BRICS New Delhi Declaration: 10 Key Takeaways on UN Reform, Global Trade, Gaza, AI and Pahalgam Terror Attack | Today’s news

BRICS Summit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026 at the 18th BRICS Summit being held in the national capital.

“No objection was raised by any member. The New Delhi Declaration 2026 was adopted unanimously,” PM Modi said at the summit.

Read also | BRICS joint statement adopted, concerns expressed about conflicts, nuclear risk

The joint statement emphasized the need to engage in conflict prevention efforts, including addressing their root causes. It also reiterated the BRICS countries’ commitment to the peaceful resolution of international disputes through dialogue, consultation and diplomacy.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

The New Delhi BRICS Declaration emphasizes the need for comprehensive reform of the UN system to strengthen the voice of the Global South, notably advocating for Brazil and India to play greater roles in the Security Council.

BRICS leaders stress the urgent need to reform the Bretton Woods institutions to increase the representation, quota shares and voting power of emerging markets and developing economies, reflecting today’s economic realities.

Summit leaders express concern over ongoing global conflicts and urge conflict prevention through dialogue, stressing the importance of addressing the root causes of tensions.

Yes, the BRICS countries are actively studying the interoperability of cross-border payments and pushing for trade settlements in local currencies to facilitate smoother trade between member states.

The BRICS Declaration calls for a firm commitment to zero tolerance for terrorism, condemns acts without double standards and calls for measures against cross-border terrorism and safe havens.

The declaration advocated a multilateral approach that respects different national perspectives and positions on major global issues. The joint statement expressed serious concern over the rise of unilateral tariffs, non-tariff measures that distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.

The BRICS countries reached a consensus on a joint statement after intense negotiations that lasted until the early hours of Saturday morning. The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues. India has held ongoing consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members.

This breakthrough takes on particular significance given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are part of the same forum, despite deep differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues.

The adoption of the 140-point declaration comes at a time when India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi with India’s chairmanship under the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, with development, sustainability and innovation as key focus areas.

Against a backdrop of ongoing conflict and heightened tensions in West Asia, securing consensus among countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates presented a particularly complex diplomatic challenge. India’s diplomatic prowess ensured that these differences did not derail the BRICS process and paved the way for a joint declaration of agreement despite sharply diverging geopolitical positions among the member countries.

Read also | BRICS Summit 2026 LIVE: BRICS Bloc Agrees on New Delhi Declaration

The adoption of the 140-point declaration comes at a time when India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi with India’s chairmanship under the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, with development, sustainability and innovation as key focus areas.

Earlier, PM Modi called for a more ambitious BRICS agenda for the next two decades, presenting the grouping as a platform through which the global South can move from a passive recipient of global decisions to an active force in shaping them.

In his opening address at the BRICS 2026 summit in New Delhi, Modi said the grouping had reached a moment of “maturity” after two decades of building its identity on the global stage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi are participating in the summit.

Here are the key takeaways from the New Delhi Declaration:

1- Concern over ongoing conflicts: BRICS leaders expressed concern over ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world and the current state of polarization and fragmentation of the international order.

The declaration expressed concern over the current trend, which has seen a critical increase in global military spending at the expense of providing adequate development funding to developing countries.

It advocates a multilateral approach that respects different national perspectives and positions on critical global issues, including sustainable development, eradicating hunger and poverty and contributing to the global response to climate change, while expressing deep concern about attempts to link security with the climate change agenda.

Reform

2- Comprehensive reform of the UN and the Security Council: BRICS leaders called for reform of the UN system to strengthen the voice of the Global South, with permanent Security Council members China and Russia explicitly reiterating support for Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council.

3- Governance reform of global financial institutions: The Declaration emphasizes the urgent need to reform the Bretton Woods institutions (IMF and World Bank) to increase the quota share, voting power and representation of the leaders of emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs)..

Read also | China’s Xi Jinping arrives in India after 7 years ahead of BRICS Summit 2026

4- Interoperability of trade and payments in local currency: The BRICS Payment Task Force (BPTF) is actively studying the interoperability of cross-border messaging and payment channels while advancing trade settlement and investment in local BRICS currencies..

5-Renewal of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism: In support of an open multilateral rules-based trading system, members called for the immediate restoration of a fully functional, two-tier binding WTO dispute settlement mechanism and the rapid appointment of Appellate Body members.

6-Rejection of unilateral sanctions and carbon tariffs: BRICS strongly condemned unilateral coercive economic sanctions, secondary sanctions and protectionist measures disguised as environmental policy, such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms.

Two-state solution

Ceasefire 7-Gaza and Palestine two-state solution: The summit urged respect for ceasefire agreements and unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza, while reaffirming a commitment to a sovereign, independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders as part of a two-state solution..

8-Zero tolerance in the fight against terrorism: It strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms without double standards and specifically cites the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir (Pahalgam) and calls for countering cross-border terrorist movements and safe havens..

9-Artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure: Leaders pledged to implement the BRICS Leaders’ Declaration on Global Artificial Intelligence Governance for Secure and Trusted AI, while supporting digital public infrastructure (DPI) storage and solutions..

10- Climate commitments and a diversified energy mix: Members reaffirmed the Paris Agreement based on common but differentiated obligations and prioritized energy security through balanced, diversified energy mixes including renewables, nuclear, bioenergy, fossil fuels and low-emission hydrogen.

(With input from agencies)