From Bandung to Brasilia: IBSA and the political lineage of South–South cooperation

Abstract

This article aims to trace South–South cooperation political lineages connecting the Non-Aligned Movement and the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Forum. In order to determine whether IBSA could be considered the ‘heir’ to Bandung's principles, we analyse the concepts of ‘Third World’ and ‘Global South’ as well as their current applicability, the interpretations provided by existing literature on the IBSA grouping, and its member countries' shared views on different issues of the international agenda. The article also considers the historical evolution of ‘Southern’ diplomatic thought and actions. IBSA's actions and history, as well as its members, are studied to grasp how they are related to the Third World movement in the Cold War.

Keywords:

• Third World
• IBSA
• Non-Aligned
• South–South cooperation
• South Africa
• Brazil
• India

Notes on contributors

Dr André Luiz Reis da Silva, associate professor in International Strategic Studies, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, focuses in his research on the international relations of southern countries, especially Brazilian Foreign Policy and emerging powers in Asia and Africa. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 2013.

Alexandre PifferoSpohr is a PhD student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Isadora Loreto da Silveira, who holds a Masters in International Strategic Studies, is with the Graduate Programme in International Strategic Studies, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

ORCiD

André Luiz Reis da Silva http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2593-1189

Alexandre Piffero Spohr http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3064-3520

Isadora Loreto da Silveira http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1478-733X

Notes

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6 United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, ‘What is South–South cooperation?’, http://ssc.undp.org/content/ssc/about/what_is_ssc.html (accessed 8 September 2015).

7 The term ‘Third World’, or ‘Tiers Monde’, was originally coined by French demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952.

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13 Ibid., pp. 122–3, 148.

14 Alden C, S Morphet & MA Vieira, The South in World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, pp. 2–3.

15 Hurrell A, ‘Narratives of emergence: Rising powers and the end of the Third World?’, Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 33.2, 2013, pp. 215–6.

16 Term used to describe a renewed moment of tensions between the superpowers that lasted from 1979 to 1985.

17 Ibid., pp. 216–7.

18 Sennes R, As mudanças na política externa brasileira nos anos 1980: Uma potência média recém industrializada. Porto Alegre: UFRGS, 2003, pp. 24–5.

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23 Keohane RO, ‘Lilliputians’ dilemmas: Small states in international politics’, International Organization, 23.2, 1969, pp. 295–7.

24 Holbraad C, Middle Powers in International Politics. New York: St Martin's Press, 1984, pp. 205–13.

25 Lima MRS, ‘A economia política da política externa brasileira: Uma proposta de análise’, Contexto Internacional, 12, 1990, pp. 16–8.

26 Silva ALR, ‘Geometria variável e parcerias estratégicas: A diplomacia multidimensional do Governo Lula (2003–2010)’, Contexto Internacional, 37.1, 2015, pp.177–9.

27 The term refers to the myriad of coalitions that middle powers can engage in owing to their multidimensional external behaviour. Notable examples are BRICS, IBSA, the commercial G20, the G4 on UN Security Council reform, BASIC, etc.

28 Lechini G, Middle Powers: IBSA and the New South-South Cooperation. NACLA Report on the Americas. Brasilia: International Policy Centre for Poverty Alleviation, 2007, p. 29; Carpenter C, ‘Global governance, South–South economic relations, and foreign policy strategies’, in Wilson Center (ed.) Emerging Powers: India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) and the Future of South-South Cooperation. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2009, p. 4; Lima MRS, ‘Brasil e polos emergentes do poder mundial: Rússia, Índia, China e África do Sul’, in Baumann R (ed.) O Brasil e os demais BRICs: Comércio e Política. Brasilia: IPEA/CEPAL, 2010, p. 164.

29 Flemes D, ‘IBSA: South–South cooperation or trilateral diplomacy in World Affairs?’, in International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (ed.), Poverty in Focus Number 20. Brasilia: UN Development Programme, 2010, p. 16.

30 White L, ‘IBSA six years on: Cooperation in a new global order’, SAIIA Policy Briefing 8. Emerging Powers Programme, 2009, p. 5.

