- EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 15/Jul 13:28

BRICS: The Future World Order – OpEd

The recent 17th BRICS Summit (6-7 July,2025) comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and its new members made global headlines for its assertive posturing on several international issues. The BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, resulting in a joint declaration signed by member countries. The theme of the summit; "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance," the document seals the group's commitment to strengthening multilateralism, defending international law and striving for a more equitable global order. The summit showcased a growing push by the bloc to shape a ‘Multipolar World’. In recent years, BRICS has been accepting more countries as partner members. Last year, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined the group, expanding its influence further and turning the bloc into a 10-nation entity. The Rio summit was led by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Most other member countries were represented by their leaders with three exceptions: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were absent. Xi had attended all previous BRICS summits since taking office in 2013 while Putin has avoided most international trips since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him over his role in the war on Ukraine in March 2023. Russia and Iran were represented by their foreign ministers and China by Premier Li Qiang. This was the first summit attended by Indonesia after its induction into the bloc this year. According to reports, over 30 nations have already expressed their interest in participating in BRICS, either as members or partners. BRICS enlargement has been the voice of the global majority, and most countries in the Global South. The BRICS statement also welcomed Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda and Uzbekistan as new BRICS partner countries – a status that places them on a perch below full membership and allows the bloc to increase cooperation with them. The BRICS Summit 2025 Focused: Multilateral Order. The declaration emphasized the need for a multilateral order that is fair, effective, and transparent. It supported the upcoming UN Summit of the Future’s Pact for the Future, including proposals such as the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. A strong emphasis was laid on shared responsibility, inclusive consultation, and equitable representation within global institutions. Promoting Peace, Security, and Global Stability. The declaration raised concerns over rising global military expenditures and ongoing regional conflicts. It firmly opposed the securitization of climate change discourse, advocating instead for development-focused multilateral approaches to address poverty, hunger, and environmental challenges. Strengthening Economic, Trade, and Financial Cooperation Key Highlights of the Summit Climate Finance: Adopted BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance for ensuring accessible, timely and affordable climate finance for developing countries and enabling just transition pathways. Artificial Intelligence: Adopted BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence to foster responsible development, deployment, and use of AI technologies in compliance with national regulatory frameworks and UN Charter.  De-dollarization: Promoting trade in local currencies and exploring alternatives to SWIFT and the USD. New Development Bank (NDB) was positioned as a tool for South-South cooperation and an alternative to Western lenders, especially for infrastructure funding. Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases: Launched BRICS Partnership for Focusing on tackling root causes of health disparities such as poverty and social exclusion. Multilateralism: BRICS has called for reforms of Bretton Woods institutions to reflect the voice of Global South. Reform of UN System: Reiterated support for reform of UN system including increased role of India and Brazil in UN Security Council. Condemned all forms of terrorism, including the attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.  “African solutions to African problems” in conflict resolution across Africa (e.g., Sudan, Horn of Africa). Nuclear weapon Free Zones:  Highlighted contribution of nuclear-weapon-free zones for strengthening nuclear non-proliferation.  COP 33 of UNFCCC in 2028:  Supported India’s candidacy to host.  Unilateral Economic Sanctions: The BRICS declaration strongly condemned the imposition of “unilateral coercive measures”, such as economic sanctions, arguing that they violate international law and harm human rights. Global Conflicts: Cautious Yet Vocal At the summit, BRICS leaders called for peaceful resolution of conflicts and adherence to the UN Charter, a diplomatic way of addressing global tensions without alienating Russia, a founding member and active participant in the war in Ukraine. Ukraine Conflict: While the West continues to press for condemnation of Russia, BRICS avoided assigning blame. Instead, the final communiqué emphasized “dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy” as the only viable paths to peace. Gaza Crisis: The bloc took a more vocal stance on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, condemning civilian casualties and humanitarian violations. While some statements stopped short of naming Israel, the tone was critical and pro-Palestinian, calling for a two-state solution.  Leaders of the BRICS bloc have sharply rebuked the US and Israeli bombardments of Iran in June, calling them a “Blatant Breach of International law.” Key Statements from BRICS Founding Leaders Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; “If global governance does not correspond to the new multipolar reality of the 21st century, then the task of BRICS is to promote its renewal.”  Russia: Vladimir Putin (virtual); “The model of liberal globalization is outdated…the future belongs to emerging markets.”  India: Narendra Modi;“Now we need to show the same determination in reforming other institutions, including the UN Security Council, the WTO and multilateral development banks.”  China: Li Qiang;“BRICS countries should strive to become the vanguard in advancing the reform of global governance…safeguard world peace and tranquility.”  South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa;Highlighted strengthening trade, tech cooperation and green economy, noted full implementation of the BRICS anti-terror strategy. Trump Warns BRICS Members Trump responded to the BRICS declaration within hours, warning on his social media platform that countries siding with what he termed “Anti-American Policies” would face added tariffs. President Trump issued a warning of “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charge...