The formation of informal groupings of states is a manifestation of the global shift in economic power, and the birth of the BRICS, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is a clear example of such a grouping on the international stage. Despite the numerous differences between these states they have flexed their muscle to gain influence in the Western-led world order, and scholars have noted that this grouping stands out for its importance, due to its economic weight and its coverage across continents. Ever since their start in 2011, the BRICS have expressed their intentions to extend their cooperation at the United Nations. Proposals in the United Nations General Assembly take the form of resolutions, which can be written and co-written by the United Nations member states. Since this sponsoring of resolutions is a way to push forward agenda items and policy changes, one would expect the BRICS to cooperate and align their sponsorship activities. In turn, this would increase their power in the international field. The purpose of this thesis is to test which of the three major streams in international relations, realism, liberal institutionalism and constructivism, is best able to explain the co-sponsorship activities of the BRICS in the UNGA. Closely following the development of the BRICS grouping and their activities at the United Nations is relevant to assess the possible changes in the global order resulting from a shift in economic power. Through the use of a large-N network analysis, I examine the patterns of co-sponsorship of the BRICS of resolutions adopted in the United Nations General Assembly plenary sessions. Additionality, I test their sponsorship behaviour in three of the Main Committees of the General Assembly. The results of my study show that of the three theories discussed in this thesis, liberal institutionalism is best able to explain the patterns of BRICS cooperation in the sponsorship of United Nations General Assembly resolutions. This theory expects the BRICS to cooperate on fields such as economic issues and human rights, which is indeed supported by my findings. However, the results of this study show that even though the BRICS declare to cooperate on the United Nations level, they do not form a coherent bloc when it comes to resolution sponsorship. My research implies that further research should be conducted on both the concept of the BRICS and United Nations General Assembly resolution sponsorship and raises the question in what way the BRICS actually cooperate at the United Nations level.

Dr. M. Onderco, Prof.dr. M. Haverland
hdl.handle.net/2105/46516
Public Administration
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Dijkhuizen, F. (2019, February 19). Joining hands or diverging interests?. Public Administration. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/46516