BRIC SEEKING FRESH ANSWERS TO OLD PROBLEMS
Aurobinda Mahapatra (India)

en.fondsk.ru
18.06.2009

Brazilian President Lula De Silva in his article published in an Indian
daily on 16 June 2009 observed that BRIC is seeking fresh answers to
old problems. In his words, the BRIC summit in Yekaterinburg "marks a
major turning point in how our countries engage in a world undergoing
profound change…amid broken paradigms and failing multilateral
institutions." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev echoed the similar
view point at the press conference at the end of the summit when he
stated, "All the decisions important for the international community
— economic, security and political — should be taken on fairer
basis…this fairness is the key word for our interaction. BRIC
should create conditions for a fairer world order." The simultaneous
organisation of BRIC along with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) testifies to dynamism of Russian diplomacy but at the same time
it indicates the BRIC has to evolve a united and coherent approach
to tackle various issues that affect the world including food crisis,
financial crisis, and reform of the United Nations bodies.

The first summit meeting of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China)
at the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg on 16 June 2009 held lot
of promises for a better and fairer world. Undoubtedly, through
equitable partnership BRIC can play a dynamic role and assert
itself in international politics. The 16-point statement issued at
the end of the summit dealt with divergent issues of international
concern ranging from food crisis to United Nation reforms. The BRIC
countries constituting 40 per cent of world population with 40 per
cent of world GDP no doubt can play an effective role in remoulding
international order by opening multipolar centres of dialogue and
reconciliation. And in these multipolar centres the developed countries
must come forth to adjust to the changing circumstances by taking in to
account divergent view points and accommodating the emerging powers in
international framework. It is in this context the grouping emphasised
on accommodating emerging powers in a reformed United Nations. The
joint statement clearly stated the importance the grouping attaches "to
the status of India and Brazil in international affairs, and understand
and support their aspirations to play a greater role in the UN."

Another important issue that the BRIC confronted during the summit
is the prospects of a new currency and the reform of Bretton Woods
structures such as World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The
joint statement argued for a strong need for a stable, predictable
and more diversified international monetary system. It reiterated the
grouping’s demand that the emerging and developing economies must
have greater voice and representation in international bodies. It
made explicit its demand that the leadership of these bodies "should
be appointed through an open, transparent and merit-based selection
process." Regarding the food crisis the joint statement argued that it
is not only the issue of developing countries consuming more, but it
is a matter far complicated and multifaceted. The grouping urged the
developed countries to give up protectionism and emphasised on the need
for a comprehensive and balanced outcome of the WTO’s Doha Development
Round. However, on the issue of alternate currency, no concrete
decision could be taken. Perhaps on the issue of a supranational
currency or a world reserve currency the grouping would have to
deliberate further to reach at a concrete and unanimous decision.

Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh before departing to Yekaterinburg
to attend the SCO meeting and the BRIC summit told the press his
visit testifies to the "high regard we have for Russia’s Presidency
of the SCO and our desire to intensify our engagement with countries
of our extended neighbourhood in Central Asia." Reportedly, it was
at the initiative of Russia last year that the observers of SCO
were allowed to take part in the deliberations. While expressing
optimism that "the volume of trade among BRIC countries has grown
rapidly in recent years, Intra-BRIC investments have also grown,"
Singh advocated for the creation of a BRIC Joint Business Forum that
could cooperate in diverse areas such as agriculture, aviation,
energy, pharmaceuticals and services. The Indian prime minister’s
argument that the group need to further coordinate their effort at
official level in the forthcoming G 20 meeting in Pittsburgh towards
evolving a multilateral financial system has also been taken well
by the grouping. This can be a successful idea provided the parties
adopt a unanimous approach to the issue.

How far the BRIC would succeed in remoulding the international order
would depend on a set of factors. The members need to develop a common
agenda with effective will to push that agenda. Any divergence of
goals might defeat its purpose to achieve a fairer multipolar world
order. At the same time, in the changing world order which is much
more economically bargaining oriented, the counties may redesign
their goals to suit the common objective without sacrificing their
national interests. The BRIC countries which represent about 40
per cent of world population with high growth rates and resources
indeed have the potential to lead global economic growth. In fact,
global economic recovery is closely linked to the success of BRIC
economies. Whatever the stature and effectiveness of the BRIC
at present may be, it has no doubt emerged with prospects of an
alternative voice in the international politics. It is another point
of debate how far the resolve of this grouping to dawn a fairer
world order would be translated into practice, as it would depend
on the type of coordination and match of interests among the members
of the grouping. That BRIC has provided a platform to voice diverse
aspirations and to exchange ideas for a ‘more democratic and just
multipolar world order’ need to be kept in mind by BRIC countries
despite their diverse national interests. Only such an approach can
foster BRIC’s agenda for a fair world. _________________ Dr Debidatta
Aurobinda Mahapatra is a research faculty in the Centre for Central
Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbai, India.