MAINS Current Affairs includes 18th BRICS Summit: New Delhi Declaration & United Nations Chief Backs Demand for Expansion of Security Council

International Relations

1. 18th BRICS Summit: New Delhi Declaration

Context: The 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India in New Delhi, adopted the New Delhi Declaration.

• The Declaration reaffirmed the grouping’s commitment to reformed multilateralism amid ongoing wars, growing protectionism and unilateral actions by major powers.
• The Summit also highlighted BRICS’ growing role as a platform representing the interests of the Global South.

Key Highlights of the New Delhi Declaration

• BRICS members reiterated their support for a more: Reformed Multilateralism: Members reiterated support for a more democratic, representative, accountable and effective international order, with the UN at its centre.
• China and Russia, as permanent members, reiterated support for the aspirations of Brazil and India for a greater role, including in the UNSC.
• Global South: The grouping reaffirmed its role as a voice for Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) and Least Developed Countries, particularly from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• Trade & Finance: It opposed unilateral tariffs, non-tariff barriers and coercive sanctions, while supporting WTO reform, restoration of its two-tier dispute-settlement mechanism and greater EMDC representation in the IMF and World Bank.
• Intra-BRICS Trade: Members supported deeper economic cooperation, resilient supply chains and practical solutions for cross-border payments and trade settlements in local currencies.
• Conflicts: The Declaration condemned unilateral wars and stressed dialogue, preventive diplomacy and peaceful dispute settlement.
• It took a particularly strong position on Palestine and Lebanon, including humanitarian access, Palestinian self-determination and the two-state solution.

UN Security Council Reforms

• BRICS supported comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
• It called for greater representation of developing countries in global decision-making institutions.
• China and Russia, as permanent UNSC members, reiterated support for the aspirations of Brazil and India for a greater role, including in the UNSC.

West Asia Compromise

• References to the US-Israel attacks on Iran, the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, including those involving the UAE, were omitted from the final declaration.
• According to the source, the omission reportedly reflected a last-minute compromise between Iran and the UAE.

Terrorism

• BRICS strongly condemned the 22 April 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
• It reiterated a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism and its financing.

Significance of the Declaration

Demonstration of Consensus

• The Summit demonstrated that BRICS can attempt to build consensus despite significant geopolitical differences among its members.
• The outcome was supported by:
• High-level participation
• Focus on intra-BRICS economic mechanisms
• Consensus-building amid ongoing conflicts.

India as a Global South Balancer

• India’s fourth BRICS chairship strengthened its positioning as a country capable of engaging with different geopolitical groupings while articulating the interests of the Global South.
• The chairship provided India with diplomatic space to engage simultaneously with countries holding divergent positions on major international issues.

India’s Engagement with Iran and UAE

• The Summit facilitated the highest-level Iran-UAE bilateral meeting since the beginning of the war, according to the source.
• India’s engagement with Iran also helped address concerns regarding its perceived tilt towards the US and Israel.

India-China Engagement

• India’s meeting with China provided an opportunity to reaffirm political intent towards normalising bilateral relations.
• This was significant given the broader geopolitical differences between the two countries.

Wider Global South Outreach

• India’s outreach to ASEAN and African leaders reinforced its broader diplomatic partnerships across the developing world.

Wider Institutional Engagement

• India hosted more than 400 BRICS meetings and engagements across 30 Indian cities.
• This expanded the scope of BRICS cooperation beyond summit-level diplomacy towards broader institutional and people-to-people engagement.

Concerns & Issues Ahead

• Internal Divergences: India-China tensions, Iran-UAE differences and differing approaches to global conflicts can constrain consensus.
• Saudi Arabia’s Ambiguity: Saudi Arabia has not formally joined BRICS; Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived after the main session that adopted the joint statement.
• Implementation Deficit: Declarations on UNSC, IMF, WTO reform and local-currency trade require concrete institutional outcomes.
• Geopolitical Polarisation: BRICS needs to avoid becoming merely an anti-Western bloc while retaining strategic autonomy.

Way Forward: Strengthening Measures

Convert Declarations into Implementation Roadmaps

• Major commitments should be translated into time-bound and measurable implementation plans.
• Institutional mechanisms should be strengthened to monitor progress.

Deepen Economic Integration

• BRICS should promote: Local-currency settlements, Interoperable payment systems, Greater intra-BRICS trade, More resilient supply chains.

Adopt Issue-Based Coalitions

• Given the diversity of BRICS members, consensus can be strengthened through issue-specific coalitions rather than attempting to impose uniform positions on every geopolitical question.

Strengthen Multilateral Reform

• BRICS should coordinate more effectively on reforms of United Nations, IMF, World Bank, WTO.

Expand Sectoral Cooperation

• BRICS can deepen practical cooperation in areas such as:
• Healthcare
• Technology
• Climate resilience
• Food security
• Counter-terrorism
• Digital and financial connectivity.

Conclusion

The New Delhi Declaration reflects BRICS’ attempt to strengthen its role as a platform for reformed multilateralism and Global South cooperation amid geopolitical fragmentation. The grouping has demonstrated an ability to pursue consensus despite significant internal differences. However, the long-term effectiveness of BRICS will depend on its ability to move from declarations to implementation, strengthen economic and institutional cooperation, and maintain a pragmatic approach that allows diverse members to work together without turning the grouping into a purely geopolitical bloc.

