International integration

Japanese: 国際統合 - こくさいとうごう（英語表記）international integration

The process of forming a unified entity through peaceful means among multiple sovereign nations. At the global level, international integration has been attempted, such as by expanding the functions of the United Nations, but the hegemony of major powers is strong and it remains in the experimental stage. At the regional level, a high level of integration is underway in the EU (European Union), which is geographically close and has a relatively similar culture, tradition, and economic level, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and other countries are exploring various possibilities based on regionalism. For this reason, it is often called regional integration. Integration is the process of combining parts or elements to form a whole. Historically, it meant the process of unifying political organizations and legal integration, such as when the 13 states of North America formed the American federal state. However, in recent years, the EU has developed from the liberalization of people, goods, services, and information within the region, and the unification of standards and safety standards, to the process of centralizing the issuance and management of currency, which was the foundation of national sovereignty, into a system centered on the European Central Bank. In addition, the institutionalization of policy coordination between governments in each field, such as common diplomacy, security, justice, and border control, is progressing. Although the progress of integration in each dimension is different, and the target state is not necessarily uniform, today integration is considered to be a diverse process that spans multiple dimensions. With the progress of European integration, the possibility of war has almost disappeared between Germany and France, and Germany and the UK, which fought two world wars. In these countries, the recognition and achievements have been accumulated that even if serious conflicts of interest arise, they can be resolved by non-military means. This state is called a security community. Furthermore, in Western Europe, the sense of being "European" is gradually growing among citizens, and a sense of partnership is also taking root among leaders. This trend toward non-sovereign nation-states is promoting the independence of ethnic groups and minority groups within member states. On the other hand, resentment against immigrants and migrants is growing within each member state. There is also a sense of caution about the emergence of powerful supranational powers, and concerns that they may be uncontrollable by democratic institutions such as the European Parliament. These issues are giving rise to various debates, including deep-rooted resistance to integration, as shown by the case of some member states rejecting the EU Constitutional Treaty in a national referendum.

(Yoshikazu Sakamoto, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo / Kenichi Nakamura, Professor, Hokkaido University / 2008)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

複数の主権国家が、平和的手段で統一体を形成していく過程。国際統合は、世界全体のレベルでは、国連の機能拡大などが試みられているが、大国のヘゲモニーが強く、試行的段階にとどまっている。それに対して地域レベルでは、地理的に近接し文化・伝統と経済レベルが比較的近いEU(欧州連合)で高次の統合が進行中であり、ASEAN(東南アジア諸国連合)などでも地域主義に基づき様々の可能性が模索されている。そのため、地域統合と呼ばれることが多い。統合とは、部分や要素を結びつけて全体を構成すること。歴史的には、例えば北米13州が米連邦国家を形成したような、政治的組織の統一と法的一体化の過程を意味していた。しかし近年のEUでは、域内における人・モノ・サービス・情報の自由化、規格や安全基準の統一から、国家主権の根幹をなしていた通貨の発行・管理が欧州中央銀行を軸とするシステムに一元化される過程に発展した。また共通の外交、安全保障、司法、国境管理など、政府間で分野ごとに政策協調の制度化が進展している。こうした各次元での統合の進み方が異なり、また目標とする状態も必ずしも画一的でないが、今日では統合とはこうした多次元にわたる多様な過程と考えられている。また欧州統合の進展とともに、二度の大戦を戦った独仏間、独英間などで、戦争の可能性はほぼ消滅した。ここでは、深刻な利害対立が生じても、非軍事的方法によって収拾できるという認識と実績が積み上げられてきた。このような状態を不戦共同体(security community)と呼ぶ。さらに西欧では、市民の間に次第に“ヨーロッパ人”意識が強まり、指導者相互にはパートナー意識も根付いてきている。この脱主権国家化の傾向は、加盟国内の民族集団や少数者集団の自立化を促進している。他方で、各加盟国内では移民・移住者への反発も高まっている。また強大な超国家的権力が立ち現れることへの警戒感と、さらにそれがEU議会などの民主主義的な制度では統制不能ではないかとする懸念も生まれている。これらは一部加盟国がEU憲法条約案を国民投票によって否決した事例が示すように、統合に対する根強い抵抗を含む多様な議論を呼び起こしている。

(坂本義和東京大学名誉教授／中村研一北海道大学教授／ 2008年)

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