The 17th BRICS Summit has strongly endorsed the inclusion of India and Brazil as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), highlighting the urgent need to make the global governance structure more democratic, representative, and effective.
In a joint declaration, the leaders of the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – reaffirmed their support for comprehensive reforms of the United Nations, with a special focus on the Security Council. The document underlined the necessity of enhancing the voice and representation of developing nations, particularly from the Global South, to ensure the Council is better equipped to tackle modern global challenges.
“We reiterate our support for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, to make it more democratic, representative, effective, and efficient,” the declaration read.
“We emphasise the need for greater representation of developing countries in the Council, including emerging economies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.”
The BRICS statement also reaffirmed support for the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, which outline the legitimate aspirations of African nations for permanent representation in global decision-making forums.
The BRICS nations condemned in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, and reiterated their zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. The declaration criticised the use of double standards in counter-terrorism efforts and emphasised the importance of state responsibility in addressing terrorist threats.
“We emphasise the primary responsibility of states in countering terrorist threats and call on all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law,” the leaders stated.
The summit also voiced concern over the rising use of unilateral tariffs and non-tariff barriers, widely interpreted as a veiled criticism of recent U.S. trade policies. The leaders warned that such actions undermine global trade, disrupt supply chains, and threaten economic stability.
In addition, BRICS leaders expressed deep concern over ongoing global conflicts and the growing polarisation of the international order. They reiterated their support for a peaceful resolution to conflicts, including the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, in line with international law and multilateral principles.
