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 BRICS logo during the 2024 Russian chairmanship | |
 Map key:
Member states
Prospective member states | |
| Named after | Founder member states' initials (in English) BRIC (economic term) |
|---|---|
| Formation |
|
| Founded at | |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Purpose | Political and economical |
| Fields | International politics |
Membership | Member states
|
Official languages | English, Arabic, Amharic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese |
| Funding | Member states |
Formerly called | BRIC |
BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising nine countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS was originally identified to highlight investment opportunities.[3] The grouping evolved into a geopolitical bloc, with their governments meeting annually at formal summits and coordinating multilateral policies since 2009.[4] Relations among BRICS are conducted mainly based on non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit.[5]
The founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China held the first leaders summit in Russia in 2009 under the name BRIC. Following a renaming of the organization, South Africa attended its first summit as a member in 2011 after joining the group in 2010.[6][7] Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates attended their first summit as member states at the 2024 summit in Russia. Saudi Arabia has not responded to an invitation to join BRICS, and is still considering joining.[8][9][10][3]
Combined, the BRICS members encompass about 30% of the world's land surface and 45% of world population.[11] South Africa has the largest economy in Africa whereas Brazil, India, and China are among the world's ten largest countries by population, area, and gross domestic product (GDP, nominal and PPP). All five initial member states are members of the G20, with a combined nominal GDP of US$28 trillion (about 27% of the gross world product), a total GDP (PPP) of around US$65 trillion (35% of global GDP PPP), and an estimated US$5.2 trillion in combined foreign reserves (as of 2024).[12][13]
The BRICS countries are considered the alternative to Western dominated institutions led by nations of the G7 bloc[15] comprising some of the leading developing economies. Together they have implemented competing initiatives such as the New Development Bank, the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement, the BRICS pay, the BRICS Joint Statistical Publication[16] and the BRICS basket reserve currency.[17]
BRICS has received both praise and criticism from numerous commentators.[18][19][20][21][22]
The term BRIC was originally developed in the context of foreign investment strategies. It was introduced in the 2001 publication, Building Better Global Economic BRICs by Jim O'Neill, then head of global economics research at Goldman Sachs and later Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.[23][24][25]
The foreign ministers of the initial four BRIC General states (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) met in New York City in September 2006 at the margins of the General Debate of the UN Assembly, beginning a series of high-level meetings.[26] A full-scale diplomatic meeting was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009.[27]
The BRIC grouping's 1st formal summit, also held in Yekaterinburg, commenced on 16 June 2009,[28] with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dmitry Medvedev, Manmohan Singh, and Hu Jintao, the respective leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, all attending.[29] The summit's focus was on improving the global economic situation and reforming financial institutions, and discussed how the four countries could better co-operate in the future.[28][29] There was further discussion of ways that developing countries, such as 3/4 of the BRIC members, could become more involved in global affairs.[29]
In the aftermath of the 2009 Yekaterinburg summit, the BRIC nations announced the need for a new global reserve currency, which would have to be "diverse, stable and predictable."[30] Although the statement that was released did not directly criticize the perceived "dominance" of the US dollar – something that Russia had criticized in the past – it did spark a fall in the value of the dollar against other major currencies.[31]
In 2010, South Africa began efforts to join the BRIC grouping, and the process for its formal admission began in August of that year.[32] South Africa officially became a member nation on 24 December 2010, after being formally invited by China to join[33] and was subsequently accepted by other BRIC countries.[32] The group was renamed BRICS –with the "S" standing for South Africa– to reflect the group's expanded membership.[34] In April 2011, the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, attended the 2011 BRICS summit in Sanya, China as a full member.[35][36][37]
In June 2012, the BRICS nations pledged $75 billion to boost the lending power of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, this loan was conditional on IMF voting reforms.[which?][38] In March 2013, during the fifth BRICS summit in Durban, the member countries agreed to create a global financial institution to cooperate with the western-dominated IMF and World Bank.[39] They planned to set up this New Development Bank by 2014.[40]
At the BRICS leaders meeting in St Petersburg in September 2013, China committed $41 billion towards the pool; Brazil, India, and Russia $18 billion each; and South Africa $5 billion. China, which held the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and contributed the bulk of the currency pool, wanted a more significant managing role. China also wanted to be the location of the reserve.[41] In October 2013, Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that creating a $100 billion in funds designated to steady currency markets would be taken in early 2014. The Brazilian finance minister, Guido Mantega, confirmed that the fund would be created by March 2014.[42] However, by April 2014, the currency reserve pool and development bank had yet to be set up, and the date was rescheduled to 2015.[43]
In July 2014, during the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza, the BRICS members signed a document to create the US$100 billion New Development Bank (formerly known as the "BRICS Development Bank") and a reserve currency pool worth over another US$100 billion. Documents on cooperation between BRICS export credit agencies and an agreement of cooperation on innovation were also signed.[citation needed] The Fortaleza summit was followed by a BRICS meeting with the Union of South American Nations presidents in Brasilia.[44]
Since 2011, the National Institutes of Statistics of the BRICS group of countries (IBGE, Rosstat, the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the Central Statistics Office (India) and Statistics South Africa) produce an annual joint statistical publication to put statistical production in perspective, compare adopted methodologies and statistical results. The publication serves as a single data platform for the mutual benefit of participating countries.
