I am under the impression that China, India, Brazil and South Africa has established a standing cooperation (represented by the acronym CIBS or IBSAC) in international negotiations like WTO, primarily in response to the EU, USA and Japan dealing amongst themselves.

So my guess would be that South Africa has a given place in their cooperation. That place might in itself be a reflection of its status as African hegemon.

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That's a good way to construct the question. I can't help thinking though, token hegemon is the most apt description of the roles created for a "meaningful agreement" starring the only superpower. Because US diplomacy expresses itself in one of two modalities --unilateral or bilateral-- I'm afraid continental symbolism was really the driving force behind and drama of the 11th hour meeting. Asia. Africa. India. The Americas.

Europe? Oops. Who would Bush call?

Tutu rallied in Copenhagen and is sympathetic to Buh Weet's moral challeges. I can imagine the transatlantic plea, after Di-Aping metaphorically beat the crap outa Zenawi.

OBAMA: Zenawi is useless. I need your help. Can you help me?

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU: Please, please help give the world a real deal. Give the world a real deal. Help, help, help. Make sure that there is enough money to help developing countries make the adjustment. OK?

OBAMA: Otay.
ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU: I'll leave the key to the conference room under the mat in front of door 823 by the housekeeping station on P7 east wing Q3.


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

See here.

(Planned) co-operation and development between India, Brazil and South Africa has been fairly recent, and is focused on the southern hemisphere trading between the nations. Economically, it does make sense but I don't know how practical the alliance has been.

Nor do I know if the IBSA alliance was of importance to get SA around the table in Copenhagen. But IBSA does show that an alliance with Brazil and India is not unusual for SA.