The leaders of the BRICS countries have issued a declaration, committing to strengthening cooperation in political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people matters. The leaders commit to enhancing the bloc’s strategic partnership through the promotion of peace, a more representative international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development, and inclusive growth.

Initially comprised of Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China, and South Africa, the recently expanded alliance now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam are BRICS partner countries.

The 17th BRICS Summit convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 6-7 July 2025 under the theme, ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.’

Addressing the Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “we must invest in the reform of the international financial architecture and institutions, take action on debt relief, and triple the finance and capacity of the multilateral development banks to the benefit of developing countries.” He reminded the leaders that “cooperation is humanity’s greatest innovation,” urging the alliance to “rise to this moment – and reform and modernize multilateralism, including the UN and all the systems and institutions to make it work for everyone, everywhere.”

The Rio de Janeiro Declaration takes note of the Pact of the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations and points to the need to “adapt the current architecture of international relations to better reflect the contemporary realities.” The Declaration reiterates the leaders’ commitment to ensuring “greater and more meaningful participation and representation” of emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs) and least developed countries (LDCs), especially from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in global decision-making processes and structures. It also emphasizes the leaders’ “strong call for reforms” of the principal organs of the UN and reiterates the urgent need to reform the Bretton Woods institutions (the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group) to make them more effective, credible, inclusive, and accountable.

Underscoring their commitment to a successful 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, the leaders call for a strengthened global response to climate change, “in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.” They endorse the plan to launch the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) at COP 30, which they recognize as “an innovative mechanism designed to mobilize long-term, results-based financing for tropical forest conservation,” and encourage contributions from potential donor countries. The leaders also welcome India’s Candidacy to host COP 33 in 2028.

In addition to the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, the leaders adopted the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, agreed in June at the vice-ministerial level, and the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and launched the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases.

Brazil holds the 2025 chairmanship of the BRICS alliance as well as the COP 30 Presidency. As the 2026 chair of the bloc, India will host the 18th BRICS Summit. [BRICS Press Release on Rio de Janeiro Declaration] [BRICS Press Release on TFFF] [BRICS Press Release on Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance] [UN News Story]