By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
Various global leaders convened in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the annual BRICS leaders summit which commenced 6 July, Sunday. This comes in the wake of United States President Donald Trump introducing a new tariff policy against BRICS members by an extra 10%, as this meeting will aim to find ways in which to increase cooperation with one another while facing this current bloc.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa make up the BRICS alliance, as it was established in order to counteract Western dominated global structures. With global forums such as G20 and G7 that host major economies suffering impedances by the tariff war instigated by the United States President, BRICS has become a space where multilateralism and diplomacy can thrive.
Donald Trump has issued threats against any country seeking to join BRICS via his social platform Truth Social; “Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an additional 10 % tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The original BRICS group was made up of Brazil, Russia, India and China as they convened for their first summit in 2009. South Africa was added to the bloc later. The membership as of last year includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. 30 other nations have also expressed interest in either being a partner or being a fully-fledged member of BRICS. Airlangga Hartarto who is the Senior Economic Minister of Indonesia, is expected to pay a visit to the United States in order to address these potential tariff increases.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had made comparisons BRICS with the Cold-War’s Non-alignment Movement, which also aimed to oppose a polarized global order by forming a group which makes policies that align with the ideals of developing countries, in his opening remarks at the summit. “Brics is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement…with multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again.” said Lula Da Silva at the summit. BRICS currently represents half the global population and contributes 40% of its global economic output, as Lula Da Silva warns of “rising protectionism”.
The leaders that were gathered at Rio Museum of Modern Art included Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. President Ramaphosa had addressed the ongoing conflicts that are happening around the world, including the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the continued brutalization of the Palestinian people. “The recent attacks by Israel and the United States on the Islamic Republic of Iran raise serious concerns of International law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the protection of civilians.” said Ramaphosa in his remarks at the summit.
There is a concern that although leaders of BRICS convene to discuss crucial matters and policies especially within the global south, there is still a lack of implementation of these policies and combat these growing conflicts. Despite this concern, there has been meaningful cooperation within the BRICS membership, with China being Africa’s largest trading partner, with trade being valued at $280 Billion. In order to bypass Western traditional systems, BRICS nations have taken to trade in their local currencies. BRICS has always been a platform for critical dialogue to be had amongst various nation leaders, even if there are moments of disagreement. Africa will intend on improving their multilateral trading outcomes through BRICS.