South Africa says the expanded BRICS grouping presents an opportunity to strengthen collective engagement on reforming global institutions and advancing the interests of developing countries, despite the added complexity of reaching consensus among a larger membership.
“Yes, it is always a challenge when the grouping becomes larger, but it can also be an opportunity because it means more countries have a voice and can help advance the message that we are promoting,” Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola told SAnews.gov.za on Friday, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India.
Lamola said there was broad convergence among members on key priorities, including the transformation of the global financial architecture, reform of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and climate change adaptation.
“The only area where we could not reach agreement was a narrow issue of interest between two countries. We are hopeful that this platform can be used to find consensus and persuade countries to agree on language reaffirming the UN Charter on issues of peace and security. The issue relates to the Israel-Iran conflict,” Lamola said during an interview with SAnews.
While members had not reached agreement on the matter previously, Lamola said the Summit could provide a platform to encourage support for positions long upheld in international law, including the principles of the UN Charter on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue.
“I believe this meeting can achieve that goal. Even during the Foreign Ministers' meetings, these were issues on which there was largely agreement,” he said.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026, under the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, which reflects a people-centred and humanity-first approach.
BRICS has expanded from its original membership of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia as full members.
The 2025 partner-country framework includes Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
According to India’s BRICS presidency, the 11 member countries account for about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global gross domestic product and 26% of global trade.
The grouping provides a platform for consultation and cooperation on global and regional matters, including political, economic, financial and people-to-people cooperation. -SAnews.gov.za
