BRICS Summit: China, Russia back India, Brazil and South Africa’s aspiration for greater UN role

New Delhi, Sep 10 (UNI) At the 13th BRICS Summit on Thursday both China and Russia reiterated the importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil, India and South Africa in international affairs and supported their aspiration to play a greater role in the United Nations.
The New Delhi Declaration, adopted by the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, in the section on strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, recalled the UNGA Resolution 75/1 and reiterated the call for reforms of the principal organs of the United Nations.
The BRICS countries said they “recommit to instil new life in the discussions on reform of the UN Security Council and continue the work to revitalize the General Assembly and strengthen the Economic and Social Council. We recall the 2005 World Summit Outcome document and reaffirm the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges.
“China and Russia reiterate the importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil, India and South Africa in international affairs and supported their aspiration to play a greater role in the UN,” it said.
It appreciated the role of South Africa and India during their membership of the UN Security Council for 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 respectively, and congratulated Brazil on its election as a member of the UN Security Council in 2022-2023.
It said the presence of four BRICS countries in the UN Security Council in 2022 – with China and Russia as Permanent Members and India and Brazil as non-permanent members – “will provide an opportunity to further enhance the weight of our dialogue on issues of international peace and security and for continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including through regular exchanges amongst our Permanent Missions to the United Nations and in other international fora.”
The BRICS countries acknowledged that, despite the many successes of the UN system and its associated architecture, its continued relevance would be determined by its ability to adapt to contemporary realities and respond to the evolving and inter-connected challenges of our time.
The five countries pledged to resolve towards strengthening and reforming the multilateral system to make global governance more responsive and agile, effective, transparent, democratic, representative and accountable to Member States, while reiterating their commitment to upholding international law, including the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations as its indispensable cornerstone, and to the central role of the United Nations in the international system.
It said the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced our belief that effective and representative multilateralism is essential for building resilience against current and future global challenges, promoting well-being of our people and building a sustainable future for the planet.
The BRICS countries endorsed the BRICS Joint Statement on Strengthening and Reforming the Multilateral System adopted by their Foreign Ministers and, recalling the principles outlined therein, they agreed that the task of strengthening and reforming multilateral system encompasses the following:
Making instruments of global governance more inclusive, representative and participatory to facilitate greater and more meaningful participation of developing and least developed countries, especially Africa, in global decision-making processes and structures and make it better attuned to contemporary realities;
Being based on inclusive consultation and collaboration for the benefit of all, while respecting sovereign independence, equality, mutual legitimate interests and concerns to make the multilateral organizations more responsive, effective, transparent and credible;
Making multilateral organizations more responsive, effective, transparent, democratic, objective, action-oriented, solution-oriented and credible, so as to promote cooperation in building international relations based on the norms and principles of international law, and the spirit of mutual respect, justice, equality, mutual beneficial cooperation and realities of the contemporary world;
· Using innovative and inclusive solutions, including digital and technological tools to promote sustainable development and facilitate affordable and equitable access to global public goods for all;
· Strengthening capacities of individual States and international organizations to better respond to new and emerging, traditional and non-traditional challenges, including those emanating from terrorism, money laundering, cyber-realm, infodemics and fake news;
· Promoting international and regional peace and security, social and economic development, and preserve nature’s balance with people-centered international cooperation at its core.

The BRICS countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strong Global Financial Safety Net with a quota-based and adequately resourced IMF at its center, and expressed deep disappointment at the failure in addressing the quota and governance reforms under the 15th General Review of Quotas (GRQ).

“We call for the timely and successful completion of the 16th GRQ by December 15, 2023, to reduce the IMF’s reliance on temporary resources and to address under-representation of EMDCs for their meaningful engagement in the governance of IMF and to protect the voice and quota shares of its poorest and smallest members and have a new quota formula that better reflects the economic weight of members. We welcome the IMF’s approval of a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equivalent to USD 650 billion. We recognize the urgency to strengthen its capability to meet the financing needs of countries during future crisis in a transparent and accountable manner.”

It also reaffirmed support for a transparent, rules-based, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core, and in this regard reiterated support for the necessary and urgent reform which would, inter alia, preserve the centrality, core values and fundamental principles of the WTO and consider the interests of all members, including developing countries and LDCs, recognizing that the majority of the WTO members are developing countries.
“It is critical that all WTO members avoid unilateral and protectionist measures that run counter to the spirit and rules of the WTO. We emphasize the primary importance of ensuring the restoration and preservation of the normal functioning of a two-stage WTO Dispute Settlement system, including the expeditious appointment of all Appellate Body members.”
It called for continued efforts to strengthen the system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements and to preserve its integrity for maintaining global stability and international peace and security, to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency as well as the consensus-based nature of the relevant multilateral instruments in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.