The internal and external institutionalization of the BRICS countries: The case of the New Development Bank

This article explores and explains the internal and external institutionalization of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries via a case study of the New Development Bank. It contributes to the existing literature on the BRICS and the New Development Bank by identifying internal and external factors of institutionalization and by presenting the most recent developments in the field. The internal and external channels of cooperation complement the traditional one based on hosting annual joint BRICS summits. In 2014, these five countries institutionalized their cooperation with an agreement to establish this Bank. The recently established various New Development Bank regional offices play an essential role in its internal and external institutionalization. The New Development Bank is still very much in development. Nonetheless, the internal and external institutionalization approaches provide useful conceptual lenses to understand BRICS cooperation via the New Development Bank better.