BRICS country members have been applauded for their commitment towards the development agenda of the partnership.
While delivering the closing remarks at the BRICS Seminar on Governance, South Africa’s Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ayanda Dlodlo said the country members must celebrate the achievements of the global body and foster an even stronger and more visionary agenda and future for the institution.
“It is true, that when the idea of BRICS was conceived, the rest of the western world and their sympathisers did not give it the slightest chance even to take off, let alone the level of growth we are witnessing now,” she said.
“We must position BRICS as the voice of the voiceless as we push for a just, people-centred and representative global governance system. The exploration of the ‘BRICS Plus’ phenomenon to broaden our partnerships and maintain dialogue with other developing nations is a step in the right direction,” she added.
The minister emphasized on the importance of the BRICS noting that it is the duty of the global body to introduce to the world a new way of doing international cooperation adding that the visionary approach and commitment to partnerships would also strengthen country members’ prospects and capacity to achieve the objectives of Agenda 2030.
The one-day seminar that took place on the July 4 brought together more than 120 representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and other southern African countries from leading think tanks, universities and enterprises.
Participants of the seminar engaged in candid discussions and in-depth exchanges on the theme of “Contributing BRICS’ Wisdom to Global Governance in the Interests of the People”.
The minister urged BRICS country members to position themselves as developing countries to support developing countries in playing an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system, upholding justice in the reform of the global governance system, protecting the interests of the people as well striving to address the challenges of developing countries in the global governance system.
“It is incumbent upon BRICS countries to take forward the people-centred and driven values of BRICS so as to influence the discourse at an international level,” she said.
Seminar participants also articulated the view that conditions must be created for the BRICS mechanism to play a leadership role in regional and global governance and promote the building of a global community with a shared future for humankind.
Dlodlo also remarked that the Seminar needs to be held annually in the rotating presidency, where participants will focus on the theme of the BRICS Summit, share experience in governance, put forward their expertise and suggestions to expand the cooperation of “BRICS Plus”.
She encouraged participants to also explore the establishment of a multi-dimensional, multi-layered and multi-disciplinary BRICS cooperation framework to make the Seminar a regular mechanism and build it into an important intellectual platform, supporting emerging market countries and developing countries to participate in global governance.
The seminar was held as one of the important supplementary events in the run-up to the BRICS summit to be held later this month in Johannesburg.
