Beyond “Backwater” and “Backyard”—Reframing Security in the South Atlantic: The BRICS Policy Center

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the research activities carried out by the BRICS Policy Center (BPC), a think tank founded in 2010 by the Institute of International Relations and the municipal government in Rio de Janeiro. More specifically, the author considers the topic of maritime security in the South Atlantic. After an overview of the evolution of Brazil’s foreign policy during the last two administrations, the study examines the issues BPC faced and, finally, describes some of the challenges that the Center has been dealing with when framing the issue of maritime security.

Adriana Erthal Abdenur (PhD Princeton, AB Harvard) is a Professor of International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO). From 2011 to 2013, she was General Coordinator of the BRICS Policy Center, where she remains as a researcher working on international security and development issues.