Cooperation among IBSA countries in the area of non-traditional threats

This bachelor’s thesis focuses on cooperation among the IBSA countries (India, Brazil, and South Africa) in the field of maritime security, with an emphasis on the IBSAMAR trilateral naval exercises. The aim of this thesis is to analyze how these three emerging powers of the Global South cooperate in addressing non-traditional threats at sea and what political and security significance they assign to this cooperation. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on the constructivist approach in international relations, the Copenhagen School’s securitization theory, and the concept of maritime security as a multidimensional agenda. The empirical part of the thesis is designed as a qualitative comparative case study of Brazil, India, and South Africa, based on an analysis of official strategic documents, press releases, and political statements from the period 2008–2022. The analysis is structured according to five analytical criteria that enable a systematic comparison of the practical, political, and discursive dimensions of cooperation. The results of the study show that IBSAMAR does not represent a unified project with the same significance for all three participants. Brazil and India approach the exercises primarily as an operational tool for developing naval capabilities and projecting regional responsibility, while for South Africa, the symbolic and identity-related dimensions predominate. IBSAMAR functions simultaneously as a practical format for security cooperation and as a tool for constructing the identity of the emerging powers of the Global South.