The Global South must transform from a "rule-taker" to a "rule-shaper," Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told a gathering of world leaders during the BRICS summit in New Delhi, underlining the need for every member state to have a voice.
In his opening statement, PM Modi also said India is ready to take the lead to ensure policymakers of BRICS nations are equipped with the required training.
"We must strive to transform the Global South from a 'rule-taker' into a 'rule-shaper.' Through BRICS, we can equip young diplomats and policymakers from Global South nations with negotiation skills, practical training, and legal expertise," the prime minister underlined at Bharat Mandapam.
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Addressing world leaders, PM Modi said the Global South finds itself at the centre of global crises but lacks decision-making powers.
"Today, the Global South stands in the front row of global crises but in the back row of decision-making. We must transform this 'pyramid of privilege' into a 'platform of partnership', where every nation has a voice, every member has a stake, and the development of humanity lies at the heart of every effort," the prime minister added.
The remarks were made in the presence of Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim, and Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto.
PM Modi also proposed to formulate a reform roadmap before the regional bloc's next summit, focusing on the core pillars of representation, responsiveness, and rule-making.
"I propose that we collectively formulate 10 proposals for global governance reform, which we can endeavor to develop into a 'BRICS Reform Roadmap' by the next summit. In drafting this roadmap, we must focus on three core pillars: representation, responsiveness, and rule-making," the prime minister added.
On representation, he said reforms in the UN Security Council can no longer be delayed, and text-based negotiations must be linked to a definitive timeline and clear, tangible outcomes. Similarly, in international financial institutions, he said that voting power, leadership positions, and policy priorities must align with the concurrent economic realities.
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The BRICS has emerged as a key platform for advancing the interests of the Global South through sustained dialogue, with India hosting the annual gathering in a year that marks two decades of the regional bloc.
India's BRICS chairmanship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach, the PM told the world leaders, adding that resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability remain the bloc's priorities.
BRICS has established a distinct identity on the world stage over the last 20 years, the prime minister noted, underlining that it marks the beginning of a new phase of maturity and responsibility.
The member nations, he said, will move ahead with consensus and not against anyone.
"We respect each other's perspectives and move forward through consensus. We are not against anyone; rather, we strive to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along. The time has now come to translate our unity and consensus within BRICS into tangible outcomes on the global stage," the prime minister added.
Over the next 20 years, the bloc must work toward a new and ambitious agenda, PM Modi said.
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