BRICS: Group’s Chairmanship Passes from Russia to Brazil
Brazil will focus on a range of global issues, from bloc-based cooperation to solidarity with the Global South, finding viable alternatives to the dollar and creating a multipolar global order
On January 1, 2025, Brazil officially assumed the annual chairmanship of BRICS, a group of countries originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Exactly one year ago, starting January 2024, the group also was joined by Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, whose status in the organization is under review.
The Russian Chairmanship was marked by a number of undeniable successes: after the sixteenth annual summit of the group, held in the Russian city of Kazan on October 5-6, Russia handed over the chairmanship of the group to Brazil, which is much larger and more powerful also at the economic and financial level. In addition to the 9 full members of the organization fighting for a multipolar world, 13 countries were called to become “BRICS partners.” Thailand, Bolivia, Belarus, Cuba, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uganda, and Uzbekistan immediately formalized their membership, while official responses are pending from Nigeria, Turkey, Vietnam, and Algeria.
The new status of associated states will allow representatives of partner countries to participate in BRICS foreign ministers’ meetings throughout the year, as well as in annual summits.
According to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pictured), “cooperation, solidarity with the Global South, an alternative to the dollar in international settlements, creation of a multipolar global order, and the reform of international multilateral bodies, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization” will be the central themes of Brazil’s presidency. Lula emphasized that “in addition to developing the themes outlined for 2025 at the Kazan summit, Brazil will also continue to implement the initiatives presented during Brazil’s presidency of the G20,” including “the fight against climate change and poverty in the Global South, as well as responsible governance of artificial intelligence.”
The theme of environmental protection and energy transition will also be developed during COP 30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in November 2025 in the Brazilian city of Belem.
Finally, the Brazilian government announced that the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), currently headed by former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, will “play a fundamental role” in financing the energy transition in the Global South by channeling resources into infrastructure that supports digitalization and decarbonization. “If we want to build a better and more sustainable world, BRICS must participate,” Ambassador Eduardo Saboia, the Brazilian government’s representative to BRICS, told Agencia Brasil, recalling that the total population of the influential international group represents 40% of the world’s population, and the group countries’ GDP approaches 36% of the gross product of the entire world.
