna-tional peace and cooperation. It also advocated the requirement for accelerating the decolonization process and economic co-operation among the Non-Aligned countries (see: Ibid., p. 11).
K. Gopal, op. cit., pp. 8-11.
Region: According to Benedict Anderson and other international theorists, the region, like the nation, is an “imagined community.” They are of the opinion that regions have been constructed politically and socially. Having a political and social bases, they are capable of being reshaped and rede¿ned, with the passage of time both extent and purpose of cooperation change, as a new member joins and the existing member leaves (see: A. Heywood, op. cit., p. 482; also see: B. Anderson,Imagined Communities: ReÀection on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism, Verso, London, 1983).
Regional organizations: For example the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Warsaw Pact, which collapsed in the 1990s, European Union, the Association of South East Asian States (ASEAN), Arab League, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and many other were formed for the ful¿llment of different objectives of member nation-states.
N.D. Palmar, H.C. Parkins, International Relations: The World Community in Transition, A. I. T. B. S. Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, 1997, p. 559.
See: P. Ghosh, International Relations, Learning Private Limited, Delhi, 2013, pp. 205-242.
See: A. Heywood, op. cit., pp. 480-506.
Low Politics: According to Functionalists, it means cooperation between technical, social and economic sectors,which will effectively generate greater political cooperation among the countries in the long run (see: D. Mitrany, A Working Peace System, Quadrangle, Chicago, 1966).
Ernst Bernard Haas de¿nes Integration at length in his book, The Uniting of Europe: Political, Social and Economic Forces, 1950-1957, Stanford University Press, 1958.
See: K.C. Dash, Regionalism in South Asia: Negotiating Cooperation, Institutional Structures, Routledge, Abingdon/
SA/Canada, 2008, pp. 4-8.
See: Ibid., pp. 4-19.
Peaceful Change: To Deutsch, it means resolution of social problems, usually through nonviolent means and by in-stitutionalized procedures (see: K.W. Deutsch, et al., Political Community and the North Atlantic Area: International Orga-nization in the Light of Historical Experience, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1957, p. 5).
Ibidem.
Fritz Machlup is an Austrian-American economist who writes in detail about economic integration in his book A His-tory of Thought on Economic Integration, Columbia University Press, New York, 1977.
Jacques Pelkmans also de¿nes economic integration in his book Market Integration in the European Communi-ty, Springer, USA, 1984.
Béla Balassa, a Hungarian economist, gives details about the economic integration in his book Theory of Economic Integration, Routledge, USA/London, 2013.
See: J.P.C. Bento, Economic Integration, International Trade and the Role of Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of Portuguese Manufacturing, LIT Verlag, Berlin, 2009, pp. 1-4.
Quoted from: L.N. Lindberg, The Political Dynamics of European Economic Integration, Stanford University Press,California, 1963, p. 4.
Security-Community: A group of people, which with the passage of time has become integrated. Within a de¿nite territory they have attained a sense of community or institutions strong and widespread enough to assure peaceful changes among its population for ages (see: Ibid., p. 5).
Pluralistic Security-Community: It exists when nation-states hold back the legal independence of separate govern-ments and also maintain their separate national identities (see: Ibid., p. 6).
Amalgamated Security-Community: It means a formal merger of two previously independent units into a single larger unit with a unique government after merger. The best example which suits to amalgamated security-community is the United States (see: Ibid., p. 8).
E.B. Haas, The Uniting of Europe Political, Social and Economic Forces, 1950-1957, Revised ed., University of Notre Dame Press, July 2004, p. 12.
See: L.N. Lindberg, op. cit., pp. 1-13.
See: A. Heywood, op. cit., pp. 482-483.
See: L.K.-van Niekerk, “Regional Integration: Concepts, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Lessons of Experience,”
pp.1-12, available at [http://www.sarpn.org/documents/d0001249/P1416-RI-concepts_May2005.pdf] and [http://www.sarpn.
rg/rpp/human_security.php?search=true], 25 February, 2016.
See: P. Lyon, ConÀict between India and Pakistan. An Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO Publications, California, 2008,pp. ix-xiv.
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