New System of Relations between Great Powers for the XXI Century:
“Concert” or Confrontation?
Nikitin A.I.,
Dr. Sci. (Polit. Sci.), Director, Center for Euro-Atlantic Security, MGIMO University; Principal Research Fellow, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences; Professor, HSE University, Moscow, Russia, an@inno.mgimo.ru
elibrary_id: 637132 | ORCID: 0000-0003-3509-6893 | RESEARCHER_ID: O-6521-2015
DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2016.01.04
Nikitin A.I. New System of Relations between Great Powers for the XXI Century: “Concert” or Confrontation? – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.01.04
The year 2015 marks the 200th Anniversary of the Vienna Congress of 1815 that initiated so called “Concert of Europe” – relatively stable century-long system of interstate negotiations between that time“great powers” and empires. The article introduces the international research projects of 20 researchersfrom 9 countries who elaborated and proposed principles and mechanisms for a new “concert of powers”for the 21st century. Basing upon statistical and qualitative parameters the author figured out three models(for 10, 13 and 17 countries) for the required modern system of negotiation on global issues. Such a systemshould rather compliment to than compete with the existing international institutions like UN or G7.But it may provide better legitimacy (by involving new actors – rising powers and collective actors likeEU) and higher efficiency in reaching compromises (by avoiding excessive formalization that breaks theUN SC). Difficulties and weaknesses on the way towards a new “concert of powers” are inspected too.Project is focused not only on redesigning the geopolitics of the global political/security dialogue, butas well on ways for reforming the existing interfaces between powers and international organizations likeUnited Nations, OSCE, and non-Western integrative formats like SCO, CSTO, BRICS.
See also:
Konyshev V.N., Sergunin A.A.,
International relations theory: on the threshold of new «Great Debates»?. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No2
Alekseyeva T.A., Lebedeva M.M.,
What Is Happening to the Theory of International Relations. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No1
Alekseyeva T.A.,
The Debates about “Great Debates”: How to Structure the Theory of International Relations. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No6
Konyshev V.N., Sergunin A.A.,
“The Great Debates”: The Means of Structuring or Periodization of International Relations Theory?. – Polis. Political Studies. 2017. No4
Borishpolets K.P.,
Great powers’ competition in the 21st century: Russian approaches and Russian discourse. – Polis. Political Studies. 2022. No1