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Union Of South American Nations( Isaac Smith)

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Union Of South American Nations( Isaac Smith)

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The Union Of South American Nations is a trade bloc set up in south America comprised of Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Surinam Uruguay and Venezuela upon the signing of the treaty on may 23 2008.

The objective of the USAN is to build in a participatory and consensual manner an open space for integration and union among its peoples in the cultural social economic and political affairs among its participant states

In the 2004 south American summit , representatives of twelve South American nations signed the Cuzco Declaration, a two-page letter of intent announcing the establishment of the then-named "South American Community of Nations". In which panama and Mexico were present as observers. It was originally was going to be modelled in the mold of the EU. After Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, Uruguay became the ninth nation to ratify the constitutive treaty of the organization on 1 December 2010 meant that the USAN met the ramifications to entry into the force of treaty on the 11th of march 2011 making it a legal entity

As of 2019 most countries have with drawn from the Union. In April 2018, six countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru suspended their membership, and in August of the same year, Colombia announced its withdrawal from the organization. In March 2019, Brazil's president announced his country's intention to withdraw from the organization and in the same month Ecuador also announced that it would be withdrawing from the organisation
In January 2019 a new group, PROSUR (Forum for the Progress and Development of South America), has been advanced to counteract the influence of what countries in the region call a dictatorship in Venezuela.[12] A Chilean summit to organize Prosur was held on 22 March 2019, and excluded Venezuela. Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana and Suriname were invited to join the new regional bloc

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African Union (Pentagon) Hall, Block C, Annie Jiagge Road, Accra, Ghana

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African Union (Pentagon) Hall, Block C, Annie Jiagge Road, Accra, Ghana

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African Union (Pentagon) Hall, Block C, Annie Jiagge Road, Accra, Ghana

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Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road, Suva, Fiji

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Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road, Suva, Fiji

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Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road, Suva, Fiji

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Lauren

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Who are they - The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of certain European states. There are currently 27 member states of the EU.

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The aims and values of the EU

To promote peace and the well-being of EU citizens

To offer EU citizens freedom, security and justice, without internal borders, while also controlling external borders

To work towards the sustainable development of Europe, promoting equality and social justice

To establish an economic union, with the euro as its currency

To contribute to the sustainable development, peace and security of the Earth

Background/history

After World War II ended in 1945, Europe was a divided continent. Until 1946 the eu of federalists formed to campaigned for united states of europe

The era of “peaceful cooperation” that followed proved for years to unite Europe in a common sentiment of continental cultural and political unity. In addition to this peaceful union, the economy was relatively good, as well. Interest rates were low throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, labor unions were strong, the salaries of workers rose rapidly, people’s living standard increased year by year.

Benefits and Limitations
-  The European Union creates an allied front against outside aggression.
-There are more jobs and higher wages across Europe because of the EU.
-The European Union takes eco-friendly policies seriously.
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-It is easier to cross borders in Europe today because of the EU.
-There are still many problems with division in Europe despite the EU.

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Advantages:
Works towards facilitating the free flow of skilled labour, the ASEAN agreement on the movement of natural persons provides a legal framework to ease temporary cross boarder movement

Disadvantages:
ASEAN has 4 major weaknesses,
The tendency to prioritise National over regional interests, weak leaders, ineffective bureaucratic structure and purely emulating the western approach

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• Union of South American Members: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.
• It was founded on 28th May 2008 in Brasilia. • It’s aims are to create an open space for integration and unity in any cultural social economic or political affairs.
• benefits: that will reinforce the identity of South America and will contribute to the strengthening of Latin America and the Caribbean
• disadvantage: Economic crises will spread faster and interest/exchange rates will effect the countries faster.

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A flag including the American, Mexican and Canadian flag.

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North American Free Trade Agreement - Aisha Venus

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North American Free Trade Agreement - Aisha Venus

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What is NAFTA?
The North American Free Trade Agreement, commonly referred to as ‘NAFTA’ was a pact between America, Canada and Mexico eliminating almost all trade barriers. The agreement came into place January 1st, 1994 and ended in 2020.

Goals of NAFTA include:
• Eliminating trade barriers
• Provide protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights
• Increase investment opportunities
And more.

