Introduction
Following the end of the Cold War, a new concept emerged to deal with international and foreign affairs. This concept was dubbed the “New World Order.”1 However, the concept was not truly a novel one. Earlier, throughout the 1970s, a different designation was used in the international and United Nations (UN) fora: the “New International Economic Order.”2 These concepts could not have meant the same thing. Whatever the interpretation, one thing is certain: a new system is being adopted, within which only the greatest, most productive, and most competitive will survive. In other words, the ability of nations or states to compete in this new global economic order will determine whether they survive, how they survive, and with whom they survive. To put it succinctly, their level of collaboration and solidarity with the outside world will determine how successful they will be. The idea of comparative advantage is driving this effort to establish regional economic and commercial blocs. Many countries are particularly drawn to regional blocs by their economic scale and the desire for increased productivity and competitiveness. Asia, Europe, and the Americas all witness the expansion and strengthening of new commercial and economic ties.
