New Delhi: The Global South must become a “rule shaper” and the existing “pyramid of privilege” in global governance must give way to a “platform of partnership”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday at the BRICS Summit where India secured a consensus joint declaration despite sharp differences between the UAE and Iran over the West Asia conflict.
In his opening address at the two-day India-hosted summit, Modi also proposed a 10-point roadmap for global governance reform under the BRICS framework and advocated for a ‘Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network’ to safeguard sailors facing heightened risks from ongoing global and regional crises.
The summit, attended by a galaxy of world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, assumed greater significance as it unfolded against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical headwinds driven by the Russia-Ukraine war, West Asia instability and new US tariff policies.
BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.
As the BRICS chair, India has placed the Global South at the heart of its agenda by seeking actionable solutions for food, energy and supply chain security primarily to insulate developing nations from the economic consequences of conflicts.
“The current structure of global governance resembles a pyramid: power and decision-making are concentrated at the top, while the lower tiers consist of nations that are affected by these decisions but unable to shape them,” Modi said.
“Today, the Global South stands in the front row of global crises but in the back row of decision-making. We must transform this ‘pyramid of privilege’ into a ‘platform of partnership’ — one where every nation has a voice, every member has a stake, and the development of humanity lies at the heart of every effort,” he said.
To this end, the prime minister proposed that BRICS jointly formulate a 10-point roadmap for global governance reform under the broader framework of the grouping’s reform roadmap. Modi said the roadmap should be finalised by the time of the next summit.
“In formulating this roadmap, we must focus on three key aspects: representation, responsiveness, and rule-making.
In his address, Chinese President Xi hailed the BRICS bloc as the world’s most influential platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries and called on the grouping to play its “due role” in bringing peace in West Asia.
Russian President Putin too underlined the need for united efforts by BRICS to confront major challenges.
As the leaders concluded the first day’s deliberations, Modi announced the New Delhi BRICS declaration, which was adopted unanimously.
The declaration is seen as a major diplomatic victory for India as sharp differences between the United Arab Emirates and Tehran regarding the West Asia conflict had triggered apprehensions about adoption of the document as BRICS is a consensus-based bloc.
The declaration skipped making any direct mention of the US strikes on Iran or Iranian military’s attacks on several Gulf Arab nations. It also did not criticise Russia’s war on Ukraine but was severely critical of Israel for continuing violence in Gaza and called for fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
BRICS, without naming the US, also voiced serious concerns over the proliferation of “trade-restrictive actions” such as “indiscriminate” tariffs and non-tariff measures as well as protectionism, saying they threatened to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities.
The grouping came out against “unilateral sanctions” and “coercive measures” that are contrary to international law, in what is seen as a veiled criticism of Western economic sanctions on Russia.
The BRICS leaders appeared to endorse New Delhi’s position to end the West Asia conflict through “dialogue and diplomacy” and stressed the need to work together to maintain a smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, in accordance with “applicable” international law.
The grouping also fully backed India’s call for zero tolerance towards any form of terrorism and shunning double standards in countering the menace as the top leaders of the influential grouping agreed to have a concerted approach in dealing with the challenge.
It condemned in the “strongest terms” the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir last year that killed 26 people.
In his remarks, the prime minister also highlighted the critical role being played by the seafarers community in the flow of global trade and said their safety should be a matter of priority.
“Seafarers make a massive contribution to global trade, yet they often find themselves lacking support during difficult times. I propose that we establish a ‘Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network’,” he said.
“This would connect the maritime authorities and diplomatic missions of relevant countries, facilitating assistance with distress alerts, medical aid, family notifications, and evacuations,” he said.
After the West Asia conflict began in February, India has been critical of Iranian attacks on merchant vessels near the Strait of Hormuz that have killed and injured Indian seafarers. Ten Indian seafarers are among the 16 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict.
In the declaration, BRICS also pressed for reform of the United Nations and even favoured having a woman as the UN Secretary General.
In the evening, PM Modi hosted a dinner reception for the BRICS leaders. On the margins of the summit, Modi held a series of bilateral meetings including with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In the meeting with Xi, Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remain essential for the development of India-China relations.
The two leaders reaffirmed that both countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective on their ties and that differences should not become disputes.
