Leaders from the five BRICS nations have agreed to continue their cooperation towards achieving strong and inclusive growth in a post-pandemic world, and called for the recognition of Covid immunisation as a global public good.

It was also acknowledged that continued relevance of the UN system would be determined by its ability to adapt to contemporary realities in the New Delhi declaration endorsed at the end of the 13th BRICS Summit chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

The virtual meet was also attended by Brazil President Jair Bosanaro; Russian President Vladimir Putin; Chinese President Xi Jinping; and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“As we continue our efforts to strengthen our cooperation towards achieving strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive economic growth in a post-pandemic world, we welcome the sharing of policy experience by BRICS countries on their domestic economic responses to the pandemic,” the declaration said.

Macroeconomic stability

The leaders recognised that the macroeconomic stability of the BRICS economies would play a major role in achieving global recovery and stability. “We endorse the BRICS Statement on Global Economic Outlook and Responding to Covid Crisis adopted by our Finance Ministers and central bank Governors,” it said

Recognising that the production of Covid vaccines has provided the greatest hope to conquer the pandemic and that extensive immunisation is a global public good, the leaders regretted the glaring inequity in access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, especially for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. “We note.. the ongoing discussions in the WTO on a vaccine Intellectual Property Rights waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS Agreement and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health,” the declaration added

Origin of Covid

The leaders also highlighted the need for cooperation on the study of the origins of the SARS-COV-2 – an important aspect in the fight against the pandemic.

The five resolved to strengthen and reform the multilateral system to make global governance more responsive and agile, effective, transparent, democratic, representative and accountable to member States.

“We recall the 2005 World Summit Outcome document and reaffirm the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges. China and Russia reiterate the importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil, India and South Africa in international affairs and supported their aspiration to play a greater role in the UN,” the declaration highlighted.

The summit also supported India's perspective on the ongoing developments in Afghanistan.

“There was a very strong condemnation of terrorism and that the Afghan territory should not be used either for terrorism or for drug trafficking and that it should not become a problem in the neighbourhood,” said Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV & OIA), MEA, said at a press conference.

The leaders also expressed appreciation of the role of India during its ongoing tenure in the UNSC for 2021-2022.

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