BRICS+ in Rio: A Bold Voice for the Global South

This week, the world watched as Rio de Janeiro became the epicenter of multipolar ambition. The XVII BRICS Summit,  the first held in Brazil since the bloc’s historic expansion – closed with the Rio Declaration, a sweeping 90+ point manifesto aimed at reshaping the world’s economic and political architecture. Aspirational and unapologetically assertive, the declaration stands as a powerful counterpoint to the outdated neoliberal script that has dominated global governance since Bretton Woods.

From the outset, BRICS+ made its intentions clear. This is no longer a loose coalition of “emerging markets.” It is a political project rooted in sovereignty, fairness, and systemic reform, united by a shared determination to build a world that works for the majority, not just the privileged few. The summit’s theme, Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance, echoed loudly throughout Rio that this summit was not about following rules made in Washington or Brussels, but about rewriting them.

With over half the world’s population now represented across 11 full BRICS+ members and 11 additional partner countries, the group embodies the Global Majority. This summit reaffirmed the bloc’s core message, that developing nations are not passive players in global affairs – they are protagonists.

The Rio Declaration called for a “reformed and reinvigorated multilateral system,” challenging the deep structural imbalances of institutions like the UN Security Council, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank (WB). These bodies, relics of the post-WWII order, no longer reflect global realities. Brazil and India were explicitly endorsed for expanded roles at the UN. African nations were rightly upheld as essential actors in shaping the future, a gesture that was both symbolic and strategic, recognising the continent’s rising economic, cultural, and political influence.

The Declaration was firm in its stance on sovereignty. BRICS+ leaders rejected the use of unilateral coercive measures, particularly economic sanctions not authorised by the UN Security Council. This wasn’t just rhetorical, it was a statement of principle, aimed at ending the era of financial bullying disguised as diplomacy.

Iran’s presence in BRICS+ and the group’s support for its sovereignty is significant. For decades, Iran has been subject to punishing sanctions regimes that cripple civilian infrastructure and stifle development. BRICS+ is emerging as a safe haven for nations resisting economic domination and choosing development on their own terms.

This insistence on sovereignty extended to conflicts across the globe. The bloc denounced Israeli military strikes on Iran and voiced deep concern over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and reiterating support for a two-state solution, grounded in international law and UN resolutions. These are not fringe opinions. These are globally resonant positions finally given the weight they deserve.

In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats,  including a proposed 10% levy on BRICS-aligned countries, the bloc took aim at “indiscriminate tariff measures” that threaten global trade and economic stability. This was not merely a rebuke of U.S. policy but a rejection of a global economic model built on domination, conditionality, and coercion.

In its place, BRICS+ is proposing a new framework. Discussions on a BRICS Cross-Border Payment System, a BRICS Multilateral Guarantee Agency, and a common digital currency framework show the group’s commitment to building the financial infrastructure of the future. This is economic sovereignty in action, reducing dependency on the dollar and expanding the tools available to the Global South to finance its own development.

The New Development Bank (NDB) continues to scale up its operations, providing an alternative to the austerity-driven lending models of the Bretton Woods institutions. With green finance, sustainable infrastructure, and digital transformation at the heart of its portfolio, the NDB is quietly becoming the financial backbone of the Global South’s development agenda.

The Rio Declaration also took aim at the politics of technology. With artificial intelligence poised to define global power in the decades ahead, BRICS+ made a clear stand. AI governance must be inclusive, equitable, and open to the Global South. The idea that transformative technologies should only serve a handful of elite economies is being firmly rejected. Instead, the bloc is pushing for shared knowledge, ethical frameworks, and collaboration.

This extends to climate change, energy cooperation, digital infrastructure, and health sovereignty – areas where BRICS+ members are already exchanging knowledge, funding joint projects, and leading by example. Whether through the rollout of 5G to remote Brazilian schools, green hydrogen investments in South Africa, or AI partnerships between China and the UAE, BRICS+ is acting decisively in spaces where others have offered only platitudes.

The geographic and political diversity of the expanded BRICS+, now including Indonesia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran, proves that the vision of a multipolar world is already in motion. The addition of 11 new partner countries, including Nigeria, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Cuba, only deepens the reach and legitimacy of this global project.

This is not a bloc defined by ideology. It is defined by common purpose, to rebalance the global order, to restore dignity to international cooperation, and to place development, not dominance, at the center of diplomacy.

In Rio de Janeiro, BRICS+ didn’t just hold a summit, it laid the foundation for a new era of global leadership. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rightly emphasised that “it is up to emerging countries to defend the multilateral trade regime and reform the international financial architecture.”

With its growing influence, coherent vision, and deepening partnerships, BRICS+ is proving that it is not a reactive force but a constructive one. One that speaks for the silenced, acts for the excluded, and plans for the generations to come. In the past, the Global South was told to wait its turn. In Rio, it stood up, took the pen, and began writing the rules. 

By Chloe Maluleke

Associate at the BRICS+ Consulting Group 

Russian & Middle Eastern Specialist

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