Building peace and prosperity with strong BRICS

In Context 

The recently held meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers “reached consensus on the BRICS expansion process”.

About BRICS

• Origin 
  • In 2006, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking the beginning of BRIC cooperation. 
  • In 2009, the BRIC leaders held their first meeting in Russia, upgrading BRIC cooperation to Summit level.
  •  In 2011, with South Africa officially becoming a member, BRIC was enlarged to BRICS. 
• Purpose 
  • The BRICS leaders unanimously agreed to develop a closer, broader and more comprehensive strategic partnership, and consolidate the three-wheel-driven cooperation covering economy, political security and people-to-people exchanges.

Importance of BRICS 

• BRICS has become an important platform for win-win cooperation among the members and a significant force for the evolution of international order, the improvement of global governance and the promotion of common development.
• It has become an all-round and multilevel framework, with BRICS Summit playing a leading role, supported by BRICS Meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Meetings of National Security Advisers, carrying out practical cooperation in dozens of areas, such as economy and trade, finance, science and technology, industry, agriculture, culture, education, health, think tanks, and friendship cities. 

Latest Developments

• Recently ,BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting indicated that BRICS countries will strengthen solidarity and cooperation in the face of challenges with firm conviction, and take real actions to promote peace and development, and uphold fairness and justice. 
  • The  first dialogue of Foreign Ministers between BRICS and emerging markets and developing countries sent out the message of supporting multilateralism, supporting anti-pandemic cooperation, supporting common development, and supporting solidarity and cooperation. 
• BRICS+ 
  • All parties to the dialogue support and advocate the ‘BRICS plus’ cooperation model, which is a platform born for cooperation and thrives on development. 
  • It aims to broaden BRICS countries’ outreach with other developing countries. 
• Other Cooperation Areas 

• Security 
  • China put forward the Global Security Initiative, pointing out the way to make up the peace deficit and solve the global security dilemma.
    • It is important to respect and guarantee the security of every country, replace confrontation and alliance with dialogue and partnership, and promote the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable regional security architecture.

• Development
  • President Xi Jinping’s Global Development Initiative gives priority to development, embraces the people-centred core concept, and calls for more robust, greener and more sound global development. 
    • It provides a Chinese solution to global development problems and has been widely echoed by the international community.
• On health

• President Xi Jinping has called for accelerating the building of a global community of health for all, and has advocated a coordinated international approach to the pandemic and the improvement of global health governance.
  •  India’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ also contributes to multilateral cooperation on public health. 

Issues 

• Effectiveness
  • The BRICS grouping is often criticised for being ineffective. Many, especially in the West, predicted that it would not live long

• Dominance of China
  • The dominance of the Chinese economy and its role in trade relations makes the BRICS much more a China-with-partners group than a union of equal members.
•  lack mutual economic interests
  • BRICS countries lack mutual economic interests

• The irresponsible macro-economic and monetary policies of certain countries have aggravated the uncertainties and imbalances of economic recovery.

• Other issues 
  • Intentional dissemination of fake news,imposing unjustified restrictions on media activities.

• The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail the world economy. 

Way ahead 

• BRICS countries should enhance mutually-beneficial cooperation in supply chains, energy, food and financial resilience, take solid steps to implement the Global Development Initiative, foster an open world economy and create a favourable environment for common development.
• BRICS countries need to strengthen political mutual trust and security cooperation, maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns, respect each other’s sovereignty, security and development interests, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and work together to build a global community of security for all.
• BRICS countries should jointly promote the development of global health governance in a direction in favour of developing countries. 

• BRICS countries should explore the ‘BRICS plus’ cooperation at more levels, in more areas and in a wider scope.

Source:TH