After two centuries of nation-building, the world has entered an era of
region-building in search of political stability, cultural cohesion, and
socio-economic development. Nations involved in the regional structures
and integration schemes that are emerging in most regions of the world
are deepening their ambitions, with Europe's integration experience
often used as an experimental template or theoretical model. Volume I
provides a political-analytical framework for recognizing the central
role of the European Union not only as a conceptual model but also a
normative engine in the global proliferation of regional integration. It
also gives a comprehensive treatment of the focus, motives, and
objectives of non-European integration efforts. Volume II offers a
unique collection of documents that give the best available overview of
the legal and political evolution of region-building based on official
documents and stated objectives of the relevant regional groupings
across all continents. Together, these volumes are important
contributions for understanding the evolution of global affairs in an
age when power shifts provide new challenges and opportunities for
transatlantic partners and the world community.