The New Order was a phrase employed by Separatist Council members and other Separatists to articulate their concept of a decentralized, business-oriented galaxy, embodied by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This contrasted sharply with the "Old Order", which symbolized the Galactic Republic. The Separatist vision of a New Order was almost completely destroyed when the Empire defeated the final structured remnants of the Confederacy and took control of most of the cartels. Nevertheless, the Separatist's New Order persisted until the destruction of the Geonosis droid factories.
It remains unclear if the shared use of "New Order" by both the Confederacy and the Galactic Empire stemmed from their mutual leadership under Palpatine, or if it was merely a chance occurrence.