The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan marked a turning point for the organization, and this will become apparent with time.
The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan demonstrated a significant shift in the organization’s trajectory, suggesting a serious attempt to reshape the global order. This summit, held amidst heightened tensions between the West and the rest of the world, presented a blueprint for reforming international governance to reflect the aspirations of the Global South.
BRICS has provided an alternative platform for new members and partner countries to address critical issues such as debt relief, climate finance, and sustainable development, areas where Western institutions like the World Bank and the IMF have not delivered the expected results.
The addition of Algeria, Uganda, and Nigeria as partner countries signifies the growing recognition of Africa’s global influence. Bolivia and Cuba in Latin America have also moved towards greater cooperation with BRICS. The inclusion of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam as partners will facilitate closer ties between BRICS and ASEAN, a trend likely to expand as over 30 countries seek to join the organization in various capacities.
The summit culminated in the adoption of the Kazan Declaration, an ambitious document outlining a shared vision for a fairer world order. The declaration underscores commitment to multilateralism and calls for reforming global governance institutions to better represent emerging and developing countries, specifically targeting the UN, IMF, and World Bank, which have been dominated by Western powers for a long time.
India, along with other founding members, played a key role in drafting the Kazan Declaration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for a ‘people-centred BRICS’ and emphasized the need for accelerating global governance reforms.
While the Kazan Summit represents a significant step towards a multipolar world order, the success of this endeavor hinges on the ability of the expanded BRICS to maintain cohesion and coherence, considering the competing interests that new members and partner countries may bring to the table. The BRICS states must also remain vigilant regarding the West’s reaction to the organization’s expansion, as the West has criticized and ridiculed the expansion of the association and dismissed the Kazan forum as insignificant.
Moving forward, BRICS leaders must ensure that the association does not become a platform for anti-Western positioning, but rather a forum for promoting a non-Western perspective in global politics.
This article was first published by the newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team.