BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration, backs UNSC reform, condemns Pahalgam terror attack and unilateral tariffs
New Delhi, Sep 12 (UNI) BRICS leaders on Saturday unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 on the opening day of the 18th BRICS Summit, delivering a significant diplomatic outcome for host India amid deep geopolitical divisions within the expanded 11-member grouping, while endorsing India's call for zero tolerance towards terrorism and rejection of double standards in countering the menace.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the consensus after the leaders' deliberations, saying no member country had raised an objection to the joint document. The declaration, adopted under India's chairship and the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", sets out a broad agenda spanning global governance, UN Security Council reform, economic institutions, trade, terrorism, West Asia, maritime security and sustainable development.
Marking the 20th anniversary of BRICS, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to what they described as the "BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus". They pledged to deepen cooperation through the grouping's three established pillars - political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The declaration said BRICS would continue working towards "peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth", while upholding the UN Charter and the central role of the United Nations. The consensus assumes particular significance as BRICS has expanded substantially in recent years and now brings together major emerging economies from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, even as differences among members persist over international conflicts, trade policies and the future architecture of global governance. The leaders made a strong case for restructuring the international system to give emerging and developing countries a greater role in global decision-making.
They reiterated their commitment to reforming global governance to make the international and multilateral system "more just, equitable, agile, effective, efficient, responsive, representative, legitimate, democratic and accountable". The declaration called for "greater and more meaningful participation and representation" of emerging market and developing economies, as well as least developed countries, particularly from Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes. It also stressed equitable geographical representation and greater participation of women in international organisations, noting that no woman has so far been elected Secretary-General of the United Nations.
On the long-pending reform of the UN Security Council, the BRICS leaders called for comprehensive changes to make the Council "more democratic, representative, effective and efficient", including greater representation of developing countries. The declaration said such reform should result in an "amplified voice of the Global South". In a significant reference for India, China and Russia, both permanent members of the Security Council, reiterated their support for the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the United Nations, including the Security Council. "China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, reiterate their support to the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council," the declaration said.
The statement comes at a time when India's campaign for permanent membership of a reformed Security Council has gathered support from several countries, while the composition and functioning of the Council continue to be criticised as inadequate to reflect the geopolitical and economic realities of the 21st century. BRICS leaders also demanded changes to the architecture of global economic governance, making reform of the Bretton Woods Institutions a continuing priority. They called for the International Monetary Fund and other institutions to become "more agile, effective, credible, inclusive, fit for purpose, unbiased, accountable, and representative".
"The voice and representation of EMDEs in the BWI must reflect their relative position in the global economy," the declaration said, referring to emerging market and developing economies. The leaders urged the implementation without further delay of quota increases agreed under the IMF's 16th General Review of Quotas and called for meaningful realignment under the 17th review to increase the share of emerging economies without reducing the representation of other developing countries. Trade was another major area of concern, with BRICS leaders warning against growing protectionism and unilateral trade measures. They reaffirmed "unwavering support for reform of the World Trade Organization" and backed a "non-discriminatory, open, equitable, transparent, fair, inclusive, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core".
The declaration noted that "the multilateral trading system has long been at a crossroads" and voiced "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules". The leaders also strongly advocated the immediate restoration of an accessible, effective and fully functioning two-tier binding WTO dispute settlement mechanism, which has been weakened by prolonged institutional paralysis. The declaration further condemned "the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law", warning of their far-reaching implications for human rights and development. On international peace and security, the leaders expressed concern over continuing conflicts, geopolitical polarisation and rising military expenditure, arguing that increased spending on weapons was coming at the expense of development financing.
They underscored the principle that "security among all countries is indivisible". The BRICS leaders also addressed the volatile situation in West Asia, expressing deep concern over escalating tensions and calling for restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and full humanitarian access to Gaza. They welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon and called for implementation of relevant UN resolutions. Reaffirming support for the Palestinian cause, the declaration backed "the State of Palestine's full membership in the UN in the context of the unwavering commitment to the two-state solution".
It supported the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians. The declaration's strongest language on security was reserved for terrorism, with the BRICS leaders specifically condemning the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed. "We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed," the declaration said. "We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured."
The explicit reference to the Pahalgam attack represents a significant diplomatic endorsement for India's position against terrorism, particularly as New Delhi has consistently sought international recognition of the need to address terrorist networks, their financing, safe havens and cross-border movement. BRICS reaffirmed its commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including "cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens". It called for "zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards" in counterterrorism efforts and stressed that terrorism must not be associated with any religion or nationality.
The leaders also called for the expeditious finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and concerted action against UN-designated terrorists. Maritime security also figured in the declaration, with the grouping stressing the need to protect seafarers and ensure the safety and continuity of vital commercial shipping routes amid heightened military tensions in several regions.
The adoption of the declaration on the first day of the summit was a major objective for India, which assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026. During its presidency, India has sought to place greater emphasis on the interests of the Global South, inclusive growth, technological innovation, sustainable development and reform of global institutions. India has also held more than 400 BRICS-related meetings and events across around 30 cities during its chairship, culminating in the leaders' summit in New Delhi. Addressing the leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi underscored the changing nature of the international system and argued that a transformed world could not continue to be governed by outdated rules.
The Prime Minister's message was that BRICS had reached a level of maturity at which declarations alone would not be sufficient and that the grouping would have to translate its consensus into concrete action on global governance, economic reform, peace and security. The New Delhi Declaration thus places BRICS at the centre of India's effort to advance a more representative and multipolar international order while maintaining the grouping's consensus-based character.
To commemorate two decades of BRICS, India also released two special postage stamps, marking the evolution of the grouping from its original four-member formulation into a significantly expanded platform representing a substantial share of the world's population and economic activity. The unanimous adoption of the declaration, despite differences among members on several major geopolitical questions, gives India a significant diplomatic takeaway from its 2026 chairship and reinforces New Delhi's argument that BRICS can serve as an important platform for articulating the collective voice of the Global South and pressing for reforms in institutions created in an earlier era.
(Written by Shahid K. Abbas)
