economic interests of particular regions, for example, the Central American
Common Market, the Latin American Free Trade Association, and OPEC.
The relationships have sometimes developed into international organizations
with memberships cutting across the North–South divide, bringing together
countries from the First and Third Worlds. An important recent example is
APEC – Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation – whose membership includes
the USA, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, China
and Australia. The member-states of APEC account for more than half the
world’s economic output and two-fifths of its trade.
Secondly, domestic economic problems in Third World countries have
undermined solidarity such as those reflected in demands for a new interna-
tional economic order. Policy failures, mismanagement and debt have
forced some Third World countries to become inward-looking, leading
some to the conclusion that ‘Third World solidarity has become a thing of
the past’ (Westlake, 1991, p. 16).
Thirdly, the demise of communist regimes in eastern and central Europe
and the former USSR has produced a degree of homogeneity between
the First and Second Worlds, at least in terms of economic systems, which
makes references to developing countries as a ‘Third’ group or force less and
less meaningful. It has been argued that the ‘globalization’ of market eco-
nomics and pluralistic democracy, apparently heralded by the end of the Cold
War, further challenges the validity of the concept of a Third World (Berger,
1994), although this ignores the uncomfortable fact that markets may domi-
nate economies in societies in which tyrants dominate government.
Finally, solidarity has been seriously undermined by warfare between
Third World states, notably the Iran–Iraq conflict, the Gulf War, conflict
between India and Pakistan, and war in the centre and Horn of Africa. The
consequent human suffering and economic loss cannot be underestimated
when considering Third World solidarity.
Another serious objection to the concept of a Third World has been raised
by people who find difficulties with its association with poverty. The con-
cern is that if a group of countries is defined as poor it might obscure the fact
that there are in such countries classes that enjoy immense wealth. To talk
about poverty-ridden peoples in less-developed countries (Meier, 1976)
might act as a form of mystification deflecting attention away from internal
stratification. Poor countries do not consist entirely of poor people. Great
internal inequalities exist. The economic differentials between Third World
countries have not eradicated poverty within the more successful ones.
Inequalities persist and sometimes increase regardless of a country’s overall
economic performance (Toye, 1987, p. 16). At the same time élites in Third
18 Understanding Third World Politics