The BRICS as ‘Rising Powers’ and the Development of International Law

This chapter analyses the influence of the BRICS countries as ‘rising powers’ on international law. It argues that a focus on these powers provides an appropriate index for the current development of international law. It studies the participation and influence of BRICS in the shaping of legal norms and institutions, thereby throwing light on their conceptualization of international law and the future of international law. It concludes that the activities of BRICS countries and other rising powers represent qualitative as well as quantitative progress. For the author, the current state of international law may appear to be in a state or crisis or stagnation, but has potential for rising.