BRICS: an attempt to agree on a long-term strategy
5th BRICS Summit in Durban logo
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Doctor of Economics, Professor of Oriental Studies, Director of the Asian strategy center at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The BRICS economies are gaining in power and growing into a more tangible factor in international affairs, contrary to skeptics’ expectations. Russia takes this very seriously. On 9 February 2013, the Russian president approved the concept paper on Russia’s involvement in BRICS. Russia’s assumption is that BRICS, in a longer term, could become one of the key elements in a new system of global governance, a new model for global relationships built on top of the old dividing lines between East and West or North and South.
A “New Power” in the World
The BRICS economies are gaining in power and growing into a more tangible factor in international affairs, contrary to skeptics’ expectations. Russia takes this very seriously.
On 9 February 2013, the Russian president approved the concept paper on Russia’s involvement in BRICS.
Russia’s assumption is that BRICS, in a longer term, could become one of the key elements in a new system of global governance, a new model for global relationships built on top of the old dividing lines between East and West or North and South.
Through its involvement in BRICS Russia intends to:
- help make the international monetary and financial system fairer, more stable and efficient;
- ensure peace and security on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states, and of non-interference in their internal affairs;
- emphasize the multidirectional nature of its foreign policy;
- develop privileged, bilateral relations with other BRICS countries;
- expand Russia’s language, culture and information presence.
BRICS was conceived originally as an intellectual project, and the acronym had emerged even before countries started to think about actual cooperation, including political cooperation.
The Fifth BRICS Summit due in March in Durban, South Africa, will be the first one with a “regional” agenda, and its main topic is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Integration and Industrialisation”. The focus will be on the facilitation of Africa’s infrastructure development; establishment of the BRICS Development Bank and Business Council; incentives to trade, etc. There are plans to set up a virtual secretariat whose channels would be used to conduct closed consultations.
What is the secret of BRICS's success? In which way should it move and can it evolve? What is pushing the countries to get closer, though divided by continents? Is it a temporary and transitory group, or is it a new active player capable of fielding new solutions to global issues? Could it be doomed by differences between country “civilisations”, and its own heterogeneity?
The Role of the "Second Track" and Experts' Exchanges
Victoriya Panova: Summit in New Delhi
BRICS was conceived originally as an intellectual project, and the acronym had emerged even before countries started to think about actual cooperation, including political cooperation. The progress was in many ways stimulated logistically by experts. The very first forum of BRIC think tanks (as part of its “second track” involving scholars and government officials in their personal capacity) was convened at the initiative of the Russian World Foundation in Moscow, in December 2008, even before the first BRIC summit in Yekaterinburg. That was the beginning of a tradition which proved quite fruitful.
After that, forums were held in Brazil, China and India. In March 2012 an agreement was reached in New Delhi concerning cooperation between the leading academic centres in the BRICS countries. It provides for information sharing, joint events, research and publications and the establishment of a virtual secretariat. Significant progress was achieved in this area in 2012.
These efforts appear to enjoy support and understanding on the part of the governments. After all, such a channel of communications may prove particularly important for generating mutual understanding and acceptable approaches for academic communities that have long been isolated from each other. It is a unique mechanism in the making, one which can help elaborate consistent strategic proposals and recommendations for the governments and political classes of the five countries. The utility of this academic forum was particularly well demonstrated after the 2011 Sanya Summit in China: it was with its results in view that Russia set up its National BRICS Research Committee.
As part of the preparations for the Fifth Summit, South Africa proposed to set up a consortium of think tanks from the BRICS countries based on the links established between the national BRICS coordinators. Such a structure, virtual to start with, would enable the analysts to share information on a regular basis; pursue joint projects and academic exchanges; harmonize positions on various issues and coordinate events conducted by national centres. As stated by Ms. Maite E Nkoana-Mashabane, head of the South African Foreign Office, the creation of the consortium of think tanks was to be one of the key outcomes of the BRICS summit of the heads of states.
Indeed, the Academic Forum which will be held in Durban on 10–13 March prior to the Summit can be regarded as a milestone. It will be discussing a draft long-term BRICS strategy for the first time. If there is an agreement on the proposed consortium, it will be a landmark in the multi-stage process of understanding the mission and prospects of the group.
The forum plans to discuss the following issues: BRICS and the global economy; reforming global governance institutions; cooperation in Africa; peace and security; education, science, etc.
The Vision of the Russian Academics
Indeed, the Academic Forum which will be held in Durban on 10–13 March prior to the Summit can be regarded as a milestone. It will be discussing a draft long-term BRICS strategy for the first time. If there is an agreement on the proposed consortium, it will be a landmark in the multi-stage process of understanding the mission and prospects of the group.
By the Fifth Summit, Russian academics, together with their peers from the participating countries, have made serious progress in agreeing upon both a long-term vision of BRICS development, and on Russian strategy within the group. The Moscow Conference in October 2012 approved the Memorandum of Russian academics with recommendations for BRICS long-term strategy, which was disseminated to the national think tanks of the five countries. Experts from India, the country of the 2012 presidency, have drafted a paper on long-term trends within BRICS, which they plan to discuss at the Academic Forum in Durban.