Since 2012, the BRICS group of countries has been planning an optical fiber submarine communications cable system to carry telecommunications between the BRICS countries, known as the BRICS Cable.[45] Part of the motivation for the project was the spying of the U.S. National Security Agency on all telecommunications that flowed in and out of United States territory.[46] As of 2023, construction of the proposed cable network had not started.[citation needed]
In August 2019, the communications ministers of the BRICS countries signed a letter of intent to cooperate in the Information and Communication Technology sector. This agreement was signed in the fifth edition of the meeting of communication ministers of countries member of the group[47] held in Brasília, Brazil.
The New Development Bank plans on giving out $15 billion to member states to help their struggling economies. Member countries are hoping for a smooth comeback and a continuation of economic trade pre-COVID-19. The 2020 BRICS summit was held virtually in St. Petersburg, Russia, and discussed how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and how to fix the multilateral system via reforms.[48] During the 13th BRICS summit, in 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a transparent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 under the World Health Organization with the full cooperation of "all countries", and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke directly afterwards, calling on BRICS countries to "oppose politicisation" of the process.[49]
In May 2023, South Africa announced that they would be giving diplomatic immunity to Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials so that they could attend the 15th BRICS Summit despite the ICC arrest warrant for Putin.[50][51] In July 2023, the Russian president announced that he will not personally attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on 22–24 August despite good relations with the South African government. Russian news channels noted that Putin will remotely participate online in all BRICS leaders' sessions, including its Business Forum, and also deliver his remarks virtually.[52]
In August 2023, at the 15th BRICS Summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that 6 emerging market group countries (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) had been invited to join the bloc. Full membership was scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2024.[53][54][55] However, the Argentine general election in November 2023 led to a change in president to Javier Milei, who had committed to withdraw the country's membership application.[56] On 30 November 2023, incoming Foreign Minister of Argentina Diana Mondino confirmed that Argentina would not join the BRICS.[57] On 29 December 2023 the Government of Argentina sent a letter to all BRICS leaders to officially announce its withdrawal from the application process.[58]
Saudi Arabia did not join BRICS at the start of 2024 as had been planned, and they announced in mid-January that they were still considering the matter.[59] As of April 2024, the matter is still under consideration.[60] The organizers touted the expansion as part of a plan to build a competing multipolar world order that uses Global South countries to challenge and compete against the western-dominated world order.[61] China Daily used the expansion to claim that more developing countries were interested in joining BRICS.[62][63][64]
On 24 October 2024, an additional 13 countries, namely Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, were invited to participate as partner countries. No membership invitations were extended.
