PM Modi Addresses BRICS Summit, Calls for Global South Leadership and Resilience

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for a “new and ambitious agenda” for BRICS for the next 20 years, urging the grouping to translate its unity and consensus into concrete outcomes while giving the Global South a greater role in shaping global governance. Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit Session: “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening” at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, PM Modi said India’s BRICS Chairship had placed people and the Global South at the centre of its agenda, with a focus on practical and actionable solutions in areas including food, energy and supply chain security. The Prime Minister also underlined the need to strengthen BRICS’ institutional mechanisms, reform global governance structures and ensure that countries of the Global South move from being “rule-takers” to “rule-shapers” in determining the rules that will govern emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cyberspace, outer space and biotechnology. India’s BRICS Chairship has been guided by a people-centric and “Humanity First” approach, with resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability forming the core priorities of its agenda. Highlighting the scale of India’s engagement during its Chairship, PM Modi said the year-long programme sought to bring BRICS cooperation closer to people and address issues of direct relevance to developing countries. “With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams in nearly 30 cities across India. I sincerely thank each one of you for your active contribution and support in making India’s BRICS Chairship a success,” PM Modi said. The approach, he said, was aimed at making BRICS cooperation more people-oriented while developing collective responses to challenges confronting the developing world. Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of BRICS, PM Modi described the occasion as a historic milestone, saying the grouping had entered a new phase marked by greater maturity, responsibility and ambition. “This year’s BRICS Summit marks a historic milestone. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of BRICS. In human life, the age of twenty marks the beginning of a new phase of maturity and responsibility. It is a stage when dreams are accompanied by responsibilities, and capabilities are channelled in new directions,” said PM Narendra Modi. He said the evolution of BRICS over the past two decades had established the grouping as a distinct voice on the global stage, while its consensus-based approach allowed members with diverse perspectives to work together. “Today, BRICS too stands at a ‘coming of age’ moment. Over the past twenty years, BRICS has established a distinct identity for itself on the global stage. We respect each other’s perspectives and move forward through consensus. We strive to move ahead with an approach that is not against anyone but instead seeks to take everyone along,” said PM Modi. Calling for a shift from consensus-building to measurable implementation, PM Modi said BRICS must now ensure that its decisions translate into tangible outcomes on the global stage. He said the grouping must also strengthen its internal working mechanisms so that the annual rotation of the Chairship does not disrupt institutional continuity or slow the implementation of decisions. PM said that it is now time for us to translate our unity and consensus within BRICS into concrete outcomes on the global stage. “For the next twenty years, we must work on a new and ambitious agenda. We must begin by strengthening our own working systems,” he said. Proposing a mechanism to ensure continuity between successive Chairships, PM Modi said: “The BRICS Chairship changes every year, but this should not interrupt our institutional momentum. I propose the establishment of a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism. Through the Troika, this mechanism will ensure systematic follow-up on all initiatives and outcomes. We can create a secure digital repository in which, for every decision, the nodal point, timeline, and implementation status can be recorded,” PM Modi said. Turning to the broader question of global governance, PM Modi called for a fundamental transformation of the existing international system to give the Global South a stronger and more meaningful voice in global decision-making. He said BRICS must not limit itself to strengthening cooperation among its members but should also contribute to reshaping global institutions so that representation better reflects present-day realities. “The Global South is today 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”, where every country has a voice, every member has a stake, and the advancement of humanity remains at the heart of every endeavour,” PM Modi said. Calling for a structured approach to global governance reform, he proposed the preparation of a roadmap that could guide BRICS’ collective efforts in the coming years. “With this objective, I propose that we work together to formulate ten proposals for global governance reform, which we could seek to develop into a BRICS Reform Roadmap by the next Summit,” he added. PM Modi said the proposed reform roadmap should focus on three critical areas — representation, responsiveness and rule-making — to make global institutions more inclusive, effective and representative of contemporary realities. On representation, he called for reforms in key global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, and stressed the need for negotiations to move towards clearly defined timelines and concrete outcomes. He also said that global financial institutions must reflect the changing balance of the world economy. “Similarly, in financial institutions, voting power, leadership positions, and policy priorities should reflect today’s economic realities.