BRICS : A building block for a new world order

Yuba Nath Lamsal

The fourth summit of the five newly emerged powers of the world concluded in New Delhi of India recently with strong warning note against the US-led Western hegemony in the global affairs and also calling for a greater international cooperation to build a new world order—a just, safe and peaceful order. Known as BRICS countries that include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, they represent more than half of world’s population. Unlike earlier three summits, the fourth one carried greater significance as it was held against the backdrop of an increasingly complex global situation ranging from tense political and strategic environment to the worst economic downturn. On these issues, the BRICS countries have come up more vocally and also with a vision and plan for rescuing the world from the crises.

There are looming dangers and disasters in the world from which, if they at all occur, a large swath of humanity is going to suffer. The political upheavals and popular protests are escalating in the Middle East and North Africa. The Western powers, in the name of supporting the agitating people, are trying to intervene in different countries of the Middle East and North Africa, have their greater presence in the region and extract both political and economic benefits out of the crisis. The standoff between the United States and Iran is also a matter of worry for the international community as it, if situation further deteriorates, would create a grave crisis in the world. The United States, accusing Tehran of developing nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction, has announced international sanction against Iran and urged other countries to respect the unilateral sanction, which is likely to trigger tension in the entire Middle East. At the same time, there are possibilities of US-Israel military strike against Iran which would have a serious impact on global economy. The tension and conflict in the Middle East may disrupt the supply of oil in the world and push oil prices out of control thereby further worsening global economic meltdown.

The case of Syria is of grave international concern at present because of ongoing political unrest against Bashar al Assad’s iron fist regime. The United States and some Western countries sponsored a resolution in the United Nations Security Council seeking to push for regime change in Syria. But Russia and China vetoed against the resolution and the Western plan for a regime change in Syria was blocked. Although BRICS nations were divided on the Syria issue as India and South Africa voted in support of the US-sponsored resolution on Syria. However, they are unanimous on Iran case as they have opposed the sanction against Tehran. Despite having divided opinion on Syria issue in the past, BRICS countries seem to have recently developed a common stance. In a joint declaration made at the end of the two-day New Delhi conclave, the leaders of the BRICS countries have said: "We express our deep concern at the current situation in Syria and call for an immediate end to all violence and violations of human rights in that country. Global interests would best be served by dealing with the crisis through peaceful means that encourage broad national dialogues that reflect the legitimate aspirations of all sections of Syrian society and respect Syrian independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty."

They further said “Our objective is to facilitate a Syrian-led inclusive political process, and we welcome the joint efforts of the United Nations and the Arab League. We encourage the Syrian government and all sections of Syrian society to demonstrate the political will to initiate such a process, which alone can create a new environment for peace". This is a clear challenge to the United States and the Western countries that have been trying to dictate their terms on the resolution of problems in the Middle East. In other words, the BRICS countries have asserted their role in the international arena to resolve the international crisis in a more human, democratic and judicial manner.

On Iran, they said: "The situation concerning Iran cannot be allowed to escalate into conflict, the disastrous consequences of which will be in no one\'s interest. Iran has a crucial role to play for the peaceful development and prosperity of a region of high political and economic relevance, and we look to it to play its part as a responsible member of the global community. We are concerned about the situation that is emerging around Iran\'s nuclear issue. We recognize Iran\'s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with its international obligations, and support resolution of the issues through political and diplomatic means and dialogue between the parties concerned, including between the IAEA and Iran and in accordance with the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions”.

The five emerging global powers are trying to set their own agenda in the international arena which may mark the end of the present unipolar world and herald a multi-polar international order. This is a beginning and the process would take some years to change the present Western hegemony. Presently, the United States and its Western allies are setting the global agenda including political, economic and security related issues, which is likely to come to an end in the near future, provided the BRICS countries move further firmly and resolutely.

Initially the group had been called BRIC as an acronym of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The world BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O\'Neill in 2001, who was searching for a catchy way to more clearly and specifically sum up the broader shift in global economic growth towards emerging markets. Coming to 2009, it became a reality and the initiative got a further boost when South Africa joined the group in 2010. With South Africa joining the group, it became BRICS.

The BRICS initially emerged as an economic grouping of powers with no strategic goal. But with its combined economic prowess, BRICS definitely has a greater political clout and say on global strategic issues, which has already challenged the political, economic and financial domination of the United States and the West. Now this group is being viewed as a catalyst international power, which is being seen with both enthusiasm and suspicion. The West has already sensed the challenge and it has started demonizing the concept of the cohabitation of the BRICS countries saying the BRICS is group with no congruity in any form. It may be true to some extent as these countries are geographically far apart, except China and India and politically diverse. They have a little in common except their will and zeal to pull resources and exchange their experience to boost trade and business between one another. Yet they have a uniformed voice in the international arena for a better and more human, safer and peaceful world. They are also united to counter the Western hegemony. Contrary to the suspicion, susceptibility and indignation of the Western countries, the rest of the world has taken the move positively as the multi-polar world is always in the interest of the smaller, weaker and less developed countries.

Although the concept of the BRICS was mooted a decade ago when Russia, China, India had started discussing dialogue for strategic partnership and cooperation. As a group, it is a new phenomenon which was created only in 2009. BRICS is a Russian initiative. Moscow convened the summit meeting in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009 which Brazil, Russia, India and China attended and the group was formally announced. The second summit was held in Brasilia of Brazil in 2010 and the third summit in Sanya of China in which South Africa, too, joined the forum.

BRICS is a grouping that has sought coordination, collaboration and cooperation among the emerging powers on burning international issues that may include food and energy security to sustainable development, human security and climate change. Until the period of second summit, it was a gossiping club of a four emerging powers. However, concrete shape of organization and its plans were developed in the third summit. China, in the third summit held in Sanya of Hunan province, put forth some concrete plans including cooperation and coordination on issues pertaining to bilateral trade and banking sectors. The plan covers areas, including economy, finance, industry, commerce, sanitation and culture. More important is their bid to replace the US dollars by their own currencies as a mode of payment for international trade. The fourth summit discussed the issue concerning a BRICS bank to facilitate trade among the BRICS countries.

The New Delhi Summit of the BRICS countries has set a new but warning tone in the international affairs which has heralded a new beginning in the global power politics. It seems that gone are the days of western monopoly and hegemony. Coercion, bully and hegemony are no longer the norms of international diplomacy. The BRICS group is a bloc that possess both capability and will power to create a new world order. But the countries that have opposed hegemony of a particular country or group of countries in the international arena need to assess their own attitude and behavior in their own neighborhood and accordingly change their policy to suit with the position and policies of the BRICS group. This is more particular with India. New Delhi, for example, is opposed to the use of coercion in diplomacy, meddling and interference in other’s internal affairs and hegemony of any country. But this overture of New Delhi hardly matches with its policy in it neighborhood as smaller and weaker countries in South Asia are badly suffering from India’s hegemonic and bullying behavior which India inherited from British colonial rulers. The concept of BRICS group is definitely positive which is expected to boost cooperation on various sectors. More importantly, it would mark and end of Western hegemony and beginning of multi-polar world. Apart from this, the BRICS has to develop a mechanism to ensure that its members, too, do not adopt hegemonic attitude towards its weaker neighbors.