The BRICS Summit which was set up more than 10 years ago as an informal group of states comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to promote cooperation and collaboration amongst member countries in various areas, including economics, finance, trade and geo-politics, took place in Johannesburg, South Africa this year.
The main headline from this year’s BRICS Summit was that the 5-member bloc will expand by looking to add 6 new countries who are set to join in January 2024 comprised of Argentina, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE for the first time since South Africa’s admission in 2010.
Chinese President Xi Jinping described the expansion as “historic”, and that the growth of BRICS will “further strengthen the force for world peace and development.” One of the core remits of the summit was to increase its membership and global influence on a stage currently dominated by the US and its allies.
This online event will discuss the expansion of the BRICS bloc, the rise of the Global South and its impact on foreign policy dynamics in the international rules-based order where it is conventionally deemed that the US and its strategic allies have had the monopoly.
Moderator: Kaleem Hussain
Panellists: Anjana Dayal De Prewitt, Akram Raza, Dr Malik Hammad Ahmad