The 16th BRICS Summit that began in Kazan, Russia on Tuesday adopted a Kazan Declaration on Wednesday, committing member-nations to strengthen cooperation under the three pillars of ‘political and security’, ‘economic and financial’, ‘cultural and people-to-people cooperation’.

The BRICS nations agreed to enhance their “strategic partnership for the benefit of our people through the promotion of peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth”.

The Statement said, “We welcome the considerable interest by countries of the Global South in BRICS and we endorse the Modalities of BRICS Partner Country Category.”

“We strongly believe that extending the BRICS partnership with EMDCs will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and true international cooperation for the benefit of all. We commit to further promoting BRICS institutional development,” the Statement said.

The Summit noted “the emergence of new centres of power, policy decision-making and economic growth, which can pave the way for a more equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order”.

“Multipolarity can expand opportunities for EMDCs to unlock their constructive potential and enjoy universally beneficial, inclusive, and equitable economic globalization and cooperation,” the Statement said.

“Bearing in mind the need to adapt the current architecture of international relations to better reflect the contemporary realities, we reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism and upholding the international law, including the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN) as its indispensable cornerstone, and the central role of the UN in the international system, in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain international peace and security, advance sustainable development, ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all as well as cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect, justice and equality,” the Statement said.

The Kazan Statement on the BRICS Summit said, “We reiterate our commitment to improving global governance by promoting a more agile, effective, efficient, responsive, representative, legitimate, democratic and accountable international and multilateral system.”

“We call for assuring greater and more meaningful participation of EMDCs and least developed countries, especially in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes and structures and making them better attuned to contemporary realities,” the Statement said.

The Summit called for “increasing the role and share of women, especially from EMDCs, at different levels of responsibilities in the international organizations. As a positive step in this direction, we acknowledge the G20 Call to Action on Global Governance Reform launched by Brazil during its G20 presidency.”

“We also acknowledge dialogues and partnerships which strengthen cooperation with the African continent like Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, India-Africa Forum Summit, Russia-Africa Summit, and Ministerial Conference,” the Statement said.