New Centres of Powers

 After the end of the bipolar structure of world politics

in the early 1990s, it became clear that alternative
centres of political and economic power could limit
America’s dominance.
 Thus, in Europe, the European Union (EU) and,
in Asia, the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN),
 . In 1945, the European states confronted the ruin of
their economies and the destruction of the
assumptions and structures on which Europe had
been founded.
 MARSHAL PLAN

 America extended massive financial help for reviving

Europe’s economy under what was called the ‘Marshall
Plan’

 The Organisation for European Economic

Cooperation(OEEC) was established in 1948 to channel
aid to the west European states.

 It became a forum where the western European states

began to cooperate on trade and economic issues.
 Diplomatic Influence of EU
 France, hold permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
 The EU includes several non-permanent members of the UNSC.
 This has enabled the EU to influence some US policies such as
the current US position on Iran’s nuclear programme.
 Its use of diplomacy, economic investments, and negotiations
rather than coercion and military force has been effective as in
the case of its dialogue with China on human rights and
environmental degradation.
 Two EU member states, Britain and France, also have nuclear
arsenals of approximately 550 nuclear warheads. It is also the
world’s second most important source of space and
communications technology.
 Economic influence of EU
• The EU has economic, political and diplomatic,
and military influence.
• The EU is the world’s biggest economy with a
GDP of more than $12 trillion in 2005, slightly
larger than that of the United States.
• Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the
dominance of the US dollar.
• Its share of world trade is three times larger than
that of the United States allowing it to be more
assertive in trade disputes with the US and China.
 EU-As a nation state

 The collapse of the Soviet bloc put Europe on a fast track and
resulted in the establishment of the European Union in 1992.
 The foundation was thus laid for a common foreign and
security policy, cooperation on justice and home affairs, and
the creation of a single currency.

 The EU has started to act more as a nation state.

 While the attempts to have a Constitution for the EU have

failed, it has its own flag, anthem, founding date, and
currency. It also has some form of a common foreign and
security policy in its dealings with other nations.
 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Before and during the Second World War, this region of Asia
suffered the economic and political consequences of repeated
colonialisms,
• At the end of the war, it confronted problems of nation-
building, the ravages of poverty and economic backwardness
and the pressure to align with one great power or another
during the Cold War.
• ASEAN was established in 1967 by five countries of this region
— Indonesia,
• Malaysia,
• The Philippines,
• Singapore and
• Thailand — by signing the Bangkok Declaration.
• ( Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, & Loas.)
 Objectives of ASEAN

• To accelerate economic growth and

through that ‘social progress and
cultural development’.
• To promote regional peace and
stability based on the rule of law and
the principles of the United Nations
Charter.
 ASEAN WAY
• Over the years, Brunei Darussalam,
Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and
Cambodia joined ASEAN taking its strength
to ten.
• The ‘ASEAN Way’, a form of interaction that
is informal, non-confrontationist and
cooperative. The respect for national
sovereignty is critical to the functioning of
ASEAN.
 Three Pillars of ASEAN
• ASEAN economy is the fastest growing economies in
the world,
• ASEAN broadened its objectives beyond the
economic and social spheres.
• In 2003, ASEAN moved along the path of the EU by
agreeing to establish an ASEAN Community
comprising three pillars, namely
• The ASEAN Security Community
• The ASEAN Economic Community
• The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
 ASEAN Security Community
• ASEAN security community was based on the
conviction that outstanding territorial disputes
should not escalate into armed confrontation.
• By 2003, ASEAN had several agreements in place by
which member states promised to uphold peace,
neutrality, cooperation, non-interference, and
respect for national differences and sovereign rights.
• The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which was
established in 1994, is the organisation that carries
out coordination of security and foreign policy.
 ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
• ASEAN region as a whole is a much smaller economy compared to the
US, the EU, and Japan,
• Its economy is growing much faster than all these. This accounts for the
growth in its influence both in the region and beyond.
• The objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community are :
i)To create a common market and production base within ASEAN states
ii) To aid social and economic development in the region.
iii) The Economic Community would also like to improve the existing
ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism to resolve economic disputes.
iv) ASEAN has focused on creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) for
investment, labour, and services.
v) The US and China have already moved fast to negotiate FTAs with
ASEAN.
 Unit-2: The End of Bipolarity Sub-Unit: ‘Arab Spring’
 The 21st century witnessed emergence of new developments for
democracies and democratization in West Asian countries,
one such event is characterized as Arab Spring that began in 2009.
 Located in Tunisia, the Arab Spring took its roots where the struggle
against corruption, unemployment and poverty was started by the
public which turned into a political movement,
 Because the people considered the existing problems as outcome of
autocratic dictatorship.
The demand for democracy that started in Tunisia spread throughout
the Muslim-dominated Arab countries in West Asia.
Hosni Mubarak, who had been in power in Egypt since 1979, also
collapsed as a result of the massive democratic protests.
In addition, the influence of Arab Spring could also be seen in Yemen,
Bahrain, Libya and Syria where similar protests by the people led to
democratic awakening throughout the region.
 Unit-3: New Centres of Power Sub-Unit: ‘BRICS’
 The term BRICS refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and
South Africa respectively.
BRIC was founded in 2006 in Russia.
BRIC turned into BRICS after the inclusion of South Africa in
its first meeting in the year 2009.
 The key objectives of BRICS are primarily to cooperate and
distribute mutual economic benefits among its members ,
non-interference in the internal policies of each nation and
mutual equality.
 The 11th conference of the BRICS concluded in Brazil in 2019,
chaired by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
 Sub-Unit: ‘Russia’
Russia has been the largest part of the former Soviet
Union even before its disintegration.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1980s and
early 1990s, Russia emerged as the strong successor of
USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics].
Russia's GDP is currently 11th in the world.
 Russia has reserves of minerals, natural resources and
gases that make it a powerful country in the global world.
 In addition, Russia is a nuclear state with a huge stock of
sophisticated weapons.
 Russia is also a permanent member of the UN Security
Council, called P-5
 Sub-Unit: ‘India’
The 21st century India is being seen as an important emerging global power.
 The world is experiencing the power and rise of India in a multidimensional
way.
The economic, cultural, strategic position of the country with a population
of 130 crores is very strong.
 From an economic perspective, targeting the goal of a $5 trillion economy,
a competitive huge market, an ancient inclusive culture with 200 million
people of Indian Diaspora spreading across the globe impart distinct
meaning and salience to India as a new centre of power in the 21st century.
 From a strategic perspective, the military of India is self-sufficient with
indigenous nuclear technology making it another nuclear power.
‘Make in India’ scheme in technology and science is another milestone of
Indian economy.
 All these changes are making India an important centre of power in the
present world.
 Make in India project
The objective behind the initiative is to focus on job creation and skill development.
In 25 sectors of the economy, minimizing the impact on the environment. And initiative
hope to attract capital and technological investment in India.
 Sub-Unit: ‘Israel’

