Interstate Association: Definition of a Concept

The complexities of the territorial structure of states have been known to man since ancient times. One of the first major state education is considered the Roman Empire. Byzantium and the Frankish state arose in the Middle Ages. Throughout the history of mankind, some territories are joining to others, countries are divided, and states are united. Recently, the situation in the world is extremely unstable. Many countries seek to unite to solve pressing global problems.

New time

During this period, there has been an increase in the number of interstate associations . So, for example, there were unions between Poland and Saxony, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Temporary unions of sovereign states were also widespread. Examples include the US Confederation, the Swiss and German Confederations.

20th century

In the first half of the century, the Commonwealth of Nations received legal registration; the Danish-Icelandic Union arose. In 1905, a protectorate of Japan over Korea was established, and in 1922 - of Nazi Germany over Slovakia, Moravia, and the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, most of the integration processes took place in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1950-1990s. About 100 new countries appeared in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. This happened in connection with the collapse of large metropolises. It is worth saying that these processes largely predetermined the emergence of many interstate associations . For example, in 1963 the Organization of African Unity arose, and in 1947 the American countries. From 1981 to 1989 there was a union of states (confederation) of the Gambia and Senegal. In 1945, the League of Arab Countries arose.

European communities

They also underwent changes in the second half of the 20th century. European Communities - a combination of three formally independent organizations with common governance bodies. They were the EEC (since 1993 - the EU), EURATOM and EUSC (until the end of the memorandum of association in 2002). In 1949, the Council of Europe arose. With his appearance, a new page in the history of the development of cooperation between countries opened. Some of them have signed the European Union Treaty . The interaction of countries within it has an impact on world politics and the economy. All these processes did not bypass the Russian Federation. The European Union and Russia are partners in many areas of activity. In 1996, the Russian Federation was admitted to the Council of Europe. In addition, the country is one of the participants in the CIS (since 1991). Close cooperation is noted between the Russian Federation and Belarus.

Interstate association - what is it?

The definition of this concept is absent in modern theory. The fact is that the interstate association as an independent institution has not been considered by science for a long time. Meanwhile, in recent years there has been a tendency to distinguish it from the general concept of the form of countries. A number of scientists, for example V.E. Chirkin, indicate that along with traditional forms there are interstate associations with elements of federalism. In addition, as the author notes, today there are many organizations that have some constitutional and legal elements. At the same time, Chirkin does not consider such interstate associations from the perspective of the form of organization of countries. He only states their presence. At the time, V. S. Narsesyants also studied the issue. He expressed the following opinion. According to the author, interstate associations must be distinguished from the form of territorial state structure. In his works, Nersesyants tries to formulate a definition. In particular, he believes that the institution in question is a specific union of states in which general bodies are provided, but the countries included in it retain their sovereignty. In general, this definition can be fully agreed. To ensure the preservation of sovereignty, countries usually sign an agreement. An example is, in particular, the Treaty on the European Union . A similar agreement is valid between neighboring countries. In 1991, it was signed by CIS members .

The main features of the institute

In accordance with the signs developed in the theory of the form of state structure and its definition, one can try to single out the characteristics that combine it and interstate formation. The main feature of both concepts is that they reveal and reflect the internal structure of institutions, the interaction between their elements, and the way they organize power in the territory. At the same time, unlike the form of organization, the interstate association first of all shows the nature of cooperation between the sovereign countries included in it. Secondly, attention should be paid to the presence and method of interaction between organs. As a rule, the form most suitable for all countries is chosen, similar to the one that exists within each of them.

Important point

It seems that all interstate associations (the table of the main of them is presented in the article) act as independent institutions. They are closely related to the elements of the form of the device countries, but are not included in it. Unions, despite the presence of signs of statehood, cannot be called independent states.

Kinds

The main types of interstate associations can be given in the table below.

Next, we consider each of the species in more detail.

Confederation

This is a temporary association created to achieve specific goals. So, for example, in 1958 the confederation of Syria and Egypt was formed. The key goal of the association was to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. The confederation collapsed in 1961. A distinctive feature of such a union is instability. After achieving this goal, the confederation either breaks up or transforms into a federation. Another feature of the association is that all member countries retain sovereignty and can leave the structure at any time. It is worth saying that the entry into the confederation is voluntary. To achieve the goals for which the association was created, governing bodies are formed. Acts issued by them are advisory in nature. For their entry into force, the approval of the highest structures of power of members of the confederation is necessary.

The Commonwealth

This form of association is a kind of transitional stage. Over time, it can transform into a confederation or federation. Examples include the CIS, the British Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Independent States includes countries - former Soviet republics. In the CIS, there are Councils of heads of government and states, foreign ministers. In addition, the General Command of the United Armed Forces (Armed Forces), the Council of the Command of the Border Troops, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Economic Court, the Economic Committee, and the Commission on Human Rights were formed. The legal basis is the Charter. It was adopted in 1993. In addition, the states that are members of the Commonwealth have signed many multilateral agreements (on the formation of customs, economic unions, visa-free travel). Current regulations enshrined the rules for withdrawal from the association. Any participant can leave the CIS, having previously notified in writing the custodian of the Charter (Belarus) for 12 months.

Tasks of the Commonwealth of Independent States

The main areas are:

1. Cooperation in the economic, humanitarian, economic and other fields.
2. Creation of a common position on major international issues, the implementation of collective foreign policy actions.
3. Military-political interaction, joint defense of external borders.

Coalition

It represents a military-political, political or economic union of states. A coalition is being formed to ensure common security, joint defense, and coordination of the stages of preparation and conduct of hostilities. The association is based on bilateral / multilateral agreements, acts, treaties. Usually, the coalition sets common goals and determines the nature of collective action. Each country included in it, however, pursues its own economic, political or military interests.

Schengen Area

It unites 26 European countries. Initially, the zone was the space of several countries on whose territory the agreement entered into in Schengen came into force in 1985. In 2016, the countries of the Schengen zone were forced to revise border control rules due to the large number of migrants. At the internal borders of the members, the order was tightened. In addition, in 2016 the countries of the Schengen zone were forced to amend the rules of control at the external border. The previously existing regulatory framework separate from the EU was merged into a single legislation upon the entry into force of the 1999 Amsterdam Agreement.

Union

It can be personal or real. As the formal basis for the conclusion of the first, dynastic marriages were made. Thus, for example, the Swedish-Polish union was formed. As a rule, the power of a common ruler was nominal. This was due to the fact that countries retained international legal capacity and their sovereignty. Personal unions were very common in the era of feudalism. Real unions (for example, Hungary and Austria 1867-1918) were considered more solid associations. They acted in the international arena as a sovereign entity. The association had common command and control structures, combined forces, single money.

Additionally

In the modern world there are also universal interstate associations. The most famous is the UN. The United Nations has approximately 200 countries. The main goal of the UN is to promote closer cooperation between countries, as well as strengthening peace on the planet.