BRICS Summit 2025, Date, Theme, Rio de Janeiro Declaration

BRICS Summit 2025, officially known as the 17th BRICS Summit, is being held from 6th to 7th July 2025 under the presidency of Brazil. The summit focuses on the theme "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance." Indonesia participated as the 11th member in the BRICS Summit 2025, emphasizing the importance of expanding cooperation among emerging economies. 

17th BRICS Summit 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the 17th BRICS Summit being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 6-7 July 2025. After addressing the inaugural session on "Reform of Global Governance and Peace and Security,” he addressed the "Strengthening Multilateral, Economic-Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence” session.

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The 17th BRICS Summit brought together leaders from 11 emerging economies and resulted in the adoption of a Joint Declaration known as the ‘Rio de Janeiro Declaration’. 

BRICS Summit 2025

The BRICS Summit 2025 is an annual meeting of the leaders of the BRICS nations to discuss and coordinate policies on global economic development, political cooperation, security, and sustainable growth. The XVII BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, serving as a platform for member countries to strengthen diplomatic ties, address global challenges collectively, and promote a multipolar world order.

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BRICS Summit 2025 Theme

The theme of the BRICS Summit 2025 is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” It highlights Brazil's commitment to empowering developing countries, promoting solidarity among Global South nations, and advocating for reforms in global governance to create a fairer, more representative international system.

BRICS Summit 2025 Host

Brazil is hosting the 17th BRICS Summit in 2025, with the main leaders' meeting taking place in Rio de Janeiro. As per BRICS tradition, the host nation holds the presidency for the year, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the group’s agenda in 2025. The summit is being held at the Museum of Modern Art (Museu de Arte Moderna) in Rio de Janeiro. 

Brazil’s role as host reflects its active engagement within BRICS, being a key voice from Latin America, and its continued efforts to deepen collaboration among countries of the Global South. The host country for the BRICS Summit in 2026 will be India. 

BRICS Summit 2025 Outcomes

Key outcomes from the summit included:

• Rio de Janeiro Declaration: A 31-point pledge for Global South cooperation and global governance reform, having 126 commitments.

• Global Governance: Leaders reaffirmed support for multilateralism and reform of global bodies like the UN, IMF, World Bank, and WTO to better represent developing nations, especially from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

• BRICS Expansion: Indonesia joined BRICS, becoming the 11th member, alongside new partners including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, and Uzbekistan, signaling the bloc’s rising influence.

• Finance: BRICS called for increased IMF and World Bank shares for developing countries, with fair realignment. Discussed establishing an independent cross-border settlement system called "BRICS Clear" to boost intra-BRICS trade and financial independence.

• Health: The bloc launched a new partnership to eliminate socially driven diseases, focusing on health equity and stronger global health governance.

• Artificial Intelligence: Leaders pushed for inclusive, ethical, and transparent AI governance, with equitable access and Global South collaboration at the core.

• Climate & Development: A BRICS declaration on climate finance linked sustainable urbanization, housing, and climate justice with inclusive growth. It backed Brazil’s presidency of COP30 in 2025 and India’s candidacy to host COP33 in 2028.

• Peace & Security: The bloc called for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and full Israeli withdrawal, underscoring its peace and security stance.

• India to be BRICS President in 2026: As per the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, India has been officially designated to chair the BRICS Forum 2026 and host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.

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Rio de Janeiro Declaration

The Rio de Janeiro Declaration, signed during the XVII BRICS Summit by the leaders of the 11 largest emerging economies, outlines 126 specific commitments across areas such as global governance, finance, health, artificial intelligence, and climate change. The declaration highlights a collective effort to promote multilateralism and work toward a global order that is more equitable, sustainable, and reflective of the priorities of the Global South.

The BRICS Rio de Janeiro Declaration also acknowledges the adoption of the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance and the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, as well as the launch of the ‘BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases’.

About BRICS

BRICS is an intergovernmental group made up of 11 major emerging economies. It was initially known as BRIC, a term coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill to describe these rapidly growing economies expected to dominate the global economy in the 21st century. The group was formalized in 2006 with the first foreign ministers' meeting and held its first BRICS summit in 2009.

Overall, the 17th BRICS Summit marked a significant step toward strengthening cooperation among Global South countries to promote a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive international system.

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