Interregionalism and International Relations: A Stepping Stone to Global Governance?

Interregionalism, the institutionalized relations between world regions, is a new phenomenon in international relations. It also a new layer of development in an increasingly differentiated global order.

This volume examines the structure of this phenomenon and the scholarly discourse it is generating. It takes stock of empirical facts and theoretical explanations, bringing together with clarity and concision the latest research on this key area. This essential new book:

* traces the emergence of interregionalism and reviews the latest literature

* provides a conceptual and theoretical framework for study

* includes case studies of inter-regional relations between: Asia and America; Asia and Europe; Europe and America; and Europe and Africa.

* delivers comparative analyses and special cases such as continental summits and interregional relationships beyond the Triad.

* summarizes and evaluates the findings of each chapter, providing a basis for further research.

This is a key reference book for students and researchers of regionalism, global governance and international relations.

Heiner Hanggi is assistant director and head of think tank at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, and is also an associate faculty member at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and a lecturer in political science at the university of St. Gallen, Switzerland

Ralf Roloff is senior German professor at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He is a member of the faculty of economics and social sciences at the University of Cologne, and he previously served as acting professor and assistant professor at the universities of Mainz and Trier as well as the University of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg.

Jurgen Ruland is professor of political science at the University of Freiburg and director of the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut Freiburg. He has been a visiting scholar at universities in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand. From 1995-2003 he served as chairman of the Advisory Board on Southeast Asia, part of the German Society of Asian Studies.