The early twenty-first century has seen the beginning of a considerable shift in the global balance of power. Major international governance challenges can no longer be addressed without the ongoing co-operation of the large countries of the global South. Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, ASEAN states, and Mexico wield great influence in the macro-economic foundations upon which rest the global political economy and institutional architecture. It remains to be seen how the size of the emerging powers translates into the ability to shape the international system to their own will.

In this book, leading international relations experts examine the positions and roles of key emerging countries in the potential transformation of the G8 and the prospects for their deeper engagement in international governance. The essays consider a number of overlapping perspectives on the G8 Heiligendamm Process, a co-operation agreement that originated from the 2007 summit, and offer an in-depth look at the challenges and promises presented by the rise of the emerging powers.

Co-published with the Centre for International Governance Innovation

Andrew F. Cooper is the associate director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo. His research interests include international institutional reform, diplomatic innovation and practices, and celebrity diplomacy.

Agata Antkiewicz is a senior researcher at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), where she oversees the BRICSAM and economic governance projects. Her articles have been published in numerous international journals.

Andrew F. Cooper's profile page

Agata Antkiewicz is a senior researcher at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), where she oversees the BRICSAM and economic governance projects. Her articles have been published in numerous international journals.

Agata Antkiewicz's profile page

''As globalization intensifies and the world changes at a rapid pace, emerging economies are acquiring growing economic and political importance. In this context, new challenges require new forms of global economic governance and deeper cooperation. At the 2007 G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, G8 leaders and the leaders of China, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa agreed to start a political dialogue on selected global economic issues. This book explores the first steps of the new dialogue process and its future potential. It breaks new ground and could assist policy-makers in drawing the map for enhanced international cooperation.''

Ulrich Benterbusch

''Countries like Mexico, India, Brazil, and especially China are...emerging...to compete with the United States in the modern world.... Cooper and Antkiewicz elaborate and give readers everything they need to know on the matter. Complete and comprehensive, Emerging Powers in Global Governance is an educational read on today's world.''

Wisconsin Bookwatch, The Political Science Shelf, February 2009

''Emerging Powers in Global Governance is a rare example of how to marry theory and case-study to advance the understanding of and the debate on global governance. While it recognizes the centrality of emerging powers, it pushes for their inclusion in discussions on the new global architecture. The Heiligendamm Process is central to the book as the first significant step undertaken by the G8 in this area. Readers are presented with the agendas of the world's most industrialized countries and the aspirations of emerging countries, and are led to reflect on the way forward.

Paola Subacchi