BRICS’ 16th Summit: Inception of the Kazan Declaration
- Venkataraman Ramakrishnan
- Nov 15, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2024
Source: Current Affairs (https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/brics-summit-2023-expansion-and-strategic-outcomes/)
Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa along with Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, commonly known as BRICS+, concluded their 16th summit, which lasted 3 days, on 24 October 2024. It was hosted in Kazan, Russia, and has been named the ‘Kazan Declaration,’ which was adopted by the association during the course of the three days. While the overall theme was “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”, the leaders discussed cooperation in critical areas ranging from Ukraine to the Middle East and from financial innovation to working on preventing future pandemics.
The summit produced some monumental moments in the history of fin-tech innovation and bilateral ties. It presented a communique highlighting how member countries can facilitate trade by including a payment system as an alternative to the dollar. Overall, the forty three page communique was the biggest outcome of BRICS+’s annual summit. On the bilateral relations front, the summit marked the first step in reconvening dialogue between the two countries. Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, two leaders who have not formally met in five years, displayed hopes for an ambitious future in the Indo-China relationship after meeting at the BRICS summit's sidelines. Xi communicated hopes for enhanced communication, cooperation, and the management of differences between the two countries. Similarly, Modi wished to prioritize the maintenance of peace and stability in the frontier and build their relationship on the foundations of mutual trust, respect and sensitivity.
The ‘Kazan Declaration’ was an attempt to underscore the importance of solidarity among BRICS+ member states. All attending leaders pledged commitment to ensuring peace, fostering a fairer international order, and promoting sustainability development through their activities. The leaders reaffirmed their “commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, and consensus.”
Source: The Indian Express (https://indianexpress.com/article/india/modi-xi-bilateral-meet-india-china-relations-9636845/)
One of the main aims was to collaborate in addressing issues of international conflict and security. To begin with the conflict in Ukraine, BRICS+ recognised the efforts that have been taken thus far in mediating the war in the region and has also acknowledged the growing need for all actors and stakeholders involved to act in accordance with the Purposes and Principles enlisted in the charter of the United Nations. With regards to the Middle East, the organisation reiterated its worry at the worsening of the humanitarian crisis and the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank due to Israeli occupation. It noted grave concern for the damage to infrastructure and the loss and displacement of civilian lives. Leaders also noted concern over the situation in Lebanon by condemning the loss of many lives and also called for an immediate end to any form of military act in the Lebanon region. It is worth noting that while the leaders urged for a ceasefire in Lebanon, they did not call for one in Gaza.
The group also expressed worry over the disruption havocked by economic sanctions, especially unilateral sanctions imposed by the West on Russia for its actions in Ukraine, which were deeply illegal in nature, and their effect on hampering trade, the economy, and achieving sustainable development. BRICS+ also highlighted the growing need to reform the existing international financial system and formulate a new one more equipped to meet financial challenges by including a global economic governance mechanism and making the system more equitable, inclusive, and just.
On other global institutions, the summit committed to maintaining an effective Global Financial Safety Net with an adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF). The summit also noted the critical nature of the constructive functioning of the G20 and recognised its focus on outcomes that bear fruit. The BRICS+ also supported initiatives of the BRICS R&D Vaccine Centre and encouraged the development of the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System that would prevent mass infectious risk diseases.
India is a founding member of BRICS+ and has reaped many benefits from being part of the organisation. It has been able to dictate how the organisation takes shape, inform the policies adopted by the organisation and, most importantly, ensure that the organisation’s goals align with its own goals. “We call for the reform of the Bretton Woods institutions, which includes increased representation of emerging markets and developing countries (EMDC) in leadership positions to reflect the contribution of the EMDC’s to the global economy.” This quote from the Kazan declaration is a testament to the fact that India has been able to prioritise its interests, such as promoting the Global South in multilateral institutions worldwide. Despite facing a few challenges on fronts, like the BRICS+ being overly China-centric or facing pushback from Russia, India has made great strides through BRICS+, and undoubtedly, the biggest one is the thawing of Indo-China ties during the 16th Summit of the institution.
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