Strategic interventions in international institutions become systematic with “BRICS”.
Larry Kata Bakker, Professor of Law and International Relations at Pennsylvania State University, USA, in an exclusive interview with the international department of Mehr Media Group, discussed the interests of the BRICS group and its gradual maturity and becoming a powerful lever in international forums, including the United Nations. enumerated
BRICS is an intergovernmental organization consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Initially known as a platform to highlight investment opportunities, this group gradually turned into a real geopolitical bloc, and its annual meetings have been held regularly since 2009 in the form of formal summits to coordinate multilateral policies.
Bilateral relations between BRICS member countries are mainly formed and guided based on non-interference, equality and mutual interests. The so-called founding countries of this group namely Brazil, Russia, India and China held the first summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009 and South Africa joined this group a year later. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and UAE also joined this group on January 1, 2024. Saudi Arabia has not officially joined BRICS yet but participates in the organization’s activities as a guest member. Recently, Turkey, one of the world’s largest economies, has submitted its request to join this group.
Following this request, we asked the opinion of Larry Kata Becker, who is also a member of the American Law Center, about the role of this group in the future world order.
Türkiye has recently applied for BRICS membership. Previously, large economies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also joined this group. What is the reason for the desire of countries in the world, especially Asian and African countries, to join BRICS?
It seems that countries that are not at the top of the world’s power have a greater desire to join organizations such as BRICS; Organizations that they can join or engage in joint activities or link to a high-ranking country through. The era of the Non-Aligned Movement, which is closely linked to the history of colonialism, is practically over. The end of this era is somehow connected with the end of another period, and that is the vision of the post-World War II globalization unit (1945); An approach with which the members of the Non-Aligned Movement had quite a dynamic and sometimes tense relationship.
Therefore, the desire to join BRICS can be evaluated as equivalent to joining NATO, the Arab League or the Union of Latin American and Caribbean countries. In all these examples, membership brings collective benefits. These interests can always be defensive or offensive (in the face of other larger groups or even the internal interests of the group); Aggressive in that it can be used as a tool to advance national development plans or build solidarity. In this context, India and China are notable examples. These countries are rivals and sometimes enemies, but at the same time, they are aligned in many ways against common obstacles in the way of their strategic goals.
BRICS, like the “Common Market of South American Countries” agreement, provides an intergovernmental organizational framework that is not under the management control of a central organization and operates freely. African countries also consider BRICS to be fruitful because, on the one hand, this group has acted as an important lever in the African Union, and on the other hand, it is considered a tool for negotiating with Europe and the United States for the exploitation of natural resources and access to their markets.
How do you assess the future of BRICS in the long term? Can we expect a new order?
I believe that BRICS will grow and mature as an intergovernmental institution that works to secure the interests of its members. The greatest benefit and value of BRICS is that it is considered a policy tool.
This group presents a contradictory narrative with the narrative of developed liberal democratic countries. Of course, this different narrative will be effective only if the member states share it at a high level. Most importantly, BRICS can play a role as a powerful tool in coordinating strategic interventions within international organizations such as the United Nations.