31 Lechini G, Middle Powers: IBSA and the New South-South Cooperation. NACLA Report on the Americas. Brasilia: International Policy Centre for Poverty Alleviation, 2007, p. 30.

32 White L, ‘IBSA six years on: Cooperation in a new global order’, SAIIA Policy Briefing 8. Emerging Powers Programme, 2009, p. 1.

33 Lima MRS, ‘Brasil e polos emergentes do poder mundial: Rússia, Índia, China e África do Sul’, in Baumann R (ed.) O Brasil e os demais BRICs: Comércio e Política. Brasilia: IPEA/CEPAL, 2010, p. 164.

34 Wilson Center, Emerging Powers: India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) and the Future of South–South Cooperation. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2009, p. 23.

35 White L, ‘IBSA Six Years On: Cooperation in a New Global Order’, SAIIA Policy Briefing 8. Emerging Powers Programme, 2009, p. 11.

36 Kornegay FA, The Geopolitics of IBSA: The South African Dimension. Brasilia: International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth, 2008, p. 4.

37 Gratius S & SLJ Sousa, ‘IBSA: An international actor and partner for the EU?’, Fride Activity Brief, 2007, p. 3.

38 White L, ‘IBSA six years on: Cooperation in a new global order’, SAIIA Policy Briefing 8. Emerging Powers Programme, 2009, p. 2.

39 Flemes D, ‘IBSA: South–South cooperation or trilateral diplomacy in World Affairs?’, in International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (ed.) Poverty in Focus Number 20. Brasilia: UN Development Programme, 2010, p. 17.

40 Souza FF, ‘IBSA: A Brazilian perspective’, in Wilson Center (ed.) Emerging Powers: India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) and the Future of South–South Cooperation. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2009, p. 10.

41 Bandung, Final Communiqué of the Asian-African Conference of Bandung, Bandung, 1955.

42 Hobsbawm E, Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991. London: Penguin Group, 1994, p. 350.

43 The Non-Aligned Movement, ‘The Non-Aligned Movement: Background Information’, http://www.nam.gov.za/background/background.htm (accessed 14 February 2014).

44 Ibid.; Hobsbawm E, Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991. London: Penguin Group, 1994, p. 337; Alden C, S Morphet & MA Vieira, The South in World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, p. 94.

45 The G77 has chapters along UN bodies that are related to its purposes, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Development Programme, the Industrial Development Organization and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

46 G77, ‘About the Group of 77’, http://www.g77.org/doc/ (accessed 14 February 2014).

47 Ibid.; Alden C, S Morphet & MA Vieira. The South in World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, p.113; UNCTAD, ‘A Brief History of UNCTAD’, http://unctad.org/en/Pages/About%20UNCTAD/A-Brief-History-of-UNCTAD.aspx (accessed 14 February 2014).

48 Composed of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Côte-d’Ivoire, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

49 G24, ‘About the G24’, http://www.g24.org/about.html (accessed 14 February 2014).

50 United Nations, ‘Towards a new international economic order (A/C.2/69/L.22) draft resolution’, General Assembly, 2014; United Nations, ‘Towards a New International Economic Order (A/RES/63/224)’, General Assembly, 2008.

51 Amin S, ‘The countries of the South must take their own independent initiatives’, in Brauch HG (ed.) Samir Amin: Pioneer of the Rise of the South Springer Briefs on Pioneers in Science and Practice. Heidelberg: Springer, 2014, p. 72.

52 Ibid., p. 73.

53 Ibid., p. 74.

54 Alden C, S Morphet & MA Vieira, The South in World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, p. 160.

55 Ibid., p. 92; G8 Centre, ‘What does the G stand for? Group!’, http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/g.html (accessed 28 December 2014).

56 Composed of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

57 Brazil, Foreign Affairs Ministry, ‘G-15’, http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3685:g-15&catid=179:chamada-10&Itemid=436&lang=pt-br (accessed 28 December 2014); G15, ‘Historical Background’, http://www.g15.org/gfhistory.html (accessed 14 February 2014).