The grouping has held annual summits since 2009, with member countries taking turns to host. Before South Africa's admission, two BRIC summits were held, in 2009 and 2010. The first five-member BRICS summit was held in 2011 in China. The first nine-member BRICS summit was held in 2024 in Russia. The 2020, 2021, and 2022 summits were held via video-conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| No. | Dates | Host country | Host leader | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 16 June 2009 |  Russia |
Dmitry Medvedev | Yekaterinburg (Sevastianov's House) | The summit was to discuss the global recession taking place at the time, future cooperation among states, and trade. Some of the specific topics discussed were food, trade, climate trade, and security for the members. They called out for a more influential voice and representation for up-and-coming markets. Note at the time South Africa was not yet admitted to the BRICS organization.[65] |
| 2nd | 15 April 2010 |  Brazil |
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | Brasília (Itamaraty Palace) | Guests: Jacob Zuma (President of South Africa) and Riyad al-Maliki (Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority). The second summit continued on the conversation of the global recession and how to recover. They had a conversation on the IMF, climate change, and more ways to form cooperation among states.[65] |
| 3rd | 14 April 2011 |  China |
Hu Jintao | Sanya (Sheraton Sanya Resort) | First summit to include South Africa alongside the original BRIC countries. The third summit had members debating on the global and internal economies of countries.[65] |
| 4th | 29 March 2012 |  India |
Manmohan Singh | New Delhi (Taj Mahal Hotel) | The BRICS Cable announced an optical fibre submarine communications cable system that carries telecommunications between the BRICS countries. The fourth summit discussed how the organization could prosper from the global recession and how they could take advantage of that to help their economies. BRICS had the intention of improving their global power and providing adequate development for their state.[66] |
| 5th | 26–27 March 2013 |  South Africa |
Jacob Zuma | Durban (Durban ICC) | The fifth summit discusses the New Development Bank proposition and Contingent Reserve Agreement. BRICS also announced the Business Council and its Think Tank Council.[66] |
| 6th | 14–17 July 2014 | Brazil |
Dilma Rousseff | Fortaleza (Centro de Eventos do Ceará)[67] | BRICS New Development Bank and BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement agreements signed.[68] The members of BRICS conversed with each other about political coordination, development, and economic growth. They established the Fortaleza Declaration and Action Plan.[65] |
| 7th | 8–9 July 2015 | Russia |
Vladimir Putin | Ufa (Congress Hall)[69] | Joint summit with SCO-EAEU. The seventh summit discussed global political and economic problems and better ways to foster cooperation among member states.[65] |
| 8th | 15–16 October 2016 | India |
Narendra Modi | Benaulim (Taj Exotica) | Joint summit with BIMSTEC. The eighth BRICS summit debated on topics like counterterrorism, economies, and climate change. BRICS also issued the Goa Declaration and Action Plan, hoping to harden their relationships.[65] |
| 9th | 3–5 September 2017 | China |
Xi Jinping | Xiamen (Xiamen International Conference Center) | Joint summit with EMDCD. The ninth summit was an event that talked about a bright future for BRICS and what their intended goals were. They alsocovered and debated international and regional issues with one another.[65] |
| 10th | 25–27 July 2018 | South Africa |
Cyril Ramaphosa | Johannesburg (Sandton Convention Centre) | The tenth summit had the members discuss their rising industries in the hopes that they can cut a bigger slice of the industry market. |
| 11th | 13–14 November 2019 | Brazil |
Jair Bolsonaro | Brasília (Itamaraty Palace)[70] | The theme of the 11th BRICS summit was "BRICS: economic growth for an innovative Future". The summit discussed advancements in the BRICS's science and innovation fields. Primarily trying to advance technology and digital currency. They made mutual agreements to help stop drug trafficking and organized crime; both internationally and internally. |
| 12th | 21–23 July 2020 (postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic)[71] 17 November 2020 (video conference)[72] |
Russia |
Vladimir Putin | Saint Petersburg[73] | Joint summit with SCO. Discussing a mutual agreement on helping BRICS member countries to foster better living standards and quality of life for each country's people. Plans on focusing on peace, economies, and cultural societal issues.[74] |
| 13th | 9 September 2021 (video conference) | India |
Narendra Modi | New Delhi | BRICS Games 2021[75] |
| 14th | 23 June 2022 (video conference) | China |
