The Multilateral Foreign Policies of Rising States in the Global South

Abstract As countries formerly deemed to be “developing” and relatively powerless begin to exert more influence in global arenas, fresh attention is being paid by Western policymakers as well as scholars to the possibility of the creation of a multipolar system that is shaping up to be a highly diverse one. To assess whether this incipient multipolarity can be sustained, it is important to examine the evolving diplomatic strategies of the nations of the Global South, in particular their reliance on multilateral mechanisms for normative guidance and tangible gains. This requires an examination of the content of the foreign policies of current and potential leading nations of the Global South, not only those that are fortunate enough to exert influence at the global level, but also those that are in key positions at the regional and subregional levels. A study of selected leading countries found that organizational membership and leadership, regionalism, nonalignment, multialignment, and agility in adopting and operationalizing norms such as South-South cooperation and environmentalism are among the key strategies that are being employed by Global South states in their efforts to gain visibility in global affairs.