BRICS advocate comprehensive UN reform and multilateral cooperation

The BRICS nations have advocated for a ''comprehensive reform'' of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it ''more democratic, representative, effective and efficient'', as they committed to strengthening multilateralism as its indispensable cornerstone.

In the annual meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers held Wednesday on the margins of the ongoing 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the five-nation bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa ''committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, and terrorism financing networks and safe havens,'' according to a media statement issued on Thursday.

The bloc looked forward to further deepening counter-terrorism cooperation.

In the meeting, chaired by the Russian Federation in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2024, the ministers recalled their national positions concerning the conflict in and around Ukraine as expressed at the appropriate fora, including the UNSC and the General Assembly, and ''noted with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy'', the statement said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was not present in the meeting. India was represented by a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs.

The bloc ''reiterated their commitment to strengthening multilateralism and upholding international law'' as its ''indispensable cornerstone, and the central role of the UN in an international system in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain peace and security, advance sustainable development, ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and promoting cooperation based on the spirit of solidarity, mutual respect, justice and equality''.

The BRICS nations ''supported a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries...so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges, and supported the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries...to play a greater role in international affairs,'' the statement said.

The bloc reiterated the need for all countries to cooperate in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms under the principles of equality and mutual respect.

It called for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner by mobilising the means required to implement the 2030 Agenda.

The BRICS nations commended the successful hosting of the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi under the Indian G20 Presidency and welcomed the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

''They reiterated their commitment to a balanced approach by continuing to amplify and further integrate the voice of the global South in the G20 agenda as under the Indian Presidency in 2023 and the Brazilian and South African Presidencies in 2024 and 2025,'' the statement said.

''The ministers noted the increasing relevance of the interface between sustainable development and global health issues while recognising that international health cooperation shall be inclusive, based on equity and result-oriented for the benefit of all people,'' it said.

The bloc reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion of an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful ICT-environment, underscored the importance of enhancing common understandings and intensifying cooperation in the use of Information and Communication Technologies and the Internet, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)