International politics have become more complex since the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s, and consequently, it confuses traditional diplomats.[i] This intricacy is because the post-Cold War international era requires diplomacy to move from being foremost about high politics such as security, military and geopolitical issues to incorporating a wider and growing scope of issues outside of a state’s national borders like migration, gender, global warming, desertification and diseases. Not only are these novel policy themes an indication of how diplomacy’s agenda is growing, but they also indicate that an increasing number of participating stakeholders must be included in contemporary diplomatic practice.[ii] To further scrutinise the phenomena driving change and influencing modern diplomacy, the research utilises specific and relevant international political issues such as post-Cold War international politics, the hegemonic decline of the US, the rise of China, the problems in the Middle East, nuclear disarmament, climate change, Globalisation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the COVID-19 pandemic and diplomatic inflation. 1) Haynes 2011, 5-6, 8; Stern 2015; Spies 2019a, 42-43. [ii]) Haynes 2011, 8; Sharp 1999, 33; Spies 2019a, 42-43.

War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide were committed in the war in Tigray. This article focuses on the use of sexual violence as an instrument of war. It narrates the scale, nature, and intentions of the sexual violence perpetrated on Tigrayan women, girls, men and boys. It showcases the extreme cruelty, dehumanization and intent to sterilize and inflict maximum damage from stories of victims and witnesses. It compares them with the rape crimes committed in other cases and concludes the nature of the crime was genocidal.

This policy brief proposes that the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa) should plan and coordinate on ways to mitigate cybersecurity risks on a multilateral level. The BRICS countries are ideal for such a meta-governance mechanism which could coordinate toward the circumvention of some cyber risks. This Policy brief proposes that there should be an integration of blockchain technologies, packet sniffing technologies and AI detection tools to help mitigate emerging cybersecurity risks. The policy brief outlines the risks and challenges prevalent in this current climate, whilst also proposing potential remedies sourced from rigorous academic studies. The precise amendments include the synthesised mechanism of blockchain-based internet registries, packet sniffing technologies AI verification tools and capacity building to aid in the mitigation of cybersecurity risks. In 2007, a cyber-attack in Brazil plunged more than 3 million people into darkness. Cyberattacks collectively cost the BRICS countries $50.3bn in 2013. These funds could have been reinvested into the economy. BRICS needs the rapid technological integration of cyber-crime mitigation tools, tools which this policy brief will outline.

A number of the luminaries of the Pan-African movement such as Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore, W.E.B Dubois, C.L R James and Eric Williams as anti-colonial thinkers and political leaders cherished aspirations of an alternative international order. Their anti-colonial struggle was not just nationalistic and continentalist in outlook but was inspired by visions of “world-making” (Getachew 2019). Their project of African Independence as undergirded by Pan-Africanism sought to challenge the West as the embodiment of slavery and colonialism (Chinweizu 1975) not only on the continent where it created colonies but the post-World War II dispensation. Many of them propagated socialist sentiments and objectives. W. E.B. Dubois was a Marxist until the moment of his transition. It was in this sense that as Marxist in ideological outlook and socialist in political praxis, they were anti-capitalist in orientation. They embraced the Afro-Asian call of cooperation (Bandung spirit) to challenge the world hegemony of the West which characterised “the long twentieth century” (Arrighi 2010). Thus, a foundation of the “global South” as a victim of underdevelopment by the West was laid. They wanted to challenge the hegemony of the political economy of the imperialist West.

As BRICS countries strive to build a digital economy, these nations must prepare their populous for the ‘future of work.’ Digital economies tend to create middle to high-skilled jobs. This is problematic as many workers are trapped in low-skill occupations and lack the expertise to participate in a digital economy adequately. A digital economy requires a population that is literate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While BRICS has made progress in educating their populous in these fields, they still have a long way to go. More STEM graduates (especially women) must be produced to maintain and create a digital economy. This policy brief maps out strategies for BRICS countries to increase STEM participation.

As the global economy becomes increasingly underpinned by the digital economy, developing countries must grapple with the challenge of digitally transforming their economies while ensuring that no one is left behind. The BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - are at different stages of digital development and have adopted varying approaches to digital governance. However, the challenges of the 21st century require a joint approach to e-commerce, internet governance, and the challenges of a digitalising global economy. The BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework, launched in 2022, is a positive step towards a comprehensive digital governance framework. This framework promotes cooperation on various digital issues, including cybersecurity, data protection, and e-commerce. This policy brief examines how the framework can be leveraged to benefit the BRICS countries.

This article critically examines the formation of the BRICS alliance, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with a specific focus on the pivotal role played by the United States in shaping this strategic partnership. It explores the extent of US influence and the accompanying responsibilities it assumes within the alliance. The article highlights the proactive efforts of Brazil, Russia, and China to expand their global influence while concurrently aiming to reduce US interference. Brazil, in particular, seeks partnerships with Russia and China as a means to attain autonomy and foster development. Simultaneously, Russia and China strive to challenge US global dominance and solidify their own spheres of influence. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of critically evaluating Europe's military support to Ukraine, suggesting that such support may primarily serve US interests. Additionally, it underscores Europe's potential to promote peace and stability by pursuing independent and principled foreign policies.

In 2024, the BRICS diplomacy under the chairship of Russia is focused on partnership and cooperation in three key tracks - politics and security, the economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties. Through some 250 events and meetings culminating in the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 22-24 October, the BRICS hopes to expand the range of activities it must undertake to make advances practically in policy areas in these three tracks. This year also marks the full participation of the five new members of BRICS (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) in the whole year of discussion leading the summit and the content of the declaration to be adopted about what steps the BRICS countries agree to undertaken to implement their decisions. The developments of the year can be viewed on the website: https://brics-russia2024.ru/en/.

China is indeed the biggest investor in South Africa but it is very important to understand the effects that its investment has on the youth of South Africa. This study aims to analyse whether China's investment empowers the youth of South Africa through entrepreneurial skills, access to advanced technology, and provisions of scholarships. The findings of the study reveal that there is a level of inconsistency when it comes to China empowering the youth of South Africa. The study, therefore, recommends that China's relationship with South Africa should prioritize the youth of South Africa and be consistent in do so to contribute to their development as individuals.

Colonialism established a system of racial oppression, both mentally and physically, by impeding pre-colonial African education, which was originally intended to reflect the realities of pre-colonial African societies. Before the colonial administration, Africans were already developed people with different educations for different age groups, making them functional and inclusive within the larger political sphere. Decolonisation only reflects a shift in political power and the withdrawal of colonialists from African territories, but it has not resulted in any fundamental shift in the mentality of political leaders and nation-building in the decolonised nations. The education curriculum left behind by colonial governments was designed to make African nations economically and technologically dependent on developed nations. Such a pattern of education was not geared toward African technological development, but rather conditioned African nations to be consumers rather than producers, with the resulting loss of initiative among the Africans. The curriculum is insidious in terms of principles and implementation across all levels of educational institutions, slowly destroying the economies of African nations that were once ahead of European nations during the pre-colonial epoch. Instead of accelerating the socio-economic development of decolonised African nations, the curriculum based on Western principles and ideas further subjugates African economies to imperialist influence and hegemony through the instrumentality of international financial institutions, which frequently dictate exploitative asymmetric relationships between the developed and developing African nations. African nations must therefore look inward for an African-oriented and culturally appropriate educational curriculum to meet the demand for socioeconomic advancement and growth.