“Can Collective Defence mechanisms serve as effective struct

Contemporary regional security remains a vital element in the peace and stability of not only neighbouring countries within a region but also to the security and harmony of the international arena. Regional security can take on the form of a single security mechanism or can encompass a variety of security mechanisms in an attempt to attain the same objective of regional peace, stability and security.

There are many methods of attaining regional security in existence and range from traditional mechanisms such as such as Collective Defence to the more contemporary approach of Co-operative Security. Each of these mechanisms contribute to regional security via numerous methods depending on that particular security need for the region. Collective Defence, although dated as a security mechanism, can still be seen as contributing an important role in regional stability under the specific environment in which it is created and employed. Alternative security mechanisms, however, may provide a broader application to assist states in maintaining peaceful interaction with their neighbours.

From a realists point of view, Collective Defence offers a narrow form of region defence comparative to other defence mechanisms such as Comprehensive and Co-operative Security. Realists also argue that Collective defence is state-centric based and are formed in the national/regional interest of the state. Hence if this national/region interest changes over a period of time, the state my re-think their role or position within the alliance and lead to their self-removal from the Alliance.

Informal agreements comprise of a much less unofficial understanding between states on their security arrangements. These agreements may only rely on the word of the other states and may only involve the respective states conducting such operations as joint military exercises, the communication of security information or the assurance of military assistance whilst in a military predicament. A contemporary example of an informal Collective Defence system would include the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in the most recent Iraqi war.

An additional negative effect Collective Defence mechanisms can have within regional security is that not all Alliances are created with the intention to maintain the peace. They can also be established to antagonise states into military aggression such as the case with the formation of an Alliance between Japan, Italy and Germany in the Second World War.

Again another recent example of this occurring was in the first Gulf war against Iraq in 1991, where the United States gained vital access to land and air space in and over NATO aligned countries such as Turkey and Germany.

Collective Defence differs from other forms of security measures in a number of ways. States within a region usually enter into an agreement to co-operate with each other on security arrangements in order to safeguard their own state interests against a mutual or perceived threat to the states within the agreement. By operating under this mechanism of security, states band their military resources together and act in concert in any military or non-military involvement. This has the combined affect of elevating their power status in the international arena, improve their state security and may gain political advantage within the region, comparative to external states not within the scope of the arrangement.

A more accurate definition for security study purposes can define Collective Defence as ‘an agreement between two or more states to work together on mutual security i

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