What's trending, explained.
What's trending, explained.
The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi in September 2026 with leaders unanimously adopting the New Delhi Declaration, a 45-page document of 140 paragraphs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the consensus, noting that no member had raised an objection to the text. The declaration spans trade, finance, counter-terrorism, energy security, and reform of global institutions.
On terrorism, the declaration condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed, "in the strongest terms." Leaders pledged zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and committed to combating terror financing and safe havens. They rejected double standards in counter-terrorism and stated that terrorism should not be linked to any religion, nationality, or civilisation.
On economics, the declaration backed greater use of local currencies for cross-border trade and investment among BRICS members, while ruling out a single BRICS currency. It called for restoring a fully functioning WTO dispute-settlement system, opposed carbon border tariffs, and pressed for IMF and World Bank quota reforms that give emerging economies more voting power.
The declaration also voiced deep concern over escalating tensions in West Asia, urging maximum restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and uninterrupted energy flows through the region. On Gaza, it backed a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Artificial intelligence governance was formally folded into the BRICS agenda, alongside commitments on cybersecurity.
On the sidelines, Modi held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi said peace and tranquillity along the shared border remained essential to the relationship and proposed ties guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. Xi outlined a four-point approach covering strategic understanding, trade cooperation, handling of the boundary question, and multilateral coordination.
BRICS members account for roughly half of the world's population, 40 percent of global GDP, and 26 percent of global trade, so a unanimous statement carries real weight. Reaching consensus was notable given members' sharp differences on conflicts such as Ukraine — which the declaration did not name — and the situation in West Asia.
For India, the explicit condemnation of the Pahalgam attack was a diplomatic gain, since the grouping includes countries with close ties to Pakistan. The local-currency language signals a continued, if gradual, push to reduce dependence on the dollar in trade between member states. The text's careful wording — naming no country on Ukraine, Gaza, or tariffs — shows both the bloc's reach and its limits: consensus was possible only where members' red lines did not collide.
China takes over the BRICS chairmanship for the year ahead, with institution-building expected to continue under its tenure. Observers will watch whether the BRICS Payment Task Force makes concrete progress on cross-border payment links, and whether the Modi-Xi understanding translates into calmer border management and narrower trade gaps. As with all summit texts, the declaration's real test is implementation.