South Africa will be hosting the fifth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) from the 26 to 27 March, 2013. Leading up to this event, there has been a series of forums that have preceded this conference, including the BRICS Academic Forum that took place in Durban from the 11-13 March, 2013. In the context of these events, the Peacebuilding Unit hosted a seminar on the 14-15 March 2013 at ACCORD House, Durban, South Africa.
This seminar was themed “The Role of Emerging Powers in the Peace and Security Agenda” and aimed at discussing the roles played by the BRICS countries as well fragile countries in resolving issues of peace and security.
The seminar was aimed at bringing together various experts in the peace and security field in Africa and globally as well as leading academics who have contributed significantly in the this field within the BRICS framework. Participants discussed the role of emerging countries with a specific focus on the BRICS in the peace and security agenda through coalescing different view points from country to country perspectives on what contributions have been made in peace and security. In so doing, the participants were able to discuss the various challenges that have contributed to the shortfalls in some of the endeavours undertaken by various initiatives within the BRICS. Additionally, participants explored the civilian dimension to peacekeeping and peacebuilding, providing an analysis of civilian capacity agenda. This was also explored from the perspective of the BRICS countries also shedding light on South- South cooperation providing both opportunities and challenges within that cooperation. Finally, a particular focus was given to the relation between BRICS countries and fragile countries, and provided an important opportunity for comparison and exchange between emerging and fragile countries.
For further information, contact Mr Gustavo de Carvalho, Peacebuilding Unit Coordinator at Gustavo@accord.org.za.
