Success of Integration Initiatives in the Islamic World: The Case of D-8

The Developing 8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) was founded in 1997 for improving member states’ (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey) position in the global economy. However, since the very beginning of the foundation, D-8 has not been able to meet the expectations that it set for itself in the charter of the organization. This chapter discusses the failure of the organization over seven parameters. These parameters can be listed as follows: i. Absence of raison d’etre that reinforces the integration level between members, ii. Lack of hegemonic support for deeper integration, iii. Absence of great power among the members, iv. Problem of geographical proximity, v. Different understanding of the role of religion in determining the foreign policies, vi. Different political and societal structures between members, and vii. Limited partnership capabilities between member states.