Gathering in Brazil, BRICS foreign ministers unsuccessful in issuing a collective statement.
In a surprising turn of events, the Brics foreign ministers' meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday ended without a joint declaration, revealing rifts amidst the supposed show of Global South solidarity. This unexpected breakdown occurred due to conflicts regarding the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform, a longstanding dream for Brazil, India, and South Africa.
The expanded Brics group, including six newer members like Egypt and Ethiopia, faltered in reaching a consensus. The stumbling block was negotiations over language related to UNSC reform. Egypt and Ethiopia vehemently opposed references that seemed to endorse the permanent seat bids by Brazil, India, and South Africa, with Cairo insisting that such discussions were inappropriate within the BRICS forum.
To resolve the issue, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, urging him to relent. However, Egypt held firm, turning down the appeal[1].
This failure to produce a joint statement exposed the growing complexities and divisions within the Brics bloc as it expands. The newer members are hesitant to back the existing candidates, creating obstacles in achieving unanimous approval for reforms that require consensus[2]. Furthermore, resistance towards formal endorsement mechanisms is a complicating factor, as Egypt maintains that BRICS should avoid explicit endorsements[3].
These developments underscore the challenges BRICS faces in harmonizing the interests of founding and newer members as the group rapidly expands[3][4].
- The Brics foreign ministers' meeting in Rio de Janeiro reportedly ended without a joint declaration, with the expanded group, including Ethiopia, failing to reach a consensus on UNSC reform language.
- Egypt and Ethiopia were against references that seemed to endorse the permanent seat bids by Brazil, India, and South Africa, insisting that such discussions were inappropriate within the BRICS forum.
- To resolve the issue, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, urging him to relent, but Egypt held firm and turned down the appeal.
- The failure to produce a joint statement underlines the complexities and growing divisions within the Brics bloc as it expands, with newer members hesitant to back the existing candidates and creating obstacles in achieving unanimous approval for reforms.