History behind NAFTA
NAFTA was inspired by the European Economic Union, the free trade area was said to stimulate trade, increasing production resulting in millions of well paid jobs being created.

Originally, a free trade agreement was created between Canada and the US in 1988; however, NAFTA extended this free trade agreement to Mexico.  NAFTA was negotiated by US President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Initially, agreement of the pact was reached in August 1992 and signed by the three leaders December 17th. NAFTA was then ratified by the three legislatures in 1993 and put into effect January 1st 1994.

“I will continue pushing to eliminate tariffs and subsidies that damage America’s farmers and workers. And we’ll get more good American jobs within our own hemisphere through the North American Free Trade Agreement and through the enterprise for the Americas Initiative.” -George W.Bush

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The North American Free Trade Agreement was formed on the 1st of January 1994. The countries part of the trading bloc are Mexico, Canada and the US.
NAFTA's main objectives, according to the official three-nation summary of the agreement, are to "eliminate barriers to trade, promote conditions of fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provide adequate protection for intellectual property rights, establish effective procedures for the implementation.”
This keeps trade within these three countries allowing them to grow together. Countries outside the trading bloc have to pay a common external tariff to trade with these countries, which discourages the countries apart of the trading bloc to trade with countries outside the bloc.

Article 102 of the NAFTA agreement outlines its purpose. There are seven specific goals:

1. Grant the signatories (the countries that signed it) a "most-favored-nation" status.

2. Eliminate barriers to trade and facilitate the cross-border movement of goods and services.

3. Promote conditions of fair competition.

4. Increase investment opportunities.

5. Provide protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

6. Create procedures for the resolution of trade disputes.

7. Establish a framework for further trilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation to expand the trade agreement's benefits

NAFTA fulfilled all seven of its goals, establishing the region's largest free trade zone in terms of gross domestic product. It also increased foreign investment in the three countries.

By the time the last of its changes went into effect in 2008, NAFTA had lowered or eliminated tariffs among the three countries and allowed trade to triple. Most importantly, it increased the competitiveness of the three countries in the global marketplace

Aaron.

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The European union was originally created after WW2, as Winston Churchill called for a "United States of Europe" , its original members were that of Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Its intention being the control of the coal and steel industries in order to avoid inter-European war from occurring again. The United Kingdom joined in 01/01/1973 alongside Ireland and Denmark. At this time the European union was known as the "European Communities" having three sections, coal and steel, economic and atomic. In November 1993 the Maastricht treaty was signed formally creating the European Union, in turn significantly increasing its power over the member countries as it effectively became an entity of power itself, this ultimately lead to Brexit in 2016, and has been ongoing ever since. The main call for Brexit was that we were putting far too much money into the European Union and getting pennies back in return, because the United Kingdoms economy was stronger than a majority of the countries in the European Union, the amount we paid was orders of magnitudes higher than most. Another issue is that it was pointed out many member states do not pay their fees and get no retaliations, furthermore the United Kingdom was not fully part of the Free Movement Agreement despite all other member countries being part of it. The slow change from trading bloc to governmental organization shows how trading blocs can evolve into much more, whether that be good or bad.

Jack Harrison

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Members of SAARC include: India Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives.

Aims:

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an economic and geopolitical organisation, that promotes economic development in their respected countries.

Promoting welfare of South Asian citizens and the trading of goods without any barriers.

To contribute to the mutual trust, understanding and appreciation to one another’s problems.

Historical background:

Started in 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

SAARC has 9 observer countries. For instance some of the biggest world economies like: America, UK and China

Mohammed.

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Thailand is one of the founding members of ASEAN, together with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ASEAN, in full Association of Southeast Asian Nations,  international organizationestablished by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 1967 to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development and to promote peace and security in Southeast Asia. Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. The ASEAN region has a population of more than 600 million and covers a total area of 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square km). ASEAN replaced the Association of South East Asia (ASA), which had been formed by the Philippines, Thailand, and the Federation of Malaya (now part of Malaysia) in 1961. Under the banner of cooperative peace and shared prosperity, ASEAN’s chief projects centre on economic cooperation, the promotion of trade among ASEAN countries and between ASEAN members and the rest of the world, and programs for joint research and technical cooperation among member governments

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Central American Integration System logo

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El Salvador is the administrative centre for the Central American Integration System.

