BRICS in the Post-Liberal World Order: A New Agenda for Cooperation? Perspectives from South Africa Given complexities currently underpinning multipolar realities of the international system, it seems that a pluralist internationalism is becoming a strategic consideration for a post-Western world order. This warrants new agendas for cooperation. Based on the latter this analysis examines to what extent the BRICS can articulate such a new agenda based on a South African-informed perspective. This involves exploring the basis of a BRICS-African agenda competing with the geo-political interests of sub-groupings such as the SCO, RIC, and the EAEU. Francis A. Kornegay , Sanusha Naidu | November 2019 | Strategic Analysis
The BRICS in the Era of Renewed Great Power Competition The BRICS are at a turbulent crossroads as renewed great power competition intersects with countervailing tendencies in the emerging multipolar arena. Their success depends avoiding the external costs and domestic pathologies generated by great power friction. Emerging multipolarity provides opportunities for manoeuvre, but only if outsized China accommodates the other BRICS as it competes against the United States. The BRICS’ strongest common aversion concerns American hegemony and its weaponization of finance. Cynthia Roberts | November 2019 | Strategic Analysis
What is BRICS for China? This article studies China’s approach to BRICS. It argues that China sees BRICS as a major asset in its effort to become a major world power and to reform the international system so that it becomes fairer and better serve its interests. However, in China’s view, these interests coincide with the interests of other major non-Western states which also suffer from this sense of unfairness, therefore this position is not self-seeking. This is a major problem which should be overcome with the help of other developing countries. Alexander Lukin , Fan Xuesong | November 2019 | Strategic Analysis
BRICS and Sovereign Internationalism The article outlines four types of globalism contending for hegemony today. The struggle of what effectively represents different types of international order is one reason why international politics today looks so disordered. The BRICS association is firmly located as part of one of these orders, that of sovereign internationalism, but is challenged by the disruptive implications of the Trumpian mercantilist order. BRICS and its members as a result are drawing closer to the liberal internationalist model. Richard Sakwa | November 2019 | Strategic Analysis
BRICS and the Evolving Russia-India-China Security Agenda Russia India and China are paying more and more attention to international security issues. They have developed a broad common security agenda via cooperation through two international institutions created by them. BRICS serve as a mechanism for promoting their economic security interests, SCO is focused on traditional security issues. Along with forming a common position on main international security problems, Russia, India and China act as great powers and disagree on certain security matters mostly of regional and bilateral nature. Maxim Bratersky , Georgy Kutyrev | November 2019 | Strategic Analysis
Aircraft Carriers – The Keystone to India’s Maritime Security Considering the wide expanse to be covered on both sides of the Indian Peninsula, and the possibility of concurrent operations on either side, it is imperative that India maintains an operational carrier battle group on both sides, and at all times. Roby Thomas | October 30, 2019 | Issue Brief
Make-II: Need to Prevent Duplication of Efforts and Backdoor Entry of Import The government’s decision to allow the private sector to undertake the development of complex defence equipment is a step in the right direction. It will help forge a larger innovation system to meet the diverse requirements of national security. However, caution may be required to avoid duplication of efforts and prevent indirect import. Laxman Kumar Behera | October 23, 2019 | IDSA Comments
Cooperative Security in South Asia: A Mirage? South Asia has a common history and celebrates its great cultural and linguistic overlap. However, the South Asian experience in building cooperative security architecture has been mixed. India on its part remains committed to strengthening cooperative security in the region. Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy | October 23, 2019 | IDSA Comments
A Conceptual Framework for Assessing Traditional Peace Operations Despite decades of experience in peace operations, most United Nations (UN) operations have faced serious criticism for being unable to implement the mandate. At the same time, while the UN is in the process of establishing a clear framework for performance evaluation, as of now, there are no standard criteria to judge the performance of a peace operation. Therefore, it will be unfair to make only the peace operation missions accountable because of their inability to implement the mandate. A.K. Bardalai | October-December 2019 | Journal of Defence Studies
Is Imran Khan’s Luck Running Out? With a failing foreign policy and a crippling economy, and growing domestic opposition as well as criticism within the army, Imran Khan and his government is clearly caught between the devil and the deep sea. Zainab Akhter | October 17, 2019 | IDSA Comments
