Struggles and Leadership Vacuum Cast Shadow on BRICS Summit
In the bustling city of Rio de Janeiro, the annual BRICS summit took place, bringing together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with several partner countries. This gathering, initially coined by Lord Jim O'Neill, then chief economist at Goldman Sachs, in a 2001 paper about the power of the world's emerging economies, has grown significantly over the years, posing challenges to its unity and cohesion.
The expansion of the BRICS bloc, which now includes 11 full members and 10 partner countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and others, aims to broaden its geopolitical influence and enhance inter-regional cooperation. However, this growth has complicated decision-making and institutional cohesion. At the 2025 summit, six of the group's heads of state skipped the event, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, weakening the political impact and signaling underlying divisions.
The bloc struggles with ideological coherence and strategic alignment as its members have different geopolitical priorities and interests. For instance, India has recently agreed trade pacts with the UK and Australia, and is in talks with the EU and the US, raising questions about the long-term goals of BRICS and its ability to act as a unified counterweight to Western-dominated institutions such as the G7.
Internal disagreements were visible particularly in addressing global governance reforms and responses to international conflicts. While the bloc issued joint statements condemning specific conflicts (e.g., strikes in Iran), its overall unity remains fragile and inconsistent.
Recognizing the need for institutional reform, Brazil, the 2025 chair, has proposed a task force to revise the BRICS Terms of Reference, aiming to streamline operations and clarify the role of partners, which is crucial for maintaining coherence as the bloc grows. The bloc faces a "legitimacy crisis" amid a polarized and fragmented international order, with military spending increases globally and divergent national interests complicating the scope for unified action, especially on contentious issues like climate finance, peace and security, and AI governance.
Despite these challenges, BRICS is ambitious in its agenda—from AI governance with ethical standards and digital sovereignty, climate leadership with carbon accounting, to global health cooperation. However, the heterogeneity of its membership and differing national interests present major hurdles.
The future effectiveness of BRICS depends heavily on managing internal divisions and achieving clearer strategic alignment among its increasingly broad membership. The bloc's leaders focused their declaration on Sunday on reforms of global governance, including fairer geographical representation on the UN security council, the IMF, and the World Bank to reflect the increased weight of emerging markets in the global economy.
As the world watches, the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro serves as a test of the bloc's ability to navigate its complex challenges and maintain its relevance in the global arena.
- The growth of BRICS, a group of emerging economies that includes 11 full members and 10 partner countries, such as Ethiopia and Vietnam, has led to complexities in decision-making and institutional cohesion, as evidenced by the 2025 summit where six of the group's heads of state did not attend.
- As BRICS faces a "legitimacy crisis" amidst a polarized global order, its leaders have focused on reforms to achieve clearer strategic alignment, such as a task force to revise the BRICS Terms of Reference and fairer geographical representation on international institutions like the UN Security Council, the IMF, and the World Bank.
- While BRICS is ambitious in its goals, ranging from AI governance to climate leadership, its heterogeneity and differing national interests present major hurdles, making it crucial for the bloc's leaders to effectively manage internal divisions to maintain its relevance in the global arena.