International Relations

2. United Nations Chief Backs Demand for Expansion of Security Council

Context: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres backed the demand of the Global South for expansion and reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) at the BRICS Summit.

• The demand reflects growing concerns that the existing structure of the UNSC does not adequately represent the contemporary geopolitical and demographic realities of the world.

Need for Reforms in the UNSC

Non-Representative Council Membership

• When the United Nations was established in 1945, the Security Council had 11 members out of 51 UN member states, representing around 22% of the membership.
• Today, the UN has 193 member states, while the UNSC has only 15 members, representing fewer than 8% of UN membership.
• This highlights the widening gap between the Council’s composition and the broader UN membership.

Inability to Address Contemporary Conflicts

• The existing composition of the UNSC has faced criticism for its inability to effectively address several major conflicts and maintain international peace and security.
• The use of veto power by permanent members can prevent collective action even when significant international crises arise.

Changes in the World Order

• The global political, economic and demographic landscape has changed substantially since 1945.
• The present structure largely reflects the balance of power prevailing at the end of the Second World War.
• Contemporary realities therefore require greater representation of emerging powers and developing regions.

Veto Power

• The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — possess veto power.
• The exercise of this power has sometimes stalled Council action on major international crises, including conflicts such as Ukraine and Gaza.
• The remaining 10 members are elected as non-permanent members for two-year terms and do not possess veto power.

Imbalance of Power

• The present composition gives disproportionate weight to the geopolitical realities of the post-1945 period.
• Europe accounts for approximately 5% of the world’s population, yet European countries occupy around 33% of UNSC seats in a given year, excluding Russia as another European power.
• This illustrates the geographical and demographic imbalance within the Council.

Legitimacy

• The disproportionate influence of the five permanent members, particularly through their veto power, contributes to perceptions of:
  • Unequal representation
  • Institutional unfairness
  • Lack of legitimacy.
• Reform is therefore important for strengthening the credibility and legitimacy of the UN system.

India’s Position for a Permanent Seat

Demographic Weight

• India, as the world’s largest democracy, represents approximately one-sixth of the global population.
• India also supports greater representation for Africa, Latin America and other developing regions.
• Thus, India links its own demand for a permanent seat with the broader objective of providing the Global South with a stronger voice in global decision-making.

Economic Powerhouse

• India ranks among the top three economies globally in purchasing-power-parity terms.
• The source places India’s 2026 GDP in PPP terms at around $20 trillion.
• India’s growing economic weight gives it an important role in:
  • Global trade
  • Technology supply chains
  • Energy markets
  • Development finance.

Military Advancement

• India possesses one of the world’s largest armed forces and is among the major global defence spenders.
• Its 2026 defence budget is cited at approximately $86 billion.
• India is also among the countries possessing a credible nuclear triad, strengthening its strategic significance.

Contribution to International Peace and Security

• India has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions since 1948.
• Indian personnel have also suffered significant fatalities while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
• This long-standing contribution demonstrates India’s commitment to:
  • Multilateralism
  • International peace
  • UN mandates
  • Collective security.

Voice of the Global South

• India has increasingly projected itself as a voice of developing countries through initiatives and platforms such as:
• International Solar Alliance
• Global Biofuels Alliance
• G20 Presidency
• AI Impact Summit in the Global South
• These initiatives have strengthened India’s engagement with developing countries and its advocacy for more inclusive global governance.

Maritime Security

• India’s role in the Indian Ocean Region reflects its contribution to maritime security.
• India advocates:
  • Freedom of navigation
  • Rule-based maritime order
  • Respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Its engagement with institutions such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) further reflects its support for international maritime law.

BRICS Support

• The New Delhi Declaration of the BRICS Summit called for comprehensive reform of the UN system, including the Security Council, to make it:
  • More democratic
  • Representative
  • Effective
• China and Russia, both permanent UNSC members, reiterated support for the aspirations of India and Brazil to play a greater role in the UN, including the Security Council.

Challenges to Reform

Complex Amendment Process

• Reform of the UN Charter requires:
  • Approval by a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly.
  • Ratification by all five permanent members of the UNSC.
• The requirement for approval from every existing permanent member makes comprehensive institutional reform particularly difficult.

Coffee Club / Uniting for Consensus (UfC)

• The Uniting for Consensus (UfC), commonly known as the Coffee Club, emerged during the 1990s in opposition to the expansion of permanent membership of the UNSC.
• Led by Italy, the grouping seeks to counter proposals for permanent seats put forward by the G4 countries:
  • Brazil
  • Germany
  • India
• The disagreement reflects the lack of consensus among UN members over the appropriate model of Security Council expansion.

Question of Veto for New Permanent Members

• Even if new permanent members are added, there is no consensus on whether they should receive veto powers.
• The issue of extending veto rights could become a major obstacle in negotiations over UNSC reform.

Concluding Remarks

• Reform of the UNSC is essential for making the multilateral system more representative, inclusive and responsive to contemporary global realities.
• India should continue advocating for a broader reform agenda that provides developing countries and under-represented regions with a meaningful role in global decision-making.
• The objective should be to transform the existing “pyramid of privilege” into a “platform of partnership”, where countries have a meaningful voice and stake in shaping international rules and institutions.

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