BRICS leaders have adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, concluding their member session with a renewed call for reform of global governance institutions and stronger representation for developing countries.
Briefing the media after the session, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Sudhakar Dalela, said the summit marked a significant milestone as India assumed the BRICS chairship for the fourth time in the year the grouping celebrates 20 years of institutionalised cooperation.
India’s chairship has been guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” (BRICS), with a focus on practical, forward-looking and people-centric cooperation, he said.
Dalela noted that the summit brought together leaders of all BRICS member countries, while partner countries, outreach invitees and heads of international organisations are expected to participate in the open session on Saturday.
The strong participation reflected the growing importance of BRICS and confidence in India’s leadership, he added.
He said India had organised more than 350 meetings since assuming the chairship in January, including ministerial meetings, working group sessions, business engagements and people-centric initiatives conducted both physically and virtually.
The member session was held under the theme “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.”
Leaders broadly agreed on the need to strengthen multilateralism and make global governance institutions more representative, inclusive, effective and responsive to current realities.
According to Dalela, leaders reiterated support for comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to enhance the representation of developing countries. They also backed reforms in the international financial architecture to provide the Global South with a stronger voice.
The discussions reaffirmed BRICS principles of mutual respect, equality, solidarity, openness, inclusiveness and consensus, with differences addressed through dialogue and consultation.
Leaders also exchanged views on ongoing geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainties, stressing the importance of diplomacy, dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his intervention, underscored the need to strengthen the voice of the Global South and reform global governance institutions to reflect contemporary realities.
He emphasised that BRICS should remain focused on practical cooperation and development-oriented outcomes that improve people’s lives.
The Prime Minister proposed four initiatives for BRICS cooperation: the creation of a BRICS Troika mechanism, the development of a BRICS roadmap on global governance reform, the establishment of a Seafarer Emergency Support Initiative Network to assist seafarers in distress worldwide, and a Global South Negotiation Support Initiative aimed at building capacity among officials and young professionals in emerging areas such as technology and global rule-making.
Dalela described the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration as one of the defining outcomes of India’s chairship, saying it demonstrated BRICS members’ ability to reach consensus on issues of global significance.
He thanked member countries for their cooperation throughout the year and said the declaration reflected shared priorities and commitments.
A fact sheet released alongside the declaration outlines more than 50 practical outcomes across the four pillars of India’s chairship: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
As part of the summit’s sustainability agenda, BRICS leaders participated in a joint tree-plantation initiative aligned with India’s call for environmental stewardship and climate action.
A commemorative postal stamp marking two decades of the BRICS journey was also released during the summit.