Founded: 13th December 1991

Within this bloc there is:
8 states
11 regional observers
21 extraregional observers
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala. Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are countries involved in the trading bloc

Population estimate 2009 - 51,152,936
Density - 89.34/km² (231.4/sq mi)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_American_Integration_System

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Also known as the Shanghai pact, the SCO is a political, economic and security alliance between some of the world's largest economies. Founded in 2001, to replace the Shanghai Five group, SCO now covers 40% of the world's population and 20% of global GDP.

Aims of SCO:
- Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among members.
- Promoting effective cooperation in politics, trade and economics.
- To maintain and ensure peace in the region.
- Moving towards the establishment of a fair democratic political order.

The Shanghai Five became the Shanghai Six in 2001 with the introduction of Uzbekistan. In 2002, the SCO charter was adopted into international law. By 2007, the organisation had completed over 20 large scale infrastructure projects. One of the last major developments was the admission of India and Pakistan as full-time members in 2015.

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Trans-Pacific Partnership (Dylan)
This trading bloc contains 12 countries mainly in east and south east asia:
Australia
Canada
Chile
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Peru
Singapore
Vietnamn
United States
Brunei
The trade bloc was formed in October 2016 and was created to reduce trade barriers between the countries and reduce tariffs, it currently removes tariffs for 98% of exports. The Trading bloc is responsible for 40% of the worlds trade.
The TPP is a free trade area as countries do not share common laws or have the same barriers for all countries outside of the bloc. The countries within this trading bloc only agree on free trade between each other however go no further. Because of this trade is not diverted from countries outside of the bloc allowing east trade with other countries still.
The UK are also looking to join the TPP after brexit allowing them to join other trading blocs.

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Jamie Smith

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Jamie Smith

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Founding members of ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) came together on the 8th of August 1967 to formally create the South East Asian based trading bloc. It’s aims and purposes were about cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, technical and educational fields, as well as  the promotion of  peace and stability within the region. Since it’s creation in 1967 5 more countries (Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) have been inducted taking the current total up to 10. The deal was first brokered in Thailand but it’s current headquarters are located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The ASEAN has brought cheaper travel options for everyone in the region which has allowed for increased labour mobility which has seen the unemployment rate fall. There is better access to education options and due to lower tariffs the cost of goods and services is cheaper for consumers therefore their standard of living is higher.

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Arab League

Who are they?

Formed in Cairo on 22 march 1945. Initially started with 6 members (the Kingdom of Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Republic, and Transjordan. but now has 22 members

What are their aims?

The aims of the league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties.

Background / history

The Arab League countries have widely varying levels of population, wealth, gross domestic product (GDP), and literacy. They are all predominantly Muslim, Arabic speaking countries, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia are considered the dominant players in the League. Through agreements for joint defense, economic cooperation, and free trade, among others, the league helps its member countries to coordinate government and cultural programs to facilitate cooperation and limit conflict.

April 13, 1950 - League members sign an agreement on joint defense and economic cooperation.
1959 - The league holds the first Arab petroleum congress.
1964 - The league organizes the Arab League Education, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
1976 - ARABSAT, an Arab communications satellite system, is formed.
March 26, 1979 - Egypt signs a peace treaty with Israel. The league suspends Egypt's membership and transfers its headquarters from Cairo to Tunis, Tunisia.
1989 - Egypt is readmitted to the league; later the headquarters is moved back to Cairo.
1990 - Yemen (Aden) and Yemen (Sanaa) unite as Yemen.
August 1990 - The league is divided over the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Members are split on a vote for a proposal to send Arab troops to join the troops defending Saudi Arabia from possible attack. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Djibouti and Somalia endorse the presence of foreign troops in Saudi Arabia.

Arab League Member Conflicts:

The Arab League's effectiveness and influence have been hampered by divisions among member states. During the Cold War, some members were supportive of the Soviet Union while others aligned with Western nations. There has also been rivalry over League leadership, especially between Egypt and Iraq.

Hostilities between monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Morocco have been disruptive, as have the conduct of states that have undergone political change such as Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Libya under Muammar Gaddafi.

The United States' attack on Saddam Hussein's Iraq also created significant rifts between members of the Arab League.