Shown on the world map with a pointer,

Israel has emerged as one of the most powerful nations in
the 21st century world in terms of science and technology,
defence, intelligence besides economy.
 Situated in the middle of the burning politics of West
Asian countries, Israel has reached to the new heights of
global political standing by virtue of its indomitable
defence prowess, technological innovations,
industrialization and agricultural development.
 Sustaining against adversity is the principle with which a
small Jewish-Zionist nation, i.e., Israel is placed in the
contemporary global politics in general and the Arab-
dominated West Asian politics in particular.
Israel
SAARC
 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

SAARC comprises of eight Member States:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) was established when its Charter was
formally adopted on 8th December 1985.
 The Headquarters of SAARC Secretariat are in
Kathmandu.
 Afghanistan became the newest member of
SAARC at the 13th annual summit in 2005.
 Objectives of the SAARC
• To promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their
quality of life.
• To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in
the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and
to realize their full potentials.
• To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of
South Asia.
• To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one
another’s problems..
• To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic,
social, cultural, technical and scientific fields.
• To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries.
• To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on
matters of common interests; and
• To cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims
and purposes.
 CHINA
o The Chinese leadership took major policy decisions in the
1970s. China ended its political and economic isolation with
the establishment of relations with the United States in 1972.
o Premier Zhou Enlai proposed the‘four modernisations
(agriculture, industry, science and technology and military) in
1973.
o By 1978, the then leader Deng Xiaoping announced the ‘open
door’ policy and economic reforms in China.
o The policy was to generate higher productivity by
investments of capital and technology from abroad.
 The Economic Policies of China

o The new economic policies helped the Chinese economy to break from
stagnation.
o Privatisation of agriculture led to a remarkable rise in agricultural production
and rural incomes.
o High personal savings in the rural economy lead to an exponential growth in
rural industry.
o The Chinese economy, including both industry and agriculture, grew at a faster
rate.
o The new trading laws and the creation of Special Economic Zones led to a
phenomenal rise in foreign trade.
o China has become the most important destination for foreign direct
investment (FDI) anywhere in the world.
o It has large foreign exchange reserves that now allow it to make big
investment in other countries.
 New Economic Policy of China
o China followed its own path in introducing a market
economy.
o The Chinese did not go for ‘shock therapy’ but opened
their economy step by step.
o The privatization of agriculture in 1982 was followed by
the privatization of industry in 1998.
o Trade barriers were eliminated only in Special Economic
Zones (SEZs) where foreign investors could set up
enterprises.
o In China, the state played and continues to play a central
role in setting up a market economy.
 Commonwealth of Independent States.(CIS)

 There are nine member states of the Commonwealth of

Independent States.
 These CIS states are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan. 
 It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet
Union in 1991. ... When the USSR began to fall in 1991,
the founding republics signed the Belavezha Accords on
8 December 1991, declaring that the Soviet Union
would cease to exist and proclaimed the CIS in its place.
 Unit-3: New Centers of Power
Unit-3: New Centers of Power Sub-Unit: ‘ BRICS’ The term
BRICS refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa respectively. BRIC was founded in 2006 in Russia.
BRIC turned into BRICS after the inclusion of South Africa
in its first meeting in the year 2009.
The key objectives of BRICS are primarily to cooperate and
distribute mutual economic benefits among its members
besides non-interference in the internal policies of each
nation and mutual equality.
 The 11th conference of the BRICS concluded in Brazil in
2019, chaired by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
 Purpose of CIS

 The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had its origins

on December 8, 1991, when the elected leaders of Russia,
Ukraine, and Belarus (Belorussia) signed an agreement forming a
new association to replace the crumbling Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (U.S.S.R.).
 The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional
intergovernmental organization focused on cooperation on
political, economic, environmental, humanitarian, cultural and
other issues between a number of former Soviet Republics.
THANK YOU
VEENA MEHTA
ASTER PUBLIC SCHOOL