It appears that one future objective for the BRICS countries could be a gradual transformation of the group from an informal dialogue-based forum and a tool for to coordinating their positions on a limited range of issues into a fully-fledged mechanism of strategic and current interaction on the key issues of world affairs and economy. It would be essential that there be no artificial speeding up of enlargement and institutionalisation, in line with both the national interests of the current members of the group and the need to build sustainable frameworks underpinning the functioning of the association. The innovatory nature of BRICS, a capacity for “uniting differences”, is quite capable, with consistent efforts at practical implementation, of changing the paradigms in the perception of international affairs that have traditionally emphasized differences and conflicts between the countries, and help to harmonize international relations.
In the next three to four years, the main thrust of BRICS development will be to ensure comprehensive enhancement of the collaboration between the group members, and to strengthen the group’s position on the international stage.
Russian academics believe it is essential that BRICS evolve a system of informal mechanisms at the political and working levels, intended to enhance coordination in all areas, and ensure consistency with presidency rotation. The initiation of a dialogue on the routes, pace and specific forms of possible institutionalisation of BRICS has been suggested, with the proposed virtual secretariat evolving into a fully-fledged one. The need for BRICS to develop external links is stressed, with a special focus on dialogue with the leading international and regional organisations, the key emerging economies and developing countries, and the definition of the priorities for the main areas of cooperation.
BRICS started with a coordination of efforts in the financial area due to the 2008 global financial and economic crisis. Cooperation in that area, especially within the framework of the G20, has been the most successful so far. At the current stage, BRICS efforts are aimed at making the international monetary and financial system fairer, more stable and efficient to further the conditions needed to overcome the global crisis, and to boost the economy and financial systems in the member countries.
With the enhanced cooperation within BRICS, its political component is gaining prominence. All member countries are committed to building a polycentric and multi-civilisational international system, with due regard for the respective interests of all members of the international community. They consider BRICS an important instrument for creating such a system, and declare their resolve to facilitate the strengthening of international peace and security based on respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states, and non-interference in their internal affairs. In order to achieve BRICS's objectives, it is imperative to promote a strategic partnership of the member countries, enabling them to benefit more from their respective complimentary advantages and opportunities in cooperating in different areas of human activity.
It appears that one future objective for the BRICS countries could be a gradual transformation of the group from an informal dialogue-based forum and a tool for to coordinating their positions on a limited range of issues into a fully-fledged mechanism of strategic and current interaction on the key issues of world affairs and economy.
In this context, the mission of the academics is to debate and draft agreed-upon recommendations for the governments in specific areas.
In foreign policy, the most relevant area is active collaboration within the framework of the United Nations, cooperating in helping it to adjust to modern international realities. In addition, it is essential to promote dialogue and coordination of positions on issues of strategic stability, international and regional security, non-proliferation of WMD, resolution of regional conflicts and maintenance of regional stability.
In the reform of the international monetary and financial system, the priorities lie with the creation of a more representative, sustainable and predictable system of international reserve currencies, and with the finalization of the current stage in the reform of the International Monetary Fund within the deadlines and subject to the conditions that were agreed upon by the G20 and the IMF. An important initiative is to have a BRICS Bank of Development. It could evolve into a kind of analytical centre (similar to an investment bank) which would produce recommendations on key issues important to the member countries and their economies, defining the most advantageous areas of support. Clearly, such work should precede any real investment, which could play an important role in addressing shared problems and facilitating integration of national economies.
BRICS trade turnover, 2011 (in Russian)
The BRICS countries should be looking for common approaches in the elaboration of just and fair rules of international economic exchanges, including those of the WTO, and work with other international organisations, jointly promoting common interests in foreign trade. Depending on the success of any such endeavours, it is essential to encourage free trade zones and trade alliances within BRICS and with other partners, and promote the creation of regional integration groups around the BRICS countries.
With the emergence of BRICS, its member countries can now exploit opportunities to promote cooperation in environmental management, mineral resources development, industries, science and technologies and innovations, including in nuclear energy and aerospace. It makes sense to start thinking about joint long-term problem-oriented programmes of cooperation. There are good prospects for cooperation in the areas of information security, environment and agricultural production. As the BRICS nations belong to different civilisational frameworks, one cannot ignore the need to expand exchanges in culture, education and sport, youth and regional exchanges and contacts among non-governmental organisations.
The specific areas of collaboration will be discussed in Durban, and, based on these discussions, the think tanks will have to set up their own research teams in each of the areas.
Persistent and painstaking work by experts paves the way for political decisions which are expected to help cement the group even more, including by creating an appropriate organizational mechanism. The power of bureaucracy, which lies in consistency and self-preservation, will in this case be contributing to a stronger union. And although there may be numerous factors working against it, including disagreements between countries, it is with this kind of format, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, that the BRICS can effectively address common problems.
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