Brazilian foreign policy in the changing world order

In the practice of international relations, states can pursue different combinations of foreign policy strategies at different systemic levels. The positions of Southern regional powers such as Brazil, on the one hand, between the centre and periphery of the current world system and, on the other hand, at the nexus of international and regional politics, demand particularly complex foreign policy strategies. Strategic approaches have to consider at least three contextual factors: firstly, the continuing superiority of established (the United States) and emerging (China) global actors in terms of material power; secondly, the fact that regional and global affairs are increasingly interrelated; and thirdly, the fact that foreign policy strategies are mapped out against the background of an international system moving from a unipolar to a multipolar order. I argue that Southern regions and their leaders will play a pivotal part in the course of that global transformation as well as in the future world order. The purpose of this paper is to discuss Brazil's strategic foreign policy options after unipolarity. To approach this task, a top-down approach starting at the global level seems most promising. First, I will discuss the potential transformation of the international system and the middle-power role of Brazil in the course of that process, especially with regard to its role in the G3, or India, Brazil and South Africa. Second, I will locate Brazil in its region, analyse its relations with secondary power Venezuela, and ask for strategic options at the regional level. Third, the conclusion will stress the increasing interrelatedness of global and regional affairs, pointing out strategies applied by Brazil in order to become a decision maker in a future multipolar world. Keywords: BrazilSouth Americaforeign policyregional powersworld orderpower shiftsregionalism Notes 1. See Breslin et al., Citation2002, for an overview. 2. For a comprehensive discussion of alternative definitions of regional power see Flemes, Citation2007a; Nolte, Citation2007; Schirm, Citation2005; and Schoeman, Citation2003. 3. It can be said that ideational power consists of political and social values and objectives, which can give states credibility, moral authority, and legitimacy, which may potentially contribute to a strengthened position within bargaining processes. See Lake, Citation2004; Noya, Citation2005; Ferguson, Citation2003; Lukes, Citation2005; and Nye, Citation2004 for further discussion of this concept. 4. Nolte, Citation2007, p. 15. 5. Huntington, Citation1999, p. 37. 6. Wohlforth, Citation1999, p. 30. 7. Organski, Citation1958; Kugler & Organski, Citation1989; Kugler et al., Citation2004; Kugler, Citation2006. 8. Buzan & Waever, Citation2003. 9. 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The last FTAA summit was held at Mar del Plata, Argentina, in November 2005, but no agreement on FTAA was reached. In previous negotiations, the United States pushed for a single comprehensive agreement to reduce trade barriers for goods, while increasing intellectual property protection. Brazil proposed a measured, three-track approach that called for a series of bilateral agreements to reduce specific tariffs on goods, and a hemispheric pact on rules of origin and dispute resolution processes. Finally, Brazil succeeded in omitting the more controversial issues from the agreement, leaving them to the WTO. There is at present no sign, however, that the FTAA talks are likely to resume. 29. Brooks & Wohlforth, Citation2005, p. 74. 30. Quoted in Miller, Citation2005, p. 52. 31. Pape, Citation2005, pp. 36–7. 32. Flemes, Citation2006, p. 225. 33. Flemes, Citation2006, p. 243. 34. Paul, Citation2005, p. 57. 35. Hurrell, Citation2000, pp. 3–4. 36. UN Development Programme, 2007. 37. 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