Role of Middle Powers in a Polycentric World Order: A Practitioner’s Perspective

By : Anil Trigunayat

Page No: 125-139

Abstract
With the rise of the polycentric world order, the importance of middle powers as crucial players with the ability to influence international governance, resolve disputes, and promote multilateral cooperation has increased. Due to growing geopolitical rivalries, especially the Sino-US rivalry, shrinking confidence in international organisations, and the emergence of issue-based alignments, the changing role of middle powers needs to be explored. This essay demonstrates how nations like South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkiye, the UAE, Qatar and others, utilise economic power, diplomatic action, and strategic autonomy to influence regional and global outcomes. Their participation has increased in peace mediation, as in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to problems in West Asia. This highlights how middle powers have a stabilising ability even in situations when big powers remain divided. Middle power alliances, such as BRICS plus, QUAD, 12U2, and other trilaterals, which allow these nations to enhance the scope of negotiations and collectively pursue common goals in climate change, development, and technology, are also examined in the article. Their soft power advantages and commitment to multipolarity have enhanced their international status, despite the presence of power rivalries among them. The essay uses India as a distinctive and notable example to examine how middle powers will continue to play a crucial role in maintaining equilibrium, promoting reforms, and fostering cooperative mechanisms in the evolving world order.

Author
Anil Trigunayat is a former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta. He is also a Distinguished Fellow with prestigious Think Tanks like Vivekananda International Foundation and United Services Institute of India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.2.3