It is the recognition of this function that has motivated member states to establish multinational or regional organizations. It is important to bear this in mind. Regional or multinational organizations are creations of member governments to promote and serve a collective regional cause. Multinational organizations do not, therefore, exist of and in themselves. They belong to the member states that created them are expected to serve the interests of their members, and operate under the direction of their members.
Multinational organizations do, however, have a personality of their own.
While groups and regions have common global interests, structures are not symmetrical, cultural approaches differ, national priorities sometimes conflict, and individual internal processes vary. The pace of regional processes must, therefore, be composite, related, and focussed. One of the best examples of this is the projected free trade area agreement on which negotiations have begun within the Americas. The ultimate characteristics of a free trade area agreement cannot be incompatible with those of the larger world trade organizations agreement. Yet the processes to realize this final objective are, of necessity, complicated, involving fundamentally an open, reciprocal, global trade agreement which can be devastating to smaller and vulnerable economies.