BRICS New Delhi Declaration: what the 18th summit means for the Global South
Leaders meeting in New Delhi adopted a 140-paragraph declaration calling for reform of global institutions, opposing unilateral tariffs and backing local-currency trade.
BRICS leaders wrapped up their 18th summit in New Delhi in September with a unanimous declaration that puts the concerns of developing countries at the centre of the bloc’s agenda. The summit, held on September 12–13 at Bharat Mandapam under India’s chairship, ran under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
The bloc now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE, with ten partner countries including Malaysia, Nigeria, Kazakhstan and Vietnam also taking part.
Key points of the declaration
- Reforming global governance: a call for a more representative multilateral system and UN reform, giving developing countries a greater voice.
- Trade: criticism of unilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures, and support for a WTO-centred trading system.
- Finance: backing for payment interoperability and local-currency settlement, and encouragement for the New Development Bank to expand local-currency lending. The declaration does not create a common BRICS currency.
- Energy and climate: support for an orderly and equitable energy transition and the Paris Agreement, while acknowledging a continued role for fossil fuels in emerging economies.
- Technology and food: cooperation on AI, digital public infrastructure and quantum technology, and further work on a proposed BRICS Grain Exchange.
Consensus in a difficult year
The summit took place against the backdrop of conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, high energy prices and trade tensions. A BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in May had ended without a joint communiqué, making the leaders’ agreement on a 140-paragraph text a notable step. Members agreed that China will host the 19th summit in 2027.
For the wider Global South, the outcome signals continued momentum behind practical measures — cheaper cross-border payments, development lending in local currencies and a louder collective voice in global institutions — rather than dramatic breaks with the existing system.
Sources: Wikipedia: 18th BRICS summit · Drishti IAS