Xi Jinping | Beijing | A major development on the summit was the creation of a new, basket type reserve currency. The currency, which is challenging the US dollar, combines BRICS currencies and is backed by precious metals. |
| 15th | 22–24 August 2023 | South Africa |
Cyril Ramaphosa | Johannesburg (Sandton Convention Centre) | Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were invited to join the bloc. Full membership was scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2024.[54][55] On December 29, 2023, the Government of Argentina sent a letter to all BRICS leaders officially declining the invitation to join the bloc.[58] Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed its acceptance.[76] |
| 16th | 22–24 October 2024 | Russia |
Vladimir Putin | Kazan (Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre) | [77] |
| 17th | TBD 2025 | Brazil |
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | TBD | [78] |
| Flag | Country |
Capital |
Area (km2) |
Population (2024) |
Nominal GDP (USD million)[79] | PPP GDP (Int$ million)[79] | Nominal GDP per capita ($)[79] | PPP GDP per capita (Int$)[79] | HDI[80] | Currency |
Official languages | Leaders | Accession |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Brazil Federative Republic of Brazil |
Brasília | 8,515,767 | 210,306,415 | 2,331,391 | 4,273,668 | 11,352 | 20,809 | 0.760 | Brazilian real (R$) (BRL) |
Portuguese also see Languages of Brazil |
Head of State and Government: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | September 2006 |
 |
Russia Russian Federation |
Moscow | 17,075,400 | 145,579,899 | 2,056,844 | 5,472,880 | 14,391 | 38,292 | 0.821 | Russian rouble (₽) (RUB) |
Russian also see Languages of Russia |
Head of State: Vladimir Putin Head of Government: Mikhail Mishustin |
September 2006 |
 |
India Republic of India |
New Delhi | 3,287,240 | 1,425,423,212 | 3,937,011 | 14,594,460 | 2,731 | 10,123 | 0.644 | Indian rupee (₹) (INR) |
Hindi (Devanagari script) English Also see Languages of India |
Head of State: Droupadi Murmu Head of Government: Narendra Modi |
September 2006 |
 |
China[b] People's Republic of China |
Beijing | 9,640,011[c] | 1,425,179,569 | 18,532,633 | 35,291,015 | 13,136 | 25,015 | 0.788 | Renminbi (Chinese yuan, ¥) (CNY) |
Standard Chinese[81] written in simplified characters[81] see also languages of China |
Paramount leader[d] and State Representative:[e] Xi Jinping Head of Government: Li Qiang |
September 2006 |
 |
South Africa Republic of South Africa |
Pretoria (executive) Cape Town (legislative) Bloemfontein (judicial) |
1,221,037 | 62,378,410 | 373,233 | 1,025,930 | 5,975 | 16,424 | 0.717 | South African rand (R) (ZAR) |
12 languages | Head of State and Government: Cyril Ramaphosa | 24 December 2010 |
 |
Egypt Arab Republic of Egypt |
Cairo | 1,010,408 | 112,618,250 | 347,594 | 1,898,538 | 3,225 | 17,614 | 0.728 | Egyptian pound (LE) (EGP) |
Arabic | Head of State: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Head of Government: Moustafa Madbouly |
1 January 2024 |
 |
Ethiopia Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |
Addis Ababa | 1,104,300 | 125,384,287 | 205,130 | 431,688 | 1,910 | 4,019 | 0.492 | Ethiopian birr (BR) (ETB) |
Afar Amharic Oromo Somali Tigrinya |
Head of State: Sahle-Work Zewde Head of Government: Abiy Ahmed |
1 January 2024 |
 |
Iran Islamic Republic of Iran |
Tehran | 1,648,195 | 89,524,246 | 464,181 | 1,854,845 | 5,310 | 21,219 | 0.780 | Iranian rial (Rl) (IRR) |
Persian | Head of State: Ali Khamenei Head of Government: Masoud Pezeshkian |
1 January 2024 |
 |
United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | 83,600 | 4,106,427 | 527,796 | 948,045 | 53,916 | 96,845 | 0.911 | UAE dirham (AED) | Arabic | Head of State: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Head of Government: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
1 January 2024 |
While there is currently no formal application process to join BRICS, any hopeful government must receive the unanimous backing of all member states to receive an invitation. It was not until the early 2020s that discussions regarding allowing new states to join the club were widely held. Leaders and senior diplomats from the participating members began to discuss the prospect of adding additional members to the organization at that point.[82][83][84]
In August 2023, at the 15th BRICS Summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates had been invited to join the organization on 1 January 2024.[54][55]
On 30 December 2023, the new government of Argentina, which formally applied for BRICS membership under Alberto Fernández's government in 2022, officially declined the offer to join the bloc due to the new government's different foreign policy.[57][85]
On 1 January 2024, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran officially joined the bloc.