Resolutions by the Council don't have to be unanimously approved by members. However, because they are binding only on the nations that voted for them—no country has to abide by them against its will—their effectiveness is somewhat limited, often amounting to little more than declarations rather than implemented policies.

How have they expanded?

Initially started with 6 members (the Kingdom of Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Republic, and Transjordan. But since 1945, 16 other members have joined - Libya (1953), Sudan (1956), Morocco (1958), Tunisia (1958), Kuwait (1961), Algeria (1962), Yemen (Aden, 1968), Bahrain (1971), Oman (1971), Qatar (1971), United Arab Emirates (1971), Mauritania (1973), Somalia (1974), the PLO (1976), Djibouti (1977) and Comoros (1993).

Benefits / limitations

Big infrastructure projects, such as a railway network connecting the six Gulf states, are behind schedule. Peninsula Shield was not strong enough to shield the peninsula when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Its main accomplishment was to smash a popular uprising in Bahrain in 2011: less a tool of defence than one for internal repression.

The Arab League presently exhibits a complete inability to deal with active civil wars, such as those in Yemen, Syria, or Libya, or with simmering disputes such as the Gulf Cooperation Council Crisis of 2017. It cannot be counted on to represent the wishes of millions of Arabs in necessary and serious political and economic reforms in their countries.

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The African Union was founded on the 26th May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and launched on the 9th July 2001 in Durban, South Africa. Some of the members include: Republic of Malawian, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of South Africa and Republic of Namibia. They aim to promote the unity and solidarity of African states; to coordinate and intensify their cooperation and efforts to achieve a better life for people of Africa; to defend their sovereignty, integrity and independence and to eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa. - Jenna

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The international logo for the Pacific Forum Trading Bloc

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The Pacific Forum, (1971–2000),established in 1971 to provide a setting for heads of government to discuss common issues and problems facing the independent and self-governing states of the South Pacific and enhancing corporations between countries of the pacific. It was originally called the South Pacific Forum (SPF), and changed its name in 1999 to "Pacific Islands Forum", so as to be more inclusive of the Forum's Oceania-spanning membership of both north and south Pacific island countries, including Australia. Further expanding and developing better communication with other countries and for smaller countries like Micronesia this is crucial that they are involved and included to enhance imports and develop a more wider variety of trading products for a reduced import/export price.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/pacific-islands-forum-in-crisis-as-one-third-of-member-nations-quit

This article by the guardian states that the the Pacific’s most influential regional body – is in disarray  after nearly one-third of its member countries quit in masses.The countries of the Micronesian sub-grouping – Palau, the Marshal Islands the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru – have all abandoned the forum over the selection of the new secretary-general for the forum, following the election of Polynesia’s candidate in defiance of a long-standing convention that dictated it was the Micronesia’s turn to provide the forum’s leader. This is a limitation to the Pacific Forum due to key members leaving resulting in a negative impact on business wanting to trade with these countries. The loss of some countries could impact massively on larger business whom which will now pay more for imports.

As in other developing regions, international trade plays a particularly crucial role in the economic life of small Pacific island countries. All these countries are dependent on imported goods and services, including fuel, equipment and industrial material as well as a wide range of manufactured products. Exports are a vital source of foreign exchange earnings and cash income, employment and growth.Export activity is generally viewed as a major source of growth, particularly through its dynamic effects on the rest of the economy. Unusually high trade-GDP ratios win throughout making these small economies among the most open (and externally vulnerable) in the world.

A major challenge facing these island countries is to strengthen their export sectors as a basis for accelerated growth. However, the recent experience shows that few of these countries have succeeded in meeting this challenge – in many cases, export activity remains stagnant and, in some cases, has suffered serious decline. Among the major obstacles to trade expansion have been persistently low world prices for traditional exports from the region (especially for coconut products), failure to adapt to changing international market conditions and, in some cases, the adoption of policies and strategies that effectively penalise export activity.

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The Philippines joined ASEAN in 4th of march 2010.
A founding member of ASEAN, the Philippines is a middle income ASEAN member state but is today considered the new tiger in Asia amid strong growth. In 2012, the Philippines GDP grew by as much as 7.1%.
The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to promote regional peace and stability.
Some benefits to the Philippines joining ASEAN are: easier and cheaper travel, cheaper goods and services, more jobs and easier trade which helped the Philippines improve their economy.