Differentiation in Regional Security Organisations: Studying instruments and practices of flexibility beyond the EU

Abstract

Speaker: Stephan Klose, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Elie Perot, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Chair: Thomas Winzen, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Regional security organizations (RSOs) have become crucial frameworks to help their member states address security challenges such as inter-state conflict, terrorism, organized crime, and political instability. Yet, while RSOs provide a stable institutional structure, their strict rules and limited instruments can sometimes be problematic. As a solution, RSOs have introduced flexible mechanisms to allow their members to participate more freely. This research project seeks to investigate these flexible instruments, their similarities and differences across RSOs. To achieve this, the project will draw on existing concepts and tools developed for differentiation within the European Union. Specifically, the project will examine flexibility in RSOs like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Through this comparative analysis, the project aims to develop new concepts and theories that explain why and how RSOs permit flexibility among their members, and the potential consequences of doing so.