6 - The Role of Regional Organisations in Authoritarian Learning

Summary

Existing literature has concentrated on analysing the inter-state level regarding authoritarian learning, but this chapter investigates the role of post-Soviet regional organisations in authoritarian learning. The chapter analyses the four post-Soviet regional organisations of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Union State between Belarus and Russia. While strictly speaking the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is not solely a post-Soviet organisation, it is analysed here as all members – except China – are states within the post-Soviet space. Regional organisations provide ‘learning rooms’, for sharing best practices and providing training exercises to produce an effective palette for consolidating power.