BRICS Foreign Ministers Fail to Issue Joint Statement

Brasilia: Opposition from some African nations to United Nations Security Council reform blocked a joint declaration at a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, exposing divisions as the bloc expands and undermining efforts by Brazil to project unity.

The two-day gathering of the BRICS officials – representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and six newer members including Egypt and Ethiopia – ended without a consensus document, a rare breakdown in what was expected to be a show of cooperation with the Global South.

The failure to produce a joint statement followed disagreements over language related to reform of the UN Security Council, a long-time ambition of Brazil, India and South Africa.

Egypt and Ethiopia objected to references that appeared to endorse these countries’ bids for permanent seats, with Cairo reportedly insisting that the Brics forum was not the appropriate venue for such discussions.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in an unsuccessful bid to urge el-Sisi’s government to drop the opposition, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported, citing diplomatic sources.

The lack of internal consensus over the issue had already led to the failure of the group’s foreign ministers to produce a joint statement last year for the first time. The rift has largely pitted the five anchor members and those added to the framework at the Johannesburg summit in 2023.

Tensions over Security Council reform underscore challenges facing Brics after its 2023 expansion, which brought in Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. While China and Russia strongly backed the enlargement, Brazilian diplomats had warned of potential dilution of their country’s influence

When expansion became inevitable, Lula’s team successfully negotiated for stronger language in support of Security Council reform in previous Brics communiques – language that Egypt and Ethiopia now appear unwilling to reaffirm.

A draft joint statement seen by the Post earlier on Tuesday watered down language around Security Council reform, a move aimed at preserving unity ahead of the leaders summit scheduled for July in Rio de Janeiro.

The text focused more on criticising unilateral protectionist measures and calling for a renewed defence of the multilateral trading system, reflecting mounting international concern over US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.

The draft statement expressed “serious concern” over the rise of “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures” that they claim violate World Trade Organization rules.

The alleged transgressions included the indiscriminate implementation of tariffs and the misuse of environmental standards to create trade barriers. The document warned that such actions threaten to destabilise global supply chains and fuel greater uncertainty across the world economy.

The language aligned with the group’s long-standing support for multilateralism, and comes at a time of heightened trade tensions following Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs, which were paused for 90 days shortly after implementation earlier this month. Many of the punitive levies remain in effect on imports from China.

However, these changes were apparently not enough for members opposing the initiative to sign on.

Speaking anonymously, officials from two BRICS delegations said the largely agreed on trade-related language, including criticism of unilateral protectionist measures, did not bridge the differences over Security Council reform.

Instead of a joint statement, Brazil, which chairs Brics this year, issued a unilateral “presidency statement” defending its and India’s aspirations for Security Council reform, omitting South Africa in an attempt to avoid further friction with dissenting African members.

On Monday, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira opened the gathering by calling on BRICS to be a “force for good” in an increasingly fragmented world, stressing the group’s ability to promote peace, security, and equitable development.

Echoing Vieira’s appeal, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement released by his department on Tuesday that 80 years after the founding of the United Nations, the world faced a new period of “turbulence and change.”

Wang urged BRICS countries to champion a vision of security based on dialogue rather than confrontation, partnerships over alliances, and mutual benefit instead of zero-sum competition.

“BRICS countries should strengthen unity and cooperation, oppose power politics and double standards, advocate the peaceful resolution of crises and conflicts through diplomacy rather than force, cooperation rather than confrontation, and multilateral rather than unilateral means,” Wang’s ministry said.

Alongside trade and governance issues, the ministers reiterated calls for peaceful solutions to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, among other conflicts.

China, in particular, voiced strong support for dialogue, with Wang Yi pledging that Beijing would continue working with BRICS partners to promote peace in both the Middle East and Europe.

Beijing also emphasised the importance of initiatives like the Brics vaccine research and development centre and broader efforts to address challenges in emerging fields such as deep-sea exploration and outer space.