AO1: Regional bodies allow states to cooperate for their mutual benefit over a range of political issues with a greater chance of success than globalbodies through cooperation in areas like the EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AO2: The European Union has been able to apply a greater degree of pressure on Russia as a united bloc than as a collection of individual states whichincludes freezing the assets of individuals and banks, imposing travel bans and restricting transactions with Russian financial institutions and hasbeen better able to resist counter pressure from Russia AO3: We may conclude that the EU, as an example of a regional body, has been able to play a key role, through cooperation and collaboration, in trying to address this particular global issue AO1: Regional bodies encourage interdependence between states which enhances cooperation and may reduce likelihood of conflict. AO2: Regional bodies become interdependent , particularly through trade and single tariff free markets and develop a form of complex interdependence which encourages them to resolve issues between them over a range of areas in order to ensure continued prosperity, with the ECJ as an example of an institution which makes decisions which states usually accept AO3: We may conclude that the interdependency which regionalism encourages amongst member states within regional bodies is a positive force forresolving disagreement between member states which helps to address global issues AO1: Regional bodies have worked with the international community in areas like the environment and human rights protection. AO2: NAFTA had created a North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, ASEAN has created several reports, held meetings and madedeclarations on the environment and the EU has been a significant force in climate change agreements as a sign that regional bodies are willing to play a key role in areas affecting the global environment AO3: We may conclude that the involvement of so many regional bodies in such discussions and global agreements back to Kyoto, Copenhagen and Paris clearly illustrates that they play a key role in addressing global issues AO1: Regional bodies have worked with the international community in areas like free trade and economic growth to enhance prosperity and reduce poverty. AO2: The North American Agreement on Labour cooperation to improve workers’ rights, the commitment of the AU to tackle poverty and establisha single market and currency similar to that already created by the EU and the growing free trade movement in ASEAN are all indications that regional bodies have a focus on the benefits of trade AO3: We may conclude that regional bodies are almost always focused on one of the greatest contemporary global issues which is economic growth tied to reduction of poverty

AO1: Regional bodies tend only to have an economic focus, and some have been accused of acting in a way which causes poverty elsewhere. AO2: It is no coincidence that most regional bodies have a focus on economic growth and prosperity with NAFTA. As its title suggests, focussing on free trade when formed and the EU, originally EEC focussed on economic matters and increased trade rather than wider global issues and therehave been allegations that the actions of bodies like the EU have restricted access to its markets for other states who have consequently suffered economically leading potentially to poverty AO3: We may conclude that regional bodies have a very narrow focus and have taken actions which have worsened global issues like poverty rather than addressing global issues AO1: Regional bodies tend to have significant divisions which stop them taking addressing and resolving global issues. AO2: The UK withdrew from the EU in 2020, divisions within the EU caused a paralysis during the Iraq war, there were divisions over how to respondduring the eurozone crisis and disagreements have hampered the ability of the EU to develop a full foreign and security policy whilst divisions in NAFTA led to its replacement and ASEAN has seen recent rifts over Russian invasion of Ukraine and the military coup in Myanmar as signs of division in regional bodies AO3: We may conclude that too often regional bodies have such sizeable divisions that they are unable to play a key role in addressing global issues AO1: It would be more accurate to say that the EU, uniquely amongst regional bodies, has played a key role in addressing and resolving contemporary global issues. AO2: The European Union has taken foreign policy decisions relating to the environment, poverty, conflict in Ukraine and is a member of G20 and aninvitee to G7 where key political decisions are taken but it is alone in being in such a position with no other regional body anywhere near asactively involved in global politics AO3: We may conclude that regional bodies, collectively, do not play a key role in addressing and resolving contemporary global issues and that the EU, as an exception, still doesn’t play a role comparable with the major state powers in global politics