Regional economic organizations aim to protect their member countries, but the ultimate
purpose of a country’s joining a regional economic organization is not limited to estab-lishing a small protected area; its purpose is to develop the economy through improving
its competition by providing protection. The North-North and North-South integration
organizations were established according to market-based capital and technological spillover;
South-South integration was based on low-level economies of its member countries
and therefore could not create spillovers of technology, knowledge, and policies.