New Delhi: The 18th BRICS summit is underway in New Delhi hosted by India. Addressing the leaders of BRICS countries at the Bharat Mandapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that for India, 'humanity comes first' and mutual cooperation is its biggest priority. He said that BRICS is not against anyone but tries to take everyone along.
Describing this conference as special, the Prime Minister said that BRICS is completing 20 years of its establishment. He said that the age of 20 years is considered the beginning of maturity and new responsibilities in a person's life. Similarly, BRICS has also now reached a phase where it will have to convert its unity into concrete results for the world.
Now big results are expected from BRICS after 20 years
PM Modi said that in the last two decades, BRICS has created its own identity on the global stage. Member countries respect each other's views and move forward with consensus. He said that BRICS is not against any country, but thinks of taking everyone along.
He said that now the time has come that the unity and consensus within BRICS should be converted into such decisions at the global level, whose impact can be seen on the lives of the people. BRICS will have to set new and bigger goals for the next 20 years.
Chairman changes every year, but no pace of work
PM Modi said that the chairmanship of BRICS changes every year, but this should not affect the pace of work of the organization. For this, he proposed to create a 'system of continuity and implementation of work'.
He said that through the 'Troika' system of BRICS, the decisions taken earlier and the schemes started can be continuously monitored. Additionally, a secure digital record system can be created to record the person responsible for each decision, the timeline for completion, and the progress.
PM Modi told what is lacking in the current world system
The Prime Minister said that along with strengthening BRICS, there is also a need to reform the current world system. He compared the current global system to a pyramid. According to him, in this, some countries have more power to take decisions, whereas there are many countries which are affected by these decisions, but they do not get enough space in taking decisions.
PM Modi said that today the developing countries of the Global South i.e. Asia, Africa and Latin America have to play a big role in facing the world's crises, but their voice is not that strong in major global decisions.
He said that this system will have to be changed to create such a partnership where the voice of every country is heard and every member gets a chance to participate.
UNSC reform should not be postponed any longer
PM Modi suggested preparing 10 proposals to improve the global system. He said that these can be given the form of 'BRICS Reform Roadmap' till the next BRICS Summit.
He emphasized on three main areas of reform – representation, accountability and participation in rule making. The Prime Minister said that reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) cannot be postponed any longer.
He also expressed the need for changes in the voting system and leadership positions of financial institutions according to today's economic situation. He said that the countries which are making a big contribution to the economic progress of the world, should also get a proper role in global economic decisions.
PM Modi's 10 big proposals in BRICS
- Reforms in the UNSC cannot be postponed any longer, concrete steps will have to be taken for this.
- Negotiations on global tax-related issues need to be linked to clear deadlines and clear outcomes.
- Countries that drive the global economy should have a fair role in taking economic decisions.
- Tackling global challenges requires collective efforts, rapid action, better skills and concrete impact.
- Effective and timely solutions to problems are necessary to increase people's trust in global institutions.
- A 'Seafarer Emergency Support Network' can be created to help seafarers in distress.
- Through this network, emergency information, medical help, information to families and assistance in safe evacuation will be available.
- It is important to ensure equal participation of the Global South in global decisions.
- The future opportunities in new technologies like AI and cyberspace should also be determined along with the global rules required for them.
- The Global South should be made not just a rule follower but a rule making partner.
Emergency network will be built for sailors stranded at sea
PM Modi also suggested creating an 'Emergency Support Network' for seafarers. He said that seafarers contribute a lot to world trade, but in times of crisis they face difficulty in getting the necessary help.
Maritime authorities and diplomatic missions of different countries can be connected through the proposed network. This will help in giving information in case of emergency, providing medical help, informing families and evacuating people safely.
Developing countries also have voice in the rules of AI and new technology
The Prime Minister said that Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyberspace, space, biotechnology and other important technologies are changing the times to come. The rules for their use are also being decided now.
He said that it is necessary to make the developing countries not just followers of these rules but also participants in making the rules. For this, a proposal was made to provide dialogue, training and legal information to young diplomats and policy makers of the Global South through BRICS.
India organized more than 350 meetings
PM Modi said that during India's BRICS chairmanship, priority was given to flexibility, new thinking, cooperation and stability. More than 350 meetings were organized to connect BRICS with the common people and teams from member countries were welcomed in around 30 cities.
Expressing gratitude for the cooperation of all the countries, he said that this year's BRICS summit is a historic milestone, as the organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
What does this mean for common people?
The impact of the decisions taken in BRICS is not directly visible to every person immediately, but the issues on which PM Modi has emphasized may be related to the common people in the future. Things like AI and cyber security rules, global economic decisions, maritime trade and assistance to people in crisis are decided at the international level, but their impact reaches across employment, trade, technology and everyday life.
The main message of PM Modi was that the decisions of the world should not be limited to only a few powerful countries. Developing countries and the Global South should also have an equal voice in decision making.
He said that the message of the BRICS conference being hosted by India should be clear that if the future is shared, then the right to decide it should also be shared.
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