Brazil's international development co-operation: old and new motivations

Abstract

Brazil has entered the world of development assistance, but with its own twist. This article argues that Brazil is taking a cross-government policy approach to the provision of development assistance, and which includes recruitment of business interests. There is a genuine concern with global poverty alleviation in Brazil, but this does not preclude policy-makers from using aid and development-related activities to advance national interests. The added quirk that sets Brazil apart from Northern counterparts is that the provision of development assistance offers significant benefits in terms of building up international bureaucratic experience inside the country and helping national firms internationalise their market activities.