Brics Rio summit: A double espresso shot for big effort ahead

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Brazil, as the current chair, and India, as the next chair of Brics, should collaborate to devise a way to bring the US and European Union closer to the Rio formulations read more
The 17th summit of Brics was held in Rio de Janeiro from 6 to 7 July under trying circumstances, with Israeli and US military strikes against Iran—a new Brics member—dominating the immediate backdrop. Furthermore, the failure of the Brics foreign ministers to produce a joint statement at their April meeting had raised doubts about whether Rio would succeed in crafting a joint declaration at all.
In this light, Brazil, as the chair and host, scored a notable success, delivering an impressive summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, therefore, commended President Lula for the summit's excellent organisation, which gave Brics cooperation 'fresh momentum and vitality.' Modi added, 'And let me say—the energy we have received isn't just an espresso; it is a double espresso shot.'
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Besides the Rio Declaration, the summit produced three other important documents: on climate finance, the global governance of artificial intelligence, and the partnership for the elimination of socially determined diseases. To appreciate the value and importance of what was achieved at Rio, it is necessary to analyse the summit declaration and then assess the potential for its implementation in the future.
Declaration – Key Elements
With its 126 paragraphs, the Rio Declaration is longer than the declaration of the Johannesburg Summit (2023) but shorter than the declaration of the Kazan Summit (2024), which had 134 paragraphs. Right at the outset, the latest declaration reiterates the commitment to 'the Brics spirit', encompassing 'mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, and consensus.' It refers to the grouping's three pillars of cooperation: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people connect. Brics aims to enhance strategic partnership through the promotion of peace, a fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, and sustainable development.
The declaration is divided into five sections. The first section on strengthening multilateralism and reforming global governance highlights the need for comprehensive reform of global governance institutions, particularly the UN, the World Bank, the WTO, and the WHO. Para 6 deals with the reform of the UN Security Council. It represents some improvement from India's perspective. Deviating from the Kazan Declaration, it stresses the support of China and Russia as permanent members of the Security Council for 'the aspiration of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the United Nations, including its Security Council'. In contrast, the Kazan formulation referred to 'Brics countries', not Brazil and India specifically, in this context.
The underlying spirit of the Rio Summit was to strengthen cooperation among the Global South countries. Para 8 emphasised the importance of the Global South 'as a driver for positive change', especially in light of geopolitical tensions, rapid economic downturns, and technological changes. The summit participants were fully cognisant of the need for a 'collective global effort' to establish suitable AI governance.
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In the second section on promoting peace, security, and international stability, the grouping articulated its consensus view on several global and regional issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. It condemned the military strikes against Iran, without naming the authors. Para 34 contains a 'strong condemnation of any act of terrorism'. Bearing India's imprint, the Rio Declaration condemned 'in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.' It renewed the call for the finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which remains elusive.
The third section relating to deepening international economic trade and financial cooperation welcomed the results of the 'Strategy for Brics Economic Policy 2025'. It encouraged the ongoing expansion of the New Development Bank's (NDB) membership and the strengthening of its governance framework. Para 50 makes it clear that the work on the 'Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiatives' will continue. The plan is to realise the potential for 'greater interoperability of Brics payment systems'.
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The last two sections, which pertain to combating climate change and promoting sustainable, fair, and inclusive development, as well as partnership for the promotion of human, social, and cultural development, contain a wealth of ideas for ongoing and new projects based on cooperation within the expanded Brics family and beyond.
Focus on the Founders
The thoughts of the Bricsleadership were also reflected in the statements of their key leaders. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's opening remarks at the first session, devoted to peace, security, and reform of global governance, drew international attention. He called Brics 'an heir of the Non-Aligned Movement'. Pointing out that in 2025 Brazil hosted the fourth Brics summit, he added, 'Of all of them, this one is taking place amid the most adverse scenario,' marked by 'an unprecedented collapse of multilateralism.' He made a strong plea for investment in reform and peace. Regretting that it was always easier to invest in war than in peace, he noted, 'It is easier to designate 5 per cent of the GDP to military spending than to allocate the 0.7 per cent that has been provided for Official Development Assistance.' He believed that the world still has the opportunity to lay the groundwork for 'a reinvigorated governance model'.
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Remarks at the same session by Prime Minister Narendra Modi were brief but crisp. From West Asia to Europe, he said, the world is surrounded by disputes and tensions. 'The path to peace is the only option for the good of humanity,' he stated. On reform, he said that global institutions without adequate representation for the Global South are 'like a mobile phone with a SIM card but no network'. He devoted utmost attention to the scourge of international terrorism, asserting, 'Condemning terrorism must be a matter of principle and not just of convenience.'
The media made an unnecessary play of the absence of President Xi Jinping. Premier Li Qiang represented China well. He expressed his nation's readiness to work with fellow Brics members to make global governance 'more just, equitable, efficient, and well-ordered'. Delivering an online address, President Vladimir Putin argued that it was important for Brics to continue expanding the use of national currencies in mutual payments as well as to create 'an independent payment and monetary system within Brics'.
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Critical Assessment
Evaluation of the summit needs to address several facets of the present and future of Brics.
First, the expanded grouping (with 11 members, 10 partners, and other attendees) has indeed become more influential than before. It reflects the collegiate leadership of the Global South, although not all nations may accept China and Russia as integral parts of the Global South.
Second, while the Brics does have a wise agenda, backed by considerable unity, it is not in a strong position to garner the world's support for it. The fissures within the G7, the tensions between the US and Europe, and the unilateralism of Washington combine to leave little room for Brics to develop an international consensus on the issues agreed at Rio.
Finally, even if a reasonable consensus were to emerge on the issues of peace and security, reform of global institutions, economic cooperation, and climate change, the real challenge would be to mobilize the political will of the G7 economies and others to translate their commitments into action. That is a tall order!
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Therefore, it is suggested that Brazil, as the current chair, and India, as the next chair of Brics, should collaborate to devise a way to bring the US and EU closer to the Rio formulations. Should there be some success in this endeavour, these two nations could then work together with South Africa, the current president of the G20. The Rio Declaration has emphasised the G20's key role as the premier global forum for international economic cooperation. This larger forum has the best chance of devising a consensus on the vital issues of our time.
However, first, there is the daunting challenge of persuading the US President and his advisers, who continue to view Brics in rather negative terms. Clearly, more coffee and hard work may be required.
Rajiv Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow at Gateway House, a former Indian Ambassador with extensive diplomatic experience in regional and global groupings, and the author of three books on Indian foreign policy.Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
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