58 Sennes R, As mudanças na política externa brasileira nos anos 1980: Uma potência média recém industrializada. Porto Alegre: UFRGS, 2003, p. 73.

59 Palat RA, ‘A new Bandung? Economic growth vs. distributive justice amongemerging powers’, Futures, 40, 2008, p. 721.

60 The South Centre works as an intergovernmental think-tank for countries of the South, contributing to critical thinking and to the support of development projects. South Centre, About the South Centre, http://www.southcentre.int/about-the-south-centre/ (accessed 27 March 2015).

61 Alden C, S Morphet & MA Vieira, The South in World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, pp. 91–6.

62 Ibid., p. 120. The commercial G20 was created in the preparation works that led to the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference, held in Cancun in 2003. It is composed of developing countries with shared goals regarding the liberalization of agricultural markets, especially in developed countries' markets, and has since expanded its number of members to 23.

63 Kornegay FA, ‘A África do Sul como potência emergente: dilemmas especiais e dimensões de segurança’, in Visentini PGF & AD Pereira (eds) África do Sul: História, Estado e Sociedade. Brasilia: FUNAG/CESUL, 2010, p. 132; Zuma J, ‘Opening statement by President JG Zuma to the 4th IBSA Summit’, Brasilia, 2010.

64 Amorim C, Teerã, Ramalá e Doha: memórias de uma política externa ativa e altiva. São Paulo: Benvirá, 2015, pp. 297–9.

65 Malone DM, Does the Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 74.

66 IBSA, 5th IBSA Summit Declaration, Tshwane, 2011.

67 The G4 comprises Brazil, Germany, India and Japan and aims at reforming the UN Security Council to include them and two African countries as permanent members, and adding another four rotating seats to the council.

68 Ibid.

69 Ibid.

70 Ibid.

71 Malone DM, Does the Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 68–9.

72 Amorim C, Teerã, Ramalá e Doha: memórias da política extera ativa e altiva. São Paulo: Benvirá, 2015, pp. 199–200.

73 Ibid., pp. 262, 268.

74 IBSA, 1st IBSA Summit Declaration, Brasilia, 2006.

75 G77, ‘About the Group of 77’, Tshwane, 2011, http://www.g77.org/doc/; IBSA, 5th IBSA Summit Declaration (accessed 14 February 2014).

76 Ibid.

77 IBSA Fund, ‘About IBSA Trust Fund’, http://tcdc2.undp.org/ibsa/ (accessed 28 December 2014).

78 Lima MRS, ‘Brasil e polos emergentes do poder mundial: Rússia, Índia, China e África do Sul’, in Baumann R (ed.), O Brasil e os demais BRICs: Comércio e Política. Brasilia: IPEA/CEPAL, 2010, p. 166.

79 Palat RA, ‘A new Bandung? Economic growth vs. distributive justice amongemerging powers’, Futures, 40, 2008, p. 722.

80 Nel P, ‘Redistribution and recognition: What emerging regional powers want’, Review of International Studies, 36.4, 2010, p. 953.

81 Stephen MD, ‘The issue-specific approaches of rising regional powers to international institutions: The foreign policy orientations of India, Brazil and South Africa’, ISA Asia-Pacific Regional Section Inaugural Conference, Brisbane, 2011, p. 28.

82 Golub PS, ‘From the new international economic order to the G20: How the “global South” is restructuring world capitalism from within’, Third World Quarterly, 34.6, 2013, p. 1013.

83 Jordaan E, ‘The concept of a middle power in international relations: Distinguishing between emerging and traditional middle powers’, Politikon, 30.2, 2003, p. 168.

84 Nel P, ‘Redistribution and recognition: what emerging regional powers want’, Review of International Studies, 36.4, 2010, p. 952.

85 Ibid.

86 IBSA, 5th IBSA Summit Declaration, Tshwane, 2011.

87 UNDP, IBSA Fund: Overview of Project Portfolio. New York, 2014, pp. 1–5.