Globalization, Australia and the Asia-Pacific Essay

In terms of international relationships, the end of the second millennium and the start of the third are characterized by two developments of major importance the successful conclusion of the most ambitious round of eleven-sided sight negotiations in the history of humankind and the proliferation of regional trading arrangements unprecedented at any breaker point in history. Through it all, Australia has been a major participant in these agreements. Owing to the steady progress of Australias economy and politics, it has been inquired in all of the international policy-making in that span in history.However, overdue to these numerous activities, there are different circumstances that require variations of these treaties. Multilateral patronage treaties are trade agreements made between multiple nations, over multiple regions, at one time. Although multilateral treaties are in the main complex and difficult to negotiate and implement, these treaties are very powerful when all interested parties agree on it. The primary advantage of multilateral treaties is the equal treatment, at least relatively, of all parties, regardless of size or power.Examples of these are Australias Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, joined Nations Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships and Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation. regional trade treaties are parallel to multilateral trade treaties. Both are for the most part complex and involve multiple countries. However, they do institute a condition that has both advantages and disadvantages.Regional trade treaties are moderate to countries within a certain geographic area, such as the Americas, the Atlantic or, in Australias case, the Asia-Pacific region. This comes from the spatial relation of conceiving of the world in terms of structures is what some analytical perspectives in international relations and the social sciences much generally suggest. according to Breslin. The obvious disadvantage of regional trade treaties is that it would exclude other countries from the agreement. There are, however, advantages that outgo this negative aspect.Regional agreements would be easier to negotiate since countries within a certain geographic area generally have similar or related economical products, conditions and concerns. Such agreements would also mean that the general concerns of that certain area are given due consideration when viewed by the rest of the international community. Examples are the save Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific Region and South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement. zygomorphous trade treaties are the simplest and most basic agreements. These are the agreements negotiated exclusively between to countries.Simple they may be, however, the interest of discriminatory trading agreements is arguably the most dramatic development in intergovernmen tal relations in the western sandwich Pacific since the financial crises of 1997-98, in Jayasuriyas view. An example of this is Australias Treaty between Australia and the Republic of Austria concerning Extradition Australia resides in the South Pacific area but has a mixed economy in the pattern of many Hesperian countries. Its main exports are coal, gold, coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore and wheat.It has strong relations with countries in Asian, notably Japan and Korea, and Western countries such as Germany and the United States. Bilateral agreements would ensure mutually advantageous situations for Australia and its partner countries. This would go a long way in cementing international political relations as well as economic strength. However, bilateral agreements are limited in their potential to affect great international qualify. Regional trade agreements would prove to be more advantageous to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.Their interests would be represente d and protected in the international arena. However, the luxuriant potential to affect significant change is not realized when only a few countries are involved. Ideally, Australia should prioritize multilateral trade agreements because these are the ones that have to greatest potential to affect positive change in the international community. These are also the agreements the ones that require the most planning and negotiation and should be unbroken at the forefront for the process to be as quick as possible.BIBLIOGRAPHYSampson and Woolcock, Regionalism, multilateralism and economic integration The modern experience United Nations University Press, 2003 Amadeo, Kimberly, US Economy (2005) http//useconomy. about. com/od/glossary/g/ multilateral. htm accessed 06/04/08 Treaty Database DFAT online database, accessed 06/07/08 http//www. entropy. dfat. gov. au/info/treaties/treaties. nsf/WebView? OpenForm&Seq=2 Breslin, Shaun et al. , New Regionalism in the Global Political Economy T heories and Case London Routledge, 2002 Jayasuriya, Kanishka, Asian Regional formation Crisis and Change New York Routledge, 2004