Rival Norm Entrepreneurship: Rivaling Proposals at the OAS and the BRICS

Brazil engaged in rival norm entrepreneurship during the formulation of two norm proposals: the “Declaration Strengthening Cyber-Security in the Americas,” drafted in 2012 by the Organization of American States (OAS), and the “Ufa Declaration” of the five BRICS states, issued in 2015. In both cases, the country found itself in an institutional setting dominated by one of the two poles of the cyber norms debate. Brazil had long adopted a critical stance towards the dominant actors in both forums, reflecting the country’s aspirations for global leadership. In the drafting process of both documents, Brazil repeatedly countered norm entrepreneurship efforts with its own rivaling proposals. The OAS declaration represented Brazil’s first engagement with a cyber norm proposal, and its involvement remained relatively modest. Brazil employed a strategy of negative tactics to limit financial and personnel commitments and put forward individual rival formulations. Brazil’s normative agency within the BRICS grouping reflects the country’s ambivalent stance towards the grouping. On the issue of a global cybercrime treaty, Brazil joined its fellow BRICS states in joint rival norm entrepreneurship on the global stage. In turn, Brazil countered Russia’s push for a BRICS cybersecurity treaty through rival norm entrepreneurship within the group.