BRICS states intent for rising Global South

The Rio summit of the expanded grouping was also a call for reform in the West-leaning international institutions

When the world order is in flux and the world is reeling under conflicts, the 17th summit of the expanded BRICS at Rio de Janeiro reflected concerns of the international community relating to security, global governance, the international financial system, climate change, and health. Both the expanded BRICS (11 members) and the 10 partner countries showed resolve for a collective effort towards solutions – India is likely to be the pivot in these efforts.

The summit’s theme was ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance’. The Global South has emerged as a geopolitical reality, and it seemed during the deliberations at the summit that the members would be assuming larger responsibilities in leading global affairs. Developed countries are not showing the intent to continue with the leadership roles and lack the commitment, especially in dealing with pressing global issues such as climate change and environmental security. The era of the Western, Eurocentric world seems to be fading away.

A transformation is inevitable in the emerging dynamics of geopolitics. The geographical expanse of BRICS has become much wider and consists of a select group of countries from Africa, South America, and the Indo-Pacific region. About 44% of the global economy is generated from the expanded BRICS and partner countries. Half of the global population resides in countries in the expanded grouping. Even in the ongoing tariff debates, it was noted that 37% of the foreign trade is represented by these countries. The expanded BRICS, along with the partner countries, have 72% of the global reserves of rare earth minerals. Furthermore, roughly 45% of the global oil production happens in this region. Hence, BRICS has gained salience in the international system, making countries in the developed world, such as the United States, watch the grouping with interest.

From Yekaterinburg (Russia) in 2009, when the first summit happened, to Rio in 2025, when a larger group of members mooted ways to strengthen the Global South cooperation, BRICS has grown in commitment and resilience. BRIC became BRICS in 2011 when South Africa was added, at the summit in Sanya, China.

The joint declaration of the 17th BRICS summit is a comprehensive document and is a testimony to the year-long effort in mobilising international public opinion in favour of reforming both global governance structures and finding alternatives to existing global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. There seems to be a growing acknowledgement among emerging economies and the developing world that the IMF has served the purpose of the European nations, and the World Bank has served the interests of the United States. This stems from concerns that the grievances of the developing world are not accorded due importance, necessitating efforts from the expanded BRICS to strengthen its financial framework under the New Development Bank (NDB). The grouping is set to address these concerns.

While a collective effort on the part of the expanded BRICS will be made towards strengthening multilateralism, there is an urgent need to reform the United Nations system with a greater focus on the Security Council. The push for this reform is critical because the world is not the same as it was in 1945. In the joint declaration, China and Russia reiterated their support for the aspirations of India and Brazil to play a greater role in the UN, including in the Security Council. During his call for reforms, Prime Minister Modi put it rightly – “one cannot run 21st century software on 20th century typewriters.”

AI and climate

There was a special mention of global health governance, where it was felt that enhancing cooperation and solidarity at the global level, perhaps, can make a nation better prepared to deal with any type of pandemic. Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) also featured prominently in a discussion. Global governance of AI can only help in mitigating potential risks and addressing the needs of all countries.

There was a consensus that only political and diplomatic measures can lower conflict potential. There was an open condemnation of the attack on Iran and the ongoing attacks on Gaza. Nation states need to adhere to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The challenges associated with terrorism were discussed, and the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir was condemned.

At the summit, most of the discussions on climate change and environmental security reflected the growing concerns emanating from the developed countries – they have not owned the responsibility for climate finance and climate justice, leaving a huge void for the developing world to address. Ways to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels featured prominently in the discussions, apart from ensuring adherence to the stipulations formalised in the Paris Agreement.

The baton of the expanded BRICS has been passed to India, which will convene the 18th summit. It is anticipated that India will assume a far greater responsibility in furthering the interests of the Global South in every sphere so that the gap between the developed and developing worlds is bridged.

(The writer is a professor at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi)