BRICS VS the UN
The BRICS, previously conceived as an economic bloc of leading developing countries, is now facing a serious choice that may determine the future of the organisation and its influence. Against the background of the weakening authority of the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and other organisations, which mostly act in the interests of the US and the most influential Western countries, the BRICS has the opportunity to create a new world order that is fairer to countries that do not want to restructure their policies to suit the US, the EU and large international corporations.
The emergence of the BRICS as a popular platform for dialogue among countries of the Global South
The idea of creating an organisation in which the countries of the Global South would play a major role, reflecting above all their increased economic influence, dates back to the 1990s. As early as 2001, the term ‘BRIC’ was coined to refer to the four countries that decided to expand their co-operation: Brazil, Russia, India and China. At that time, it was impossible to call this association viable or significant; the project was more ‘on paper’ than in the international arena.
The emergence of BRIC (since 2011 - BRICS) as a significant organisation for global politics began in the mid-2000s. In 2006, the first meeting of BRIC foreign ministers took place, and when South Africa joined the bloc, its final name - BRICS - was formed. Although South Africa was economically inferior to the rest of the grouping, it ensured that the leading country on the African continent was represented in BRICS. This contributed to the BRICS representation in the world and was a bid to grow the role of the BRICS in the world, especially in the territories of the Global South. BRICS now includes countries from all continents except Australia and Oceania.
The first BRICS summit was held in 2009. At the same summit, the first BRICS Political Declaration was adopted, which referred to the lack of attention of key international institutions to developing countries and artificial restrictions on their growth. This became the value base for the BRICS activities.
Thus, BRICS is an informal association of the leading countries of the Global South + Russia (which does not belong to the Global South, but opposes Western dominance), which is built on the principles of equality, multipolarity, non-interference in each other's domestic politics, economic development and mutual assistance. The BRICS countries oppose economic and financial neoliberalism based on the Western model. Unlike the UN, EU, NATO and other international organisations, BRICS has a less strict organisational structure: it does not have a charter, a secretary-general or head, a government, elected bodies (EU) or an army (NATO). The BRICS leader changes every year, with Russia assuming this role in 2024.
BRICS currently has ten member states, with about 30 more interested in joining, including Turkey and Azerbaijan. In 2024, BRICS members include Egypt, UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.
In 2020, the GDP of the BRICS countries was almost equal to that of the G7, but after that the G7's performance slowed down while the BRICS grew. In 2023, the BRICS accounted for 32.1% of global economic growth, while the G7 accounted for 29.9%. According to the IMF, the BRICS countries will generate 33.6% of global economic growth by 2028, while the G7 figures will fall to 27.8%.
Against the backdrop of US attempts to consolidate its hegemony in the world, as well as the continued exploitation of third world countries for the benefit of Western countries and corporations, the BRICS bloc has managed to increase its credibility both politically and economically. The BRICS values were close to many developing countries, as well as the wealthy countries of the Middle East: the idea of economic development assistance and non-interference in internal affairs was favoured.
BRICS Summit in Kazan in October: key issues and their global impact
BRICS has the potential to create a more equal and fair world order, but in order to do so, the organisation needs to resolve several fundamental issues for itself. Some of them are likely to be discussed at the upcoming forum in Kazan on 22-25 October. In addition to the BRICS heads of state, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan are expected to attend the forum.
Despite the fact that the forum's programme has not been announced yet, it is safe to assume that the main topics of discussion will be the creation of BRICS' own currency, prospects for the implementation of the BRICS payment system, and the establishment of BRICS as an institution. It is also likely that on the sidelines of the forum there will be talks between the heads of Russia, China and Brazil on the Brazil-China ‘peace plan’, which is not attractive for Russia at the moment, as it envisages freezing the conflict rather than a long-term solution.
The issue of creating its own currency system for the BRICS countries promises to be the most debatable. Firstly, the BRICS economies are dollar-centred in one way or another. For example, China, in fact, has two exchange rates: one for the domestic market and the other for international settlements, which depends on the dollar exchange rate. Secondly, a common currency requires harmonisation of the BRICS countries' payment systems, the creation of common rules and the willingness of the countries to follow them, as well as large-scale investments. Third, the creation of a common currency is complicated by the BRICS expansion process and the lack of a clear organisational structure, which, for example, has not been faced by the EU countries.
