The Role of BRICS in Large-Scale Armed Conflict

The Role of BRICS in Large-Scale Armed Conflict
Subtitle: Building a Multi-Polar World Order
Author: Malte Brosig
Series: New Security Challenges
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Publication Year: 2019

About this Book

The Role of BRICS in Large-Scale Armed Conflict examines how the BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—engage with major armed conflicts and how their actions contribute to shaping a multi-polar, post-Western world order. The book argues that BRICS responses range from cooperative, non-coercive multilateral behavior to unilateral interventions, revealing the group’s nuanced engagement in global security dynamics.

The author develops a typology of BRICS response types based on six key variables: proximity to war, availability of power resources, type of conflict, economic interests, the BRICS normative agenda, and adherence to global humanitarian norms. Using four case studies—Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and South Sudan—the book illustrates the diversity of BRICS’ actions, from active mediation to selective engagement, and highlights both the constraints and potential of the grouping in international conflict resolution.

The study demonstrates that while BRICS is not a formal alliance and lacks a founding treaty, its growing geopolitical awareness and coordination among member states increasingly influence global conflict management. This book provides valuable insights for scholars and policymakers interested in international relations, peace and security studies, and the emerging role of BRICS in shaping a multipolar world order.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The BRICS Global Order Between Transition and Coexistence
2. Theoretical Framework: Modeling BRICS Response to Armed Conflict
3. Libya: From R2P to Regime Change—The BRICS Awakening)
4. Syria: The World Order Unchallenged or Power Politics Above All Else?
5. Ukraine: Moving Borders Changing Orders?
6. South Sudan: BRICS Active Mediator or Bystander to Conflict?
7. Conclusion: The BRICS Order in the Making