Another post for my Gran Lago timeline, where a massive lake in Southern California doesn't dry up and sticks around to the modern day (with some help). This time an organization. The thread for this timeline can be found
here.
The
Pacific Cooperation Organization (
PACCO), also known as the
Pacific Pact is an intergovernmental organisation of 16 members states and 8 associated members largely centered around the Pacific Ocean. Originally an American-led bloc of satellite states, it has since evolved into a free and equal community directed by the PACCO Secretariat, although the United States still has significant influence. The organization promotes cooperation through the Common Economy, a free trade bloc, the Common Security, a conflict prevention group, and the Common Defence, a collective military organization.
The formal peace treaty with Japan ending the Pacific War was signed in 1955, freeing Japan’s former colonies and putting the Home Islands under American occupation. The origin of PACCO begins in 1958, when the new governments established by the United States signed the Pacific Charter, declaring the principles of self-determination and self-governance, international cooperation to improve economic and social conditions, and the end of aggressive wars. The charter was not only aimed at the defeated militarists in Japan, but also European powers who saw their far east colonies not returned to them after Japanese control was wrestled away. While relations with Europe were seriously damaged, the nationalist movements and the governments that they founded became largely pro-American. The Pacific Community, the predecessor to PACCO, was founded that year as an American dominated free trade organization.
In 1985, the United States conceded to demands from Japan and Korea to delegate administrative duties to an independent Secretariat and the decision-making process was revised to be based on common consensus. Since then, the scope of the organization continued to expand and further economic integration. The current organization was formally founded in 2000, with the singing of the Manila Treaty, reorganizing the former Community into a free and equal organization. The treaty further expanded and reorganized PACCO’s purpose into three broad agencies:
Common Economy: A trade bloc, free trade zone, and common monetary system. It intertwines the economies of the member states by reducing trade barriers between the states, addressing intellectual property theft, and improving market access. In addition it organizes a common monetary policy through the Pacific Currency Board, who sets exchange rates and monetary value of the currencies of member states.
Common Security: A national security oriented group concerned with civil rights, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation in member states. Notable affairs it addresses are stopping the illegal spread of weapons, preventing conflict, coordinate disaster response, and ending human trafficking.
Common Defense: While it is not a conventional military alliance, it promotes military cooperation and coordination instead. It on provides intelligence to combat international espionage and terrorism through information sharing and cooperation between domestic intelligence and law enforcement agencies. It also coordinates large scale military exercises on land and sea to increase military readiness and experience in combat operations. It also maintains a newly formed common peacekeeping force.
The accession of new member states in the Americas, Asia, and Oceania since the signing of the Manila Treaty has further expanded the power of the Organization. Today, its full members cover more than 32,990,082 thousand square kilometers spanning three continents. In 2018, it has an estimated population of 1.11 billion people contributing a combined Gross Domestic Product of 42.08 trillion dollars. Associated members only participate in some sections of the Organization, although they may gain full membership in the future.