PM Modi joins Brics leaders for family photo in Rio; calls for UN reform, zero tolerance on terror

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined fellow Brics leaders, partner nations, and outreach invitees for the traditional family photo at the 17th Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Hosted by Brazil from July 7 to 9, the summit brought together leaders from the original Brics members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — as well as newly inducted members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, marking a key moment of unity and strategic cooperation.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi participated in the summit held on July 6–7 and engaged in discussions focused on reforming global governance, amplifying the voice of the Global South, peace and security, multilateralism, development challenges, and the role of Artificial Intelligence.

The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the warm hospitality and successful organisation of the summit.

In his address to the inaugural session on “Reform of Global Governance and Peace and Security,” the Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to enhancing the voice of the Global South.

He noted that developing countries required greater support for sustainable development, especially in terms of access to climate finance and technology.

Highlighting that the global organisations of the 20th century could not deal with the challenges of the 21st century, he underscored the need for reforming them.

Calling for a multipolar and inclusive world order, PM Modi said that global governance institutions such as the UN Security Council, the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO must undergo urgent reform to reflect contemporary realities.

He thanked the leaders for highlighting the urgency of UN Security Council reform and adopting strong language on the issue in the Summit Declaration.

On Peace and Security, the Prime Minister underlined that terrorism was a grave threat facing humanity. In this context, he noted that the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 was not just an attack on India but an onslaught on all of humanity.

Calling for strong global action against terrorism, the Prime Minister emphasised that those funding, promoting, or providing safe havens to terrorists must be dealt with in the harshest terms.

He stressed that there should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism and thanked the BRICS leaders for condemning the Pahalgam terror attack in the strongest terms.

Calling upon the BricsS countries to strengthen the global fight against terrorism, he emphasised that there should be zero tolerance in dealing with the menace, as per the statement.

Further elaborating on the subject, the Prime Minister noted that conflicts, from West Asia to Europe, were a matter of deep concern. He added that India has always called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve such conflicts and was ready to contribute towards such efforts.

Addressing the session on “Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence,” the Prime Minister expressed that diversity and multipolarity were valued strengths of Brics.

He stated that at a time when the world order was under pressure and the global community was facing uncertainty and challenges, the relevance of BRICS was evident. He further added that BRICS could play an important role in shaping a multipolar world.

In this regard, he offered four suggestions: one, the BRICS New Development Bank must follow demand-driven principles and long-term sustainability for granting projects; two, the group consider setting up a Science and Research repository which could benefit global south countries; three, focus must be given to making the supply chain of critical minerals secure and resilient; and four, the group should work for responsible AI–while looking into the concerns of AI governance, it should also give equal importance to promoting innovation in the field, the statement said.

After the Leaders’ Session, the member countries adopted the ‘Rio de Janeiro Declaration’.

In the declaration, Brics leaders strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, as well as military strikes on Iran, stressing the importance of upholding international law, nuclear safeguards, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The grouping also formally inducted Indonesia as a full member and welcomed ten other nations - including Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, and Vietnam - as new partner countries, signalling a major expansion of the bloc’s outreach.

Despite a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, Brics reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism, sustainable development, and peaceful conflict resolution.

The leaders voiced concern over growing global polarisation and the diversion of funds from development to military spending. They stressed the need for a more inclusive and balanced international order that respects national sovereignty and promotes cooperation.

On the Middle East, the bloc condemned Israeli strikes on Gaza, the obstruction of aid, and called for an immediate ceasefire, Israeli military withdrawal, and a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.

They also backed efforts to stabilise Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan, and supported African Union-led peace missions.

Turning to Ukraine, the declaration acknowledged national positions, welcomed diplomatic initiatives like the African Peace Initiative, and urged a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

The summit also reinforced Brics’s stand on cyber and financial security. Leaders pledged deeper cooperation against cybercrime, terrorism financing, illicit financial flows, and corruption. They supported stronger legal instruments on cybercrime, disarmament, and prevention of outer space weaponisation.

In a strong endorsement of humanitarian principles, Brics leaders condemned attacks on civilians and aid workers, called for respect of international humanitarian law, and stressed accountability for violations. They marked the 25th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325 by reaffirming the role of women in peace and security processes.

As the group expands its global influence, the summit’s outcomes reflect Brics intention to position itself as a leading voice for the Global South—championing peace, development, and multipolarity in an increasingly divided world.

With inputs from agencies