BRICS Summit 2025, Theme, Host Country, Key Highlights

The 17th BRICS Summit took place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on 6th and 7th July 2025. The theme this year was “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”. At the end of this summit, the “Rio de Janeiro Declaration” was adopted to represent a strategic shift towards expansion, inclusivity and strong south-south cooperation. 

BRICS Summit 2025 Highlights

The BRICS Summit 2025 discussed the following important agenda: 

• Reaffirming strategic vision and BRICS Spirit
  • Focus on mutual respect, sovereign equality, democracy and inclusiveness
• Strengthening cooperation under three pillars: 
  • Political and security
  • Economic and financial 
  • Cultural and people to people cooperation
  • Emphasised commitment to peace, inclusive development and reform of global governance institutions.
• BRICS Membership and partnership Expansion: 
  • Indonesia has now joined as an official BRICS Member. 
  • 11 new BRICS partner countries welcomed – Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, Uzbekistan. 
  • Expansion focuses on evolving multipolar world order and Global South Solidarity. 
• Important BRICS Declarations: 
  • BRICS Summit 2025 launched a number of new initiatives: 
  • BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance
  • Statement on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Launch of BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases
  • These highlight BRICS’ commitment to inclusive innovation, climate action, and equitable health systems. 

BRICS Summit 2025 Focus Areas and Commitments

The BRICS Summit 2025 focused on multiple focus areas and commitments: 

1. Commitment to Equitable and Accountable Multilateralism
   The declaration emphasized the need for a multilateral order that is fair, effective, and transparent. It supported the upcoming UN Summit of the Future’s Pact for the Future, including proposals such as the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. A strong emphasis was laid on shared responsibility, inclusive consultation, and equitable representation within global institutions.
2. Promoting Peace, Security, and Global Stability
   The declaration raised concerns over rising global military expenditures and ongoing regional conflicts. It firmly opposed the securitization of climate change discourse, advocating instead for development-focused multilateral approaches to address poverty, hunger, and environmental challenges.
3. Strengthening Economic, Trade, and Financial Cooperation
   BRICS leaders reviewed the progress of the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy 2025 and welcomed the formulation of the upcoming Strategy for 2030, which will focus on:

• Advancing the digital economy
• Enhancing trade and investment
• Deepening financial cooperation
• Promoting sustainable development
  The declaration reiterated support for a transparent, rules-based, and inclusive multilateral trading system.

4. Climate Action and Sustainability Goals
   Strong reaffirmation was made toward the Paris Agreement and the principles of the UNFCCC, especially the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) and the need to consider national circumstances of developing countries.
   It endorsed COP-30 in Brazil (Belem) and extended full support to India’s bid to host COP-33 in 2028, calling for enhanced climate finance and robust efforts in adaptation and mitigation.
5. Social, Human, and Cultural Development
   The declaration underlined inclusive development, highlighting key areas such as:

• Empowerment of youth and women
• Inclusion of persons with disabilities
• Managing urbanization and migration effectively

It recognized demographic shifts as both a development challenge and an opportunity for long-term growth.

India at BRICS Summit 2025

The 17th BRICS Summit 2025, announced India’s upcoming BRICS presidency for the year 2026, outlining a transformative and a new interpretation of BRICS- Building, Resilience and Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. India also played an important role in the BRICS agenda, advocating for critical reforms and strategic cooperation in the following areas:

• Global Financial Reforms: India led discussions on de-dollarization and the need for diversified currency arrangements in global trade.
• Climate Finance and Digital Governance: India emphasized equitable climate financing and stronger frameworks for digital public infrastructure.
• Institutional Reform: India reiterated its long-standing call for restructuring global governance institutions to reflect present-day geopolitical realities.

BRICS Summit 2025 Key Outcomes

• BRICS Pay and National Currency Settlement Frameworks: Though the idea of a common BRICS currency was ruled out, India supported mechanisms to facilitate local currency trade within BRICS.

• Launch of BRICS Multilateral Guarantee Mechanism (BMG): Introduced by the New Development Bank (NDB), this initiative aims to mobilize private capital for infrastructure, climate resilience, and sustainable development projects across member nations.

US Opposition to BRICS

As BRICS expands its membership and influence, its emergence as a powerful global bloc has attracted growing scrutiny from the United States. With the inclusion of new member nations, BRICS now represents 45% of the world’s population and contributes approximately 35% to global GDP, marking a significant shift in global power dynamics.

Concerns over Currency Alternatives and Dollar Dominance

Although initial speculation hinted at the creation of a common BRICS currency, the group has clarified that it does not seek to replace the U.S. dollar. Instead, the objective is to develop alternative settlement mechanisms that promote greater market efficiency and foster a more inclusive and multipolar global financial system.

However, this intent has triggered concerns in Washington:

• Former President Donald Trump issued a warning of a 10% tariff on countries aligning with BRICS’ so-called “anti-American” positions.
• He further threatened a 100% tariff on BRICS nations should they actively pursue de-dollarisation in global trade, viewing such moves as a direct challenge to U.S. economic interests.

India’s Approach

India has maintained a measured and pragmatic stance on the evolving BRICS agenda, particularly on issues of currency and trade settlements:

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India does not aim to undermine the dollar but seeks practical alternatives for trade settlements where necessary.
• The Chinese Yuan has gained significant traction within BRICS, especially in Russia, where it now accounts for 90% of bilateral trade settlements.
• Yet, India has pushed back against this trend, refusing to settle payments for Russian oil in Yuan—demonstrating its reluctance to accept Chinese monetary dominance within BRICS frameworks.

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