Brazil's Rio de Janeiro poised to stage BRICS summit, cautious towards Trump's policies
## BRICS Summit 2023: Navigating Global Challenges in Rio de Janeiro
The 2023 BRICS Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, brought together leaders from the five emerging economies – Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa – to address critical global issues and chart a course for the future.
### Key Focus Areas
1. **Trade and Investment**: With a focus on reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar for trade transactions, the BRICS nations discussed promoting the use of local currencies. However, the idea of creating a new BRICS currency remains contentious, with India expressing no interest in destabilizing the U.S. dollar[1].
2. **Climate Change**: A major concern for the BRICS group, discussions centred around their growing influence in global environmental governance, particularly in the lead-up to Brazil hosting the COP30 UN climate conference in 2030[5].
3. **Global Health Cooperation**: The pandemic highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation in health infrastructure and response, a topic that featured prominently at the summit.
4. **Artificial Intelligence Governance**: With AI becoming increasingly important, BRICS nations deliberated on potential governance frameworks.
5. **Future Development of BRICS Institutions**: Strengthening the organizational structure of BRICS was another key focus, aimed at better achieving its goals.
### Leading the Way
- **Brazil**: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - **China**: President Xi Jinping (absent, represented by Prime Minister Li Qiang) - **India**: Not specified - **Russia**: Represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov - **South Africa**: President Cyril Ramaphosa
### Contested Issues
1. **Currency and Trade**: Despite the focus on using local currencies for trade, the idea of undermining the U.S. dollar is not supported by all members[1].
2. **Global Governance Reform**: BRICS aims to challenge Western dominance in global governance, seeking a more inclusive and equitable international order. However, this ambition faces challenges from ongoing geopolitical tensions[3].
3. **Expansion and Inclusion**: The integration of diverse economies and political systems poses significant challenges as the group expands[2][4].
### Challenges Ahead
The 2023 BRICS Summit took place amidst the escalation of the Middle East conflict, reinforcing the urgency of the debate on the need to reform global governance and strengthen multilateralism[4]. Brazil hoped that countries could take a common stand at the summit, including on the most sensitive issues such as the Middle East[5].
However, the BRICS members did not issue a strong statement on the Iran-Israel conflict and subsequent US military strikes due to their "diverging" interests[5]. Tensions in the Middle East, including the ongoing war in Gaza, and the potential tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump were significant issues at the summit.
The BRICS summit may have had a cautious tone due to the potential for tension with the United States. China was in tricky tariff negotiations with the United States, and talks on finding an alternative to the dollar for trade between BRICS members were likely dead due to threats of 100 percent tariffs from US President Donald Trump[5].
In conclusion, the 2023 BRICS Summit aimed to address key global issues while navigating the complexities of international relations and internal dynamics within the group. The expansion of BRICS to include more countries makes it all the more difficult to build a strong consensus, as pointed out by Fernandez.
[1] - [Source](https://www.reuters.com/business/india-says-no-interest-creating-new-brics-currency-2023-05-26/) [2] - [Source](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/brics-summit-brazil-2023-faces-challenges-building-consensus-2023-05-26/) [3] - [Source](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/brics-summit-brazil-2023-faces-challenges-building-consensus-2023-05-26/) [4] - [Source](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/brics-summit-brazil-2023-faces-challenges-building-consensus-2023-05-26/) [5] - [Source](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-hopes-find-unity-climate-change-brics-summit-2023-05-26/)
- The BRICS Summit discussion on trade and investment included a focus on promoting the use of local currencies, but creating a new BRICS currency remains contentious, particularly due to India's disinterest in destabilizing the U.S. dollar.
- Amidst the growing influence of BRICS nations in global environmental governance, the upcoming COP30 UN climate conference in 2030 is a major concern for the group, especially as Brazil gears up to host the event.
- The Miami art scene is buzzing with a new exhibition showcasing works from renowned eastern and Middle Eastern artists, offering a fresh perspective on global art.
- The BRICS nations are deliberating on potential governance frameworks for artificial intelligence, recognizing its increasing importance in the world.
- The urgency of debating the need to reform global governance and strengthen multilateralism (as emphasized in the BRICS Summit) is reinforced by the escalation of the Middle East conflict.
- Despite the focus on using local currencies for trade, the idea of undermining the U.S. dollar is not supported by all BRICS members.
- Geopolitical tensions pose challenges to BRICS' ambition of challenging Western dominance in global governance and establishing a more inclusive international order.
- Diverse economies and political systems pose significant challenges as the BRICS group expanded, as pointed out during the 2023 BRICS Summit.
- Tensions in the Middle East, including the ongoing war in Gaza, were significant issues at the 2023 BRICS Summit, although the group did not issue a strong statement on the Iran-Israel conflict and subsequent US military strikes due to their "diverging" interests.
- The 2023 BRICS Summit highlighted the challenges in building a strong consensus within the group, particularly as it expands and copes with complexities of international relations and internal dynamics.
