External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that BRICS has evolved its own unique model of engagement that is based on consensus over the years.
In his remarks at the meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers, he said that the collective endeavour of BRICS is to ensure that global decision-making reflects contemporary realities.
Namaste – from the BRICS. Concluded a productive Foreign Ministers Meeting. pic.twitter.com/f2Z7PgvNv6
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 1, 2021
The minister said BRICS has come a long way from the first time the Foreign Ministers met in New York in 2006. He said the principles that guide the grouping have remained consistent over the years. He said BRICS strives for a fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international system.
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EAM @DrSJaishankar delivered the welcome remarks at the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations.
Remarks: https://t.co/Sjsz2dXWbE pic.twitter.com/hQ7YxJjWDb
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 1, 2021
India is the current BRICS Chair in 2021. This is the 3rd time India is holding the BRICS Chairship (after 2012 and 2016). India will convene the 13th BRICS Summit in 2021
India’s Chairship in 2021 has coincided with the 15th anniversary of BRICS, making it an opportune moment to review its work for greater efficiency and relevance.
What is BRICS?
BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of global trade. As such, BRICS has emerged as a useful platform for consultations on a range of issues of common interest touching upon issues of political, economic and cultural cooperation.
BRICS Foreign Ministers first met in 2006, and the first BRICS Summit was held in 2009. Over the past fifteen years, the scope of BRICS has steadily expanded to include deliberations and exchange of views on strategic issues such as counter-terrorism and cybersecurity as well as identification of new areas of practical cooperation such as health, education, science and technology and disaster management and resilience.
BRICS has proved to be a useful platform for having detailed discussions and deliberations on issues of concern for the developing world. BRICS Countries regularly deliberate on issues of global concern.
New Development Bank (NDB), the flagship outcome of BRICS continues to fund projects in infrastructure and sustainable development. Till date, 76 projects worth over USD 28 billion have been approved by NDB in BRICS countries.
Of these, 18 projects worth USD 6.9 bn have been approved in India. This includes a loan of USD 2 bn under the Emergency Assistance Program in Combating COVID-19 to support GoI in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and reduce human, social and economic losses.
India
India sees BRICS as an important platform to prioritize the ‘development paradigm in the global policy discourse. The pandemic has pushed millions back into poverty and disrupted the progress made on the SDG-2030 agenda.
Recognizing the urgency, India will use its Chairship this year to come up with practical measures with its BRICS partners on harnessing digital and technological tools and solutions to meet SDG goals- be it on health, poverty, hunger, education or infrastructure.
Priorities for India’s Chairship include Reform of the Multilateral System, Counter-Terrorism Cooperation, Digital and Technological Tools for the Attainment of SDGs, Enhancing People to People Exchanges.