The imposition of sanctions against Russia has catalysed the idea of the need to reduce the role of the dollar in settlements between the BRICS countries. Therefore, the initiative to introduce a system of international settlements may have a high chance of success in the near future. This system will be beyond the control of sanctions and blockades by Western countries. Based on statements by Russian officials, the settlement system may be based on digital technologies and blockchain, which allow transactions to be carried out without resorting to SWIFT. The development of a BRICS payment system could confirm Russia's technological ambitions as a country with a highly developed financial system and thus enhance its credibility among the BRICS countries.
Finally, the BRICS countries are going to discuss issues related to the format of the association. It is known that BRICS has neither formal requirements for candidate countries nor a charter and rules. In the era of its inception, BRICS benefited from high flexibility in decision-making, but given the growing tensions between the West and the Global South, a unified strategy is needed if BRICS as a bloc is to present a viable alternative to Western institutions.
Prospects for the "replacement" of the UN by the BRICS
The Ukrainian conflict, Israeli operations in Palestine and Lebanon have once again confirmed the UN's inability to stop military conflicts and ensure compliance with international law. The UN is now a platform for discussions and disputes, but the organisation's authority as a guarantor of peace and development is almost lost every year. Developing countries are especially disappointed in the UN's activities: despite the UN slogans about equality and development, the organisation is subordinated to the interests of the US and allied countries that do not intend to share power and influence.
Recently, the UN has been increasingly criticised by heads of state. One of them is Turkish President Recep Erdogan. He has repeatedly spoken out about the UN's inaction and the need to reform the Security Council. Speaking at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said, "We regret to see that in recent years the UN has inadequately fulfilled its fundamental mission and has increasingly turned into a dysfunctional, clumsy and inert structure. These days we need more and more the values represented by the slogan ‘A world bigger than the five’ [permanent members of the UN Security Council]. We are witnessing that international peace and security are too important to be left to the judgement of only five privileged countries. Change is needed."
In theory, these processes could benefit the BRICS, which proclaims the principles of equitable development, multipolarity and rejection of the economic dominance of Western countries. In reality, in order to compete with the UN and other organisations, the BRICS needs to undertake large-scale transformations, the most important of which is the willingness to develop common goals and methods of achieving these goals.
BRICS is still experiencing serious problems with this aspect. While economic co-operation among the BRICS countries is growing and developing, political co-operation has so far gone no further than declarations of intentions. In order for BRICS to reach a new level and increase the influence of the countries, the members must resolve their political contradictions and understand whether they are ready to challenge the established world order centred on the US and Western countries. For example, there are many problems in China-India or Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, and not one of the countries is ready to give up its orientation towards the US, especially China and India. For example, China is still hesitant to challenge the transformation of Taiwan into a de facto overseas territory of the US, while India has signed an economic co-operation agreement with the US in 2023, which promises it multi-billion dollar US investments.
This state of affairs, if it continues, will make it impossible to promote BRICS as a political bloc, since, unlike BRICS, the Western international and regional organisations - NATO and the EU - demonstrate enviable unity. This largely ensures the superiority of the Western bloc on the UN platforms, where European countries strictly follow the guidelines from the US.
Summarising the prospects of the BRICS, we can say that the association has an impressive potential to transform the current world order, which is unfair to many countries. At the same time, the political development of the BRICS is clearly lagging behind the economic growth of the member countries, which is due to many contradictions and localised conflicts between the member countries, especially India and China.
To increase the political sustainability of the BRICS, and hence its transformation into a meaningful political structure, the BRICS countries should identify their common interests and understand that Western countries will never engage in equal dialogue with the countries of the South, except when it is necessary to cause discord among the countries of the Global South, as was the case with the USSR and the PRC in the 1970s. In addition, BRICS needs to develop its own charter and rules for admitting new members so that membership in BRICS does not become a way to receive aid and investment without any return on the part of the joining country. Taken together, these steps would contribute to the BRICS' credibility in the world, and in the event of further decline of the UN, it is the BRICS that could become a truly global platform for constructive dialogue.
