Marking the 20th anniversary of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, the expanded BRICS grouping held the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12 to September 13, where leaders adopted the comprehensive BRICS New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (the New Delhi Declaration), reaffirming their commitment to inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism.
Under the official theme of "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", the 11-member bloc—representing roughly 45 percent of the world's population and about 37 percent of global GDP on a purchasing-power-parity basis—gathered to deliberate on pressing global challenges.
Highlighting the philosophical depth of this momentum, Dr. Binod Singh Ajatshatru, Director of the BRICS Institute in New Delhi, noted that "BRICS is not only about economics," asserting that the bloc is about a common agenda for shaping a new world order.
Grounding the summit's overarching mission, the New Delhi Declaration explicitly states that leaders are committed to reforming and improving global governance by promoting a more just, equitable, agile, effective, representative and accountable international and multilateral system in the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
This foundational vision is backed by contemporary realities: the bloc's expansion to 11 full members plus 10 partner countries demonstrates its growing appeal as an important platform for Global South cooperation and reform of global governance.
A focal point of the New Delhi summit was the collective push for international security, peaceful dispute resolution and reform of multilateral architectures. Reflecting on the shifting global landscape, Dr. Ajatshatru emphasized that "Now, it's time for Asia, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. We should decide our own destiny," adding that energy security and regional stability remain vital as the world faces compounding crises.
In line with the New Delhi Declaration, which expresses concern about ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world and the current polarization and fragmentation of the international order, the summit emphasized that disputes must be solved "through dialogue, consultation and diplomacy," highlighting preventive diplomacy and mediation in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).
Under the BRICS framework, China-India bilateral ties have also shown signs of stabilization following the 2024 border disengagement, with India-China goods trade reaching a record $151.1 billion in the 2025-26 financial year.
The New Delhi Declaration underscores that technology, innovation and people-centered growth must anchor the future of the Global South, noting specifically that artificial intelligence (AI) presents immense opportunities to stimulate economic growth and sustainable development for all.
As Dr. Ajatshatru pointed out, "Technology is the solution for any problem. Our focus has to be on innovation." In his vision, engineers from Russia, China and India could work together within the BRICS framework. He also pointed out that Indian IT expertise, Chinese advanced manufacturing, AI and electric vehicles (EVs) are already transforming people's everyday lives.
The New Delhi Declaration also reaffirms the importance of people-to-people exchanges and formally announces the leaders' full support for China's BRICS Chairship in 2027 and for China to hold the 19th BRICS Summit. The New Delhi summit underscores that when major civilizations unite, they possess the demographic weight, economic scale and technological prowess to shape a fairer and more multipolar world order.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Recording | Guo Chuhua
Video editing | Pan Jiajun
