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Brazil’s Leadership Through Global Channels: Autonomy, Diversification and Acceptance

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Global and Regional Leadership of BRICS Countries

Part of the book series: United Nations University Series on Regionalism ((UNSR,volume 11))

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Abstract

This chapter will focus on how the Lula administration strengthened its position as a regional leader through global governance channels. The author argues that international forums have become useful spaces for emerging powers to gain acceptance of their regional leadership from their neighbours. Brazil’s intent to lead in South America has been accompanied by strong activism in multilateral organizations. However, despite the fact that Brazil’s neighbours have timidly consented to its leadership of the region on particular issues of common interest, gaining this acceptance has been the hardest part of Brazil’s consolidation as a regional leader. Despite a general perception of acceptance there has been resistance from the other big regional players—like Argentina and Venezuela—towards key components of the Brazilian agenda abroad. Some of these trends have changed under Rousseff administration.

I would like to especially thank Diana Tussie and Cintia Quiliconi for their support and comments on this paper.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For the debate on power see Morgenthau (1993), Keohane (1989), Walt (1998), and Nye (2005).

  2. 2.

    On ‘Middle Powers’ see Cooper (1997, 2009, p. 29), Hayes (1994), Higgott (1997), Wood (1987), Jordaan (2003), and Nolte (2007).

  3. 3.

    See Weber (1997), Hermann and Hagan (1998), and Nye (2008).

  4. 4.

    For discussions about BRICs and IBSA see: Turzi (2011), Tokatlian (2007), Soares de Lima and Hirst (2006), Sachs (2003), and Lechini (2007).

  5. 5.

    Cited in Vigevani and Ramanzini (Jr) (2010).

  6. 6.

    When created in 1999, the G-20 grouped the 20 countries with highest GDP of the world. The economic indicators of some of them have changed over time, questioning some members’ belonging to the group (as it is in the case of Argentina, that in 2012 was expected to be the 28th world economy). Brazil, however, went from being the number 8th in 1999 to the 7th in 2012. Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, September 2011.

  7. 7.

    For more information about the G-20 see: Kirton (2005), Kirton and Guebert (2009), and Gurria (2004).

  8. 8.

    Successive presidents and diplomats tried to get the seat at the UNSC. See: Almeida (2007) and Caixeta Arraes (2005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Relations, FLACSO-Argentina, Ayacucho 555, 1026, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Melisa Deciancio

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  1. Melisa Deciancio
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Correspondence to Melisa Deciancio .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies, United Nations University (UNU-CRIS), Bruges, Belgium

    Stephen Kingah

  2. Department of International Relations, FLACSO Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Cintia Quiliconi

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Deciancio, M. (2016). Brazil’s Leadership Through Global Channels: Autonomy, Diversification and Acceptance. In: Kingah, S., Quiliconi, C. (eds) Global and Regional Leadership of BRICS Countries. United Nations University Series on Regionalism, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22972-0_4

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