Developing best practices “against terrorists who protest”: Regional organizations as learning clubs for autocracies

Regional organizations have long addressed cross-border challenges like environmental degradation and terrorism. While much of the existing literature analyzes how democratic regional organizations support democracy among members and aspirants, a growing body of research examines how authoritarian counterparts reinforce autocratic rule. This article analyzes five regional organizations in the Middle East and post-Soviet regions—Arab League, Commonwealth of Independent States, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Gulf Cooperation Council, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization—to explore how they are platforms for authoritarian learning. By examining shared responses to the Arab Uprisings, Color Revolutions and Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests, we show how these organizations enable autocrats to exchange strategies, coordinate responses, and learn from one another’s experiences. We argue that such learning plays a key role in helping authoritarian regimes adapt to threats, refine repressive tactics, and ultimately improve their chances of survival. Our framework offers new insight into the transnational dimensions of authoritarian resilience.