On 2 September 2024, Turkey officially applied to join the bloc.[86] At the same time, Turkey has been a NATO member since 18 February 1952 and is also a European Union candidate country.[87] Turkey's EU membership process started on 3 October 2005 but was frozen on 13 March 2019.[88] In September 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that his country would apply for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.[89] On 11 July 2024, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in a statement to the U.S. Newsweek magazine that they did not consider Turkey's membership in NATO as an alternative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.[90]
Algeria previously applied for membership in 2023,[91] but later rejected it in September 2024, making Algeria the second country after Argentina to decline and stop its application.[92]
Following the 2024 BRICS summit, Brazil blocked Venezuela's application to the bloc, largely due to the disputed 2024 Venezuelan elections and the Venezuelan crisis. The country in response recalled its ambassador from Brazil.[93]
The following countries have either expressed interest in joining BRICS or have already applied for membership:[citation needed]
|
Africa |
Americas |
Asia |
Europe |
1 - Officially applied for membership
2 - Officially invited to join as Member State, but have yet to make a formal decision
3 - Officially invited to join as Partner State[143]
The financial architecture of BRICS is made of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). These components were signed into a treaty in 2014 and became active in 2015.
The New Development Bank (NDB), formally referred to as the BRICS Development Bank,[144] is a multilateral development bank operated by the five BRICS states. The bank's primary focus of lending is infrastructure projects[145][146] with authorized lending of up to $34 billion annually.[146] South Africa hosts the African headquarters of the bank.[147] The bank has a starting capital of $50 billion, with wealth increased to $100 billion over time.[148] Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa initially contributed $10 billion each to bring the total to $50 billion.[147][148] As of 2020, it had 53 projects underway worth around $15 billion.[149]
In 2021, Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay joined the NDB.[150]
The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for protecting against global liquidity pressures.[145][148][151] This includes currency issues where members' national currencies are being adversely affected by global financial pressures.[145][151] Emerging economies that experienced rapid economic liberalization went through increased economic volatility, bringing an uncertain macroeconomic environment.[152] The CRA competes with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Along with the New Development Bank, it is an example of increasing South-South cooperation.[145] It was established in 2015 by the BRICS countries. The legal basis is formed by the Treaty for the Establishment of a BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement, signed in Fortaleza in July 2014. With its inaugural meetings of the BRICS CRA Governing Council and Standing Committee, held on 4 September 2015, in Ankara, Turkey[153] It entered into force upon ratification by all BRICS states, announced at the 7th BRICS summit in July 2015.
