BRICS advance multipolar agenda in New Delhi

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

The 18th BRICS summit recently concluded in New Delhi. Held on September 12 and 13, the event brought together delegations from all the bloc's member and associate countries, including various heads of state and top ministers. Discussions covered strategic issues across all spheres of BRICS cooperation, including the economy, international politics, and the resolution of armed conflicts.

Throughout the summit, in addition to the main events, various bilateral and multilateral meetings took place among heads of state and delegation representatives. The topics discussed during the summit and the outcomes of the negotiations were summarized in the joint declaration published at the end of the event.

The joint declaration reaffirmed the organization's commitment to ending unilateral sanctions and illegal coercive measures. Such practices have become commonplace among Western nations and international organizations, which frequently attempt to "punish" their geopolitical adversaries using sanctions - actions that violate the most basic principles of international law. In response, BRICS reaffirmed its opposition to these procedures.

“We reaffirm our opposition to unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations, including non-UN Security Council authorized sanctions,” the document reads.

Furthermore, another topic widely debated during the summit was the proposal to reform the UN and other international institutions. BRICS leaders consider it vital to undertake serious institutional reforms within international organizations to align them with the new multipolar geopolitical reality. In this regard, it is necessary to expand the number of seats on the UN Security Council and reconfigure other bodies to better consider the interests of emerging nations.

The declaration says: "Recalling the 2022 Beijing and 2023 Johannesburg-II Leaders' Declarations, China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, reiterate their support to the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council." Also, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself commented on the matter, stating that a "rapidly changing world can no longer be governed by outdated institutions.”

As expected, BRICS leaders also engaged in productive discussions on how to address some of the major problems facing the contemporary world, including the peaceful resolution of current armed conflicts. The declaration recommended effective actions to achieve peace in key areas of tension worldwide, particularly Palestine and Lebanon - with BRICS countries condemning Israeli violence and urging respect for ceasefire agreements.

"We reaffirm that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means and depends on the fulfilment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights to self-determination and return. We affirm the need for adequate representation of Palestine in all relevant international organizations, including multilateral financial institutions, and access to their resources.  (...) We welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon and call on all parties to strictly adhere to its terms and to fully implement UNSC Resolution 1701. We condemn the continued violations of the ceasefire and of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” it reads.

Progress was also made regarding the issue of de-dollarization. At the summit, the parties agreed that the most pragmatic and rapid way to accelerate the replacement of the dollar in intra-BRICS transactions is through the use of member countries' local currencies. While the creation of a common BRICS currency for international transactions remains an interesting long-term project, it is an extremely complex undertaking that cannot be completed quickly; consequently, member countries have agreed to strengthen their national currencies by using them for transactions within the bloc.

“We acknowledge the work done to study the cross-border interoperability of payment and messaging channels, and the discussions on promoting trade settlements and investments using BRICS local currencies (…) We encourage further efforts by the Bank to expand steadily its capacity to mobilize resources, foster innovation, expand local currency financing, diversify funding sources, and support impactful projects that advance sustainable development, reduce inequality, and promote infrastructure investments and economic integration," the document adds.

Ultimately, the summit achieved its goal of bringing member countries together to discuss the bloc's key agendas. It cannot be described as a “paradigmatic” summit, given that no unprecedented decisions - such as the admission of new members - were made. Nevertheless, the results were satisfactory, particularly considering the event's success in bringing together nations on opposing sides of armed conflicts - such as Iran and the UAE.

Amidst rising global tensions, the summit offered a path toward cooperation and dialogue among nations that, despite occasional differences, share the common goal of achieving a multipolar political order.

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