BRICS powers align on bold joint statement for Rio summit in show of unity, consensus

Diplomats from the BRICS countries have reportedly agreed to a common declaration to be tabled at the Rio de Janeiro leaders’ summit in a sign of unity and consensus among the diverse group.

News agency Reuters reported that the breakthrough came after a similar attempt fell flat in April during the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers.

The agreement on a common declaration is a major step, especially as world powers get divided on various global issues and the group becomes more diverse with new members coming in.

For instance, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates last year joined the five initial members of the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

More from World

Brics Rio summit: A double espresso shot for big effort ahead With cross-border payment system, can Brics countries take on the US dollar?

To bridge internal divides, BRICS members reportedly agreed to back Brazil and India for permanent seats on a reformed UN Security Council.

However, the question of Africa’s representation remains unresolved, with no member endorsed to champion the continent’s interests.

Sources also indicate that BRICS is poised to take a firmer stance on issues of West Asia, moving beyond vague expressions of concern to more precise language in its final communique.

On the economic front, the group is expected to continue criticising protectionist trade policies, particularly the US tariffs introduced under President Donald Trump.

In April, BRICS ministers condemned “unjustified unilateral protectionist actions,” a sentiment likely to be reiterated at this week’s summit.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Stark contrast with G7

This cohesion within BRICS stands in stark contrast to the recent G7 summit in Canada, where Western unity on supporting Ukraine against Russia seemingly collapsed .

The G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta, ended on June 17 without a joint statement condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine, now over three years old.

Efforts to push for peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin have stalled, despite unprecedented sanctions. Notably, Trump, who took office earlier this year, refused to sign a declaration with strong language against Russia’s invasion and has neither imposed new sanctions nor committed more than $50 million in additional weapons aid to Ukraine.