At the 2015 BRICS summit in Russia, ministers from the BRICS states initiated consultations for a payment system that would be an alternative to the SWIFT system. The stated goal was to initially move to settlements in national currencies.[154] The Central Bank of Russia highlighted the main benefits as backup and redundancy in case there were disruptions to the SWIFT system.[155]
China also launched its alternative to SWIFT: the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, which enables financial institutions worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions.[156] India also has its alternative Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS), as do Russia SPFS and Brazil Pix.[citation needed]
BRICS countries committed to study the feasibility of a new common currency or similar, at the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa.[157][158][159] Fair and easier international trade as well as a major reduction in costs of transactions would be some of the reasons why the countries could forge a currency union.[160]
In 2012, Hu Jintao, the then General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China, described the BRICS countries as defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace.[161] Western analysts have highlighted potential divisions and weaknesses in the grouping, including significant economic instabilities,[162][163][164][165] disagreements among the members over UN Security Council reform,[166] and India and China's disputes[167] over territorial issues.[168]
On 9 April 2013, Isobel Coleman, director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Program at the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations, and later U.S. representative to the UN, claimed that the BRICS members share a lack of consensus. They uphold drastically different political systems, from vibrant liberal democracies in Brazil and South Africa to entrenched oligarchy in Russia, and their economies are poorly integrated and differ in size by orders of magnitude. She also claimed that the significant difference in GDP influences the reserves: China accounts for over 41% of the contribution, which in turn leads to its bigger political say within the association.[169]
A multi-year study at Tufts University published in July 2023 found that the "common portrayal of BRICS as a China-dominated group primarily pursuing anti-U.S. agendas" was misplaced. The study asserted: "The BRICS countries connect around common development interests and a quest for a multipolar world order in which no single power dominates. Yet BRICS consolidation has turned the group into a potent negotiation force that now challenges Washington's geopolitical and economic goals".[170]
After the August 2023 BRICS Summit, Con Coughlin—defense and foreign affairs editor at The Daily Telegraph—claimed "the challenge BRICS presents to the established world order seems destined to failure" and accused the organization of being used by China as a vehicle for expanding its global influence. Coughlin also noted the contradictions within the organization, such as the border dispute between China and India, and called for greater Western engagement with India as part of a new strategic alliance.[22]
According to the Atlantic Council's Thomas Hill in December 2023, the de-dollarization efforts within BRICS, particularly in North Africa, present a significant challenge to US interests. The inclusion of Egypt and the enthusiasm in Algiers and Tunis suggest that North African states may actively support BRICS's priority of de-dollarization. This poses a threat to the US, as a coordinated de-dollarization effort in the region could diminish American influence and impact existing trade agreements. The expansion of BRICS raises concerns for US policymakers, given the group's commitment to global de-dollarization, which aims to replace the dollar with the "R5" or "the renminbi, ruble, rupee, real, and rand", or with other multilateral central bank digital currency (CBDC) as the new global currency. This shift could limit the US's ability to run deficits and maintain low interest rates. Moreover, de-dollarization would undermine the effectiveness of US sanctions, relying on the SWIFT system, as BRICS seeks alternative financial systems, potentially making SWIFT obsolete.[171] BBC assesses BRICS' US dollar reliance decrease projects as "likely aren’t viable, because many member states’ economies cannot afford to wean themselves off of it."[172]
In 2014, the Indian Marxist author Vijay Prashad raised the limitations of the BRICS as a political and economic "locomotive of the South" because they follow neoliberal policies. They have neither established new counter-balancing institutions nor come up with an alternative ideology. Furthermore, the BRICS project, argues Prashad, cannot challenge the primacy of the United States and NATO.[173]
According to a Gallup International poll conducted between October and December 2023, almost a third of people around the world had never heard of BRICS but Western countries were much more negative towards the alliance than elsewhere. The most negative attitudes were found in Sweden (45%), Spain (30%), the USA (30%), Portugal (29%), and Ukraine (29%) while the most positive net attitudes were in Russia (38%), Iran (37%), Nigeria (36%), Saudi Arabia (33%) and Malaysia (32%). In India, 36% had a positive view of BRICS while 29% had a negative view.[174][175]
The group at each summit elects one of the heads of state of the component countries to serve as President Pro Tempore of the BRICS. In 2019, the position was held by the president of Brazil.[176]
The priorities of the Brazilian Pro Tempore Presidency for 2019 are the following: strengthening the cooperation in science, technology, and innovation, enhancement of the cooperation on digital economy, invigoration of cooperation on the fight against transnational crime —especially organized crime, money laundering, and drug trafficking, and rapprochement between the New Development Bank (NDB) and the BRICS Business Council.[70]
The current BRICS President Pro Tempore is from Russia and their goals are: investing in BRICS countries to strengthen their economies, cooperating in the energy and environmental industries, helping with young children, and coming up with resolutions on migration and peacekeeping.[177]
Current leading member state representatives:
Media related to BRICS at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related to BRICS at Wikiquote| Membership | |
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| Summits | |
| Bilateral relations | |
| Leaders | |
| BRICS U-17 Football Cup | |
| BRICS Games | |
| Related | |
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