Why in Broadcast?

• The 15th BRICS summit was held from the 22nd to 24th August, 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Major Highlights

• This is the first in-person summit since 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic and since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”
• The summit declared expansion of the grouping by welcoming six new countries into the fold.

BRICS and New members

• The summit announced the joining of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Argentina and Ethiopia to BRICS, their membership will start from 1 January, 2024.
• BRICS currently represents around 40% of the world’s population and more than a quarter of the world’s GDP.
• By inclusion of these countries BRICS will represent almost half the world’s population.

The China Perspective

• China is driving the expansion of the group by making expansion as its core agenda and trying to induct countries which share its Westernsceptic view of the world.
• A strong China-Russia imprint is exemplified by invitation to Iran, whose ties with the West are strained.
• China also happens to be the biggest buyer of Saudi Arabia’s oil, and had recently brokered a peace deal between Tehran and Riyadh.

The Major Lacunae

• The BRICS countries still fall short in showing a coherence of purpose, and are still mired by inner contradictions.
• The conflict between India and China has hampered the purpose of the grouping in several ways.
• The addition of Iran and Saudi Arab, though they have for now decided to tone down their rivalry, might cause hurdles in the working of the organisation.
• Any overtly political, anti-western stance by BRICS will make India and other such member uncomfortable, who strive to create their own position by walking tight rope between the global powers.
• The new countries at BRICS, although prosperous at certain sectors, are not exactly thriving well economically. This shows a deviation of the group from mere agenda of economic cooperation.

Way Forward

• The growth of BRICS to democratize global governance groupings is indeed a welcome step.
• The rapid expansion of members could dilute the original purpose of the BRICS grouping, especially if China is seen as taking a dominant position in the grouping
• It is crucial to ensure that BRICS does not lose its intrinsic value as a forum for emerging economies, into a platform for anti-western statements.