Brazil - Global Issues

							Brazil on a Global Stage
                 Agenda
• Foreign Policy
• Military
• Trade Organizations
• Global Trade
• Activism
• Industry Statistics
• Nuclear Program
• Sports (Olympics/World Cup)
                                          Foreign Policy
    • Brazilian political leaders believe that Brazil should have a
             larger role in foreign politics

             • This has led to greater involvement in organizations, such
                      as the U.N. 10th largest contributor to UN budget ($38M)

             • This approach allows participation in world events without
                      taking a hard stance on divisive issues.

    • Regionally, Brazil is active in South American politics through
             the UNASUL (Union of South American Nations) 12 member
             nations (all of the South American nations)

             • Has 8 ministerial councils in place to collaborate on topics
                      such as defense, energy, education, economics, and
                      infrastructure.
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/english.brazil.foreignpolicy.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_South_American_Nations
                        Military
• Brazil's armed forces are the largest in Latin America, with:
   • 327,710 active-duty troops and officers (US has 1.47M;
      Columbia has 285,220).

   • $27B 2011 defense budget (US $663B; Columbia $9.2B).
• Recent history:
   • Fought for allied forces in WWII.
   • Coup d’etat in ’64-’85; military regime aligned with US.
   • No serious internal/external threats to sovereignty.
                   Military
• Mission:
  • SIPAM; “Sistema de Proteção da Amazônia”
    (Amazonian Protection System)

  • Blue water
  • President sent 800 army soldiers to the Alemão
    shanty-town village to take control from drug gangs
    (41 death toll).

  • "Estratégia Nacional de Defesa" (National Defense
    Strategy)
      Trade Organizations
• Foreign Minister Celso Amorim:
   • "If you want to have Brazil, India, China, South Africa
      participating in the effort they have to have more voice also
      in these financial institutions.“
   • … the G20 “was not born in Cancún or in Geneva, during
      the weeks preceding the WTO Ministerial Conference. It
      emerged from the political trust built up between Brazil,
      India and South Africa some months earlier.”
• Advocacy for developing agricultural nations
   • Brazil used leadership role in WTO and FTAA to organize
      opposition toward developed nations to grant concessions
      to poorer countries.
   • Organized opposition against US and European farm
      subsidies.
                           Global Trade

• Brazil an active world trader
    • World Trade Organization member since 1995
    • Accounts for 5% of the world’s agricultural exports (3rd
           largest in the world)

    • Strengthening currency has made Brazilian goods more
           expensive on foreign markets




 Source: World Trade Organization 2010 Trade Statistics
 http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2010_e/its2010_e.pdf
 Financial Times, January 30, 2011,
 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5efdeffc-2c99-11e0-83bd-00144feab49a.html
 The Economist, January 14th, 2012, http://www.economist.com/node/21542780
              Global Trade
• Trade With China
  • Grown over 1,600% since 2002
  • Brazil has a trade surplus
  • China accounts for 35% of Foreign Direct Investment in
     Brazil

  • President Rousseff is becoming more protectionist,
     evidenced by a 30% tax on cars made with less than 65%
     Brazilian content
Trade w/China
                                            Activism
 • Domestic Hunger Activism
       • Fome Zero, a domestic hunger program, founded in 2001.
       • José Graziano da Silva - appointed head of the Ministry of
              Food Security and Hunger Combat (MESA) created by
              former president Lula.
       • A vast array of 50 policies, including everything from low-
              cost restaurants to financial assistance for small farmers
              and microcredit
       • Program is very successful, reducing hunger in Brazil by
              1/3 in 4 years.




Sources: Fome Zero Report, www.fomezero.gov.br/download/Security%20Policy%20OK.pdf
Oxfam.org Report, http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/cs-fighting-hunger-brazil-090611-en.pdf
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303795304576455941812569416.html
                                            Activism

  • International Activism
        • In 2011, José Graziano da Silva elected to lead the Food
               and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN
        • Da Silva plans to use many of the successful aspects from
               Fome Zero at the FAO, such as
        • Cross-sector approach, involving the private sector,
               government and civil-society for wide support




Sources: Fome Zero Report, www.fomezero.gov.br/download/Security%20Policy%20OK.pdf
Oxfam.org Report, http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/cs-fighting-hunger-brazil-090611-en.pdf
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303795304576455941812569416.html
          Industry Statistics
• 5th Largest Labor Pool after China, India, US, Indonesia
• Revenues from international tourists reached US 5.9B in 2010.
   -> 0.28% of GDP or 0.41% of the service sector

• Largest producer of sugar cane in the world
• World’s largest exporter of beef and second largest beef
   producer after the US

• World’s largest coffee producer, responsible for about a third of
   all coffee in the world

• World’s largest soybean exporter (39%). Second largest
   soybean producer (27%)
             Nuclear Program
• Between 1970-1990, there was fear that Brazil was using its
   nuclear energy program to support nuclear weapon
   development. Brazil has the resources necessary to develop a
   nuclear weapon

• In early 1990’s, Brazil renounced its interest in nuclear
   weapons as evident by the following commitments:
   •   Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

   •   Agreement of nuclear safeguard with the International Atomic Energy Agency
       (IAEA)

   •   Signed the Treat for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the
       Caribbean, “Treaty of Tlatelolco”

   •   Signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Joined the Missile
       Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

   •   Established a bilateral inspection agency with Argentina to verify nuclear is being
       used for peaceful purposes, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and
       Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC)
                            Sports
• Brazil to host the 2016 Summer Olympics
   •   205 Countries represented

   •   Approximately 10,500 Athletes

   •   28 Olympics Sports

   •   18 Major Venues

   •   A “Carbon Neutral Games”

• Some controversy ahead of the Games
   •   Brazilian housing authority has been bulldozing favelas to make way for
       new transportation routes and land development.

   •   Recently Rio 2016 officials were considering erecting a 30 foot replica
       “Christ the Redeemer” in Primrose Hill in London to promote the 2016
       Games
                        Sports
• World Cup 2014 in Brazil
• Brazil is the only country to participate in the 17 World Cups
• Brazil has 5 championships (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
• Tied with Germany for the most finishes in the top 2
• Pelé
   • World famous soccer player in Brazil
   • Scored 760 official goals, top scorer of all time
   • Known as “The King of Football” in Brazil