Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the session on 'Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance' at the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil, condemned terrorism as a "grave threat to humanity", underlining the need for urgent reforms in global institutions and highlighting India's commitment to the Global South, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi, during a special media briefing on Sunday (local time), said the Prime Minister's remarks came in the context of discussions on peace, security and multilateral reforms. PM Modi also welcomed the united condemnation by BRICS members of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
"On the session on Peace and Security, Honourable Prime Minister underlined that terrorism was a grave threat facing humanity. In this context, he noted that all the leaders have condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in strongest terms. He underlined that the terror attack is an onslaught on the entire humanity. He also noted that those funding, promoting and providing safe havens to terrorists must be dealt with in the harshest terms," Mr Ravi said.
Mr Ravi added, "Honourable Prime Minister addressed the session on 'Global Governance and Peace and Security', where he reaffirmed India's commitment to enhancing the voice of the Global South."
The Prime Minister noted that existing international institutions created in the 20th century were unable to effectively address modern-day challenges, especially those faced by developing nations.
"He noted that developing countries required greater support for sustainable development in terms of access to climate finance and technology. He reiterated that the global organisations of the 20th century lacked the capacity to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Therefore, he underscored the importance of reforming the multilateral organisations," Mr Ravi said.
"He called for a multipolar, and inclusive world order and stated that the global governance institutions--particularly the UN Security Council, the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO--must undergo urgent reform to reflect the contemporary realities and times," he added.
Speaking about the future of BRICS, Mr Ravi said PM Modi emphasised that the group could help shape a more balanced global order.
"In the session on strengthening multilateralism, economic, financial affairs, and artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister expressed that diversity and multipolarity were valued strengths of the BRICS. He added that BRICS could play an important role in shaping a multipolar world," Mr Ravi said.
PM Modi also proposed the creation of a research and science repository within BRICS and urged cooperation on artificial intelligence.
"In this context, he also gave a few suggestions in terms of considering setting up a science and research repository in the BRICS groups by the Global South countries to focus on supply chains of the critical minerals. Both secured and make it resilient and the BRICS group to work on responsible AI," Mr Ravi added.
He also informed that the Prime Minister would address a session on the environment, climate goals, and health on Monday.
"Tomorrow there will be a session on the Environment, COP 30, and global health. During which the Honourable Prime Minister will reiterate India's deep commitment to environmental action. He will also elaborate on the initiatives taken by India to promote pro-people and pro-planet growth and development, and he will highlight India's initiatives in the context, particularly the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Global Biofuels, and International Big Cats, Mission LiFE among others," Mr Ravi said.
On the joint declaration adopted at the summit, Mr Ravi said India's key priorities were reflected well.
"This will be the broadly the themes for the session and doing which have been very well captured in the leaders' declaration which was adopted by the leaders today. And you would say it's a very exhaustive document running into several paras. From India's point of view, most of our concerns have been very well captured," he said.
He further said that the sixth paragraph of the declaration strongly emphasised the need to reform the United Nations and the Security Council.
"I would like to bring to your attention on the sixth para, where there is a very strong expression for reform of the global multilateral institutions, in particular the UN and the UN Security Council, in which countries of the global sought to play an active role. This time that para and that formulation has been further strengthened. Over the Kazan's formulation where it got reiterated reinforced in terms of India and Brazil to play an active role in international affairs and multilateral bodies in the UN systems and in the Security Council. I think this is a very, very strong reiteration of the increasingly important role both India and Brazil will play. So we are very satisfied with this formulation," he said.
The paragraph reads: "Recognizing the 2023 Johannesburg-II Leaders' Declaration, we reiterate our support for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council's memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including BRICS countries, to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council."