A NEW APPROACH TO GLOBAL SECURITY: PIVOTAL MIDDLE POWERS AND GLOBAL POLITICS

Mehmet OZKAN
Published in Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Volume XI, Spring 2006, pp. 77-95.

Summary:
Unlike the Cold War period, in the post-Cold War era, there has been an inclination toward having an independent and active foreign policy from the regional power centres. By introducing a new power category in international politics, the pivotal middle power, this study argues that pivotal middle powers can play critical roles in establishing a new global world order, if they can act together in global politics focusing on case-tocase approach, in other words, niche diplomacy. Recently, the New Agenda Coalition (NAC) and India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA)
have been the two examples of the niche approach from pivotal middle powers. The new activism of pivotal middle powers in post-Cold War global politics can be located in globalization and global world order context and in future, if successful, such initiatives could pave the way a new understanding of global politics especially with regard to economic and security issues.

Keywords:
World order, global security, pivotal middle powers, North-South relations, developing countries.

For full article:

http://www.sam.gov.tr/volume_xi_spring06.php