BRICS EXPANSION AND THE EMERGING MULTIPOLAR WORLD ORDER: PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Abstract

The growth of the BRICS is a major step towards the transformation of international politics and the establishment of a multipolar world order. The original BRICS group was formed to include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the five largest economies in the world, and has since grown to include other key economies, bringing its demographic, economic, energy and geopolitical heft. This growth has reinforced its international interests, and its advocacy for reform of international institutions, particularly from the Global South perspective. However, it has also created significant challenges in terms of institutional unity, different national agendas, economic inequality, geopolitical competition, decision-making and no shared strategic goals. The key contradiction is the fact that BRICS is a joint bloc of emerging powers while at the same time being a competitive bloc of states seeking independent national interests. This article will explore the issues with BRICS expansion and its impact on a new multipolar world order. It doesn't suggest that BRICS should be seen only as a counterbalance of the West or only as a short-term alternative to the current international system. Instead, it is a flexible alliance that allows for newly emerging and nascent powers to strive for autonomy, representation and influence in global governance. Whether it will have a future impact will rely on the ability of its members to transform their collective economic and demographic clout into lasting cooperation in institutions. Three scenarios are examined: Consolidated multipolar cooperation, Continued loose institutional coordination and fragmentation due to internal contradictions.