Scientific Cooperation Across the Brics

• Author: M. Astakhova
• Position: University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia)
• Pages: 4-26

BRICS LAW JOURNAL Volume VII (2020) Issue 1

ARTICLES

SCIEnTIFIC CooPERATIon ACRoSS THE BRICS

MARINA ASTAKHOVA,

University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia)

https://doi.org/10.21684/2412-2343-2020-7-1- 4-26

The creation of the BRICS as a non-traditional international organization in the status of

a global forum brings new meaning to the norm-setting of international organizations,

including in the eld of scientic cooperation. This paper aims to identify and analyze

the up-to-date and complete normative framework of scientic cooperation across the

BRICS which is a result of the BRICS norm-setting. The achievement of the stated aim is

pursued through the identication of the distinctive features of the BRICS norm-setting

by comparison with the norm-setting of traditional international intergovernmental

organizations and by analysis of the BRICS regulations dealing with issues of scientic

cooperation. Within the process of researching this subject the author analyzed the BRICS

regulations of dierent levels from the Joint Statements of the BRICS Countries’ Leaders

and the Summits Declarations to the BRICS working papers as a framework program. The

main nding of the research is that the normative framework of scientic cooperation

across the BRICS is a set of non-legally binding norms contained in the regulations

adopted at the various meetings of national ocials within the BRICS. This nding can

contribute to a better understanding of the application of the BRICS norms.

Keywords: norm-setting; scientific cooperation; the BRICS; normative framework;

regulations.

Recommended citation: Marina Astakhova, Scientic Cooperation Across the BRICS,

7(1) BRICS Law Journal 4–26 (2020).

MARINA ASTAKHOVA 5

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Distinctive Features of the BRICS Norm-Setting

2. Normative Framework of Scientic Cooperation Across the BRICS

Conclusion

Introduction

In our high-technology age, development requires the use of scientic advances.

Under current economic conditions, breakthrough research projects often become

extremely dicult within a single country because of their complexity, duration, and

high cost. One possible way to obtain scientic advances in low-resource settings is

for countries to participate in international scientic cooperation.

It should be noted that international cooperation in science has become more

signicant since the second half of the 20th century. The international conferences

of the United Nations on science and technology for development which took place

in Geneva in 1963 and in Vienna in 1979 led to the adoption of the World Action

Plan in science and technology. This plan contained recommendations concerning

the enhanc ement of internat ional scienti fic cooperation . B y following these

recommendations, countries began to develop rules on the eective and mutually

advantageous process of receiving and exchanging scientic results. These rules are

usually xed in regulations that together make up a set called a “normative framework”

in legal doctrine.

As world experience shows, a normative framework varies according to the

geographical location of the countries which are engaged in international scientic

cooperation. For example, the normative framework of scientic cooperation between

the countries from dierent parts of the world consists of multilateral international

treaties (e.g. the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1992

Convention on Biological Diversity), acts issued by international intergovernmental

organizations (e.g. UNESCO regulations), and international scientic cooperation

programs (e.g. the research and innovation program "Horizon 2020"). The normative

framework of scientic cooperation between the countries from the same part of

the world includes regional agreements (e.g. the 1992 Agreement between The

Government of the Russian Federation and The Government of the Republic of

Finland on cooperation in science and technology), acts of regional organizations

and associations (e.g. the 1975 Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and

Cooperation in Europe), and regional scientic cooperation programs (e.g. the 1987 pan-

African Program on the Application of Science and Technology to Development).

The inception of the BRICS as a group of countries from dierent parts of the

world in the format of a global forum prompts us to take a fresh look at the normative