In a world that is increasingly multipolar, multifocal and shaped by geopolitical rivalries, the different parts, more or less clearly organized as ‘regions’, obviously need to do what they can to understand each other. There is also considerable room for improvement in how regional arrangements are managed, and comparison is a customary way of trying to do better. Yet what can regions really learn from each other?
Regionalism has become coloured by civilizationism and approaches that reject universal values, as well as being more and more shaped by security concerns and direct material interests of the great and middle powers. In this context, comparison between regional arrangements as wholes is even more problematic than before.
Cross-regional exercises may be more fruitful if conducted in a multilateral perspective – for example, by looking at the results produced by different regional bodies in achieving common global goals - as well as by focusing on sectoral and project-based frameworks for mutual learning.