How is greater BRICS cooperation reshaping the Global South's future?

BRICS, an acronym derived from its first five members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – is increasingly recognized as a key force in shaping an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

The BRICS cooperation mechanism has emerged as the most important platform for solidarity and collaboration among emerging markets and developing countries, collectively known as the Global South.

The upcoming summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, scheduled for July 6 to 7, 2025, marks a historic milestone: the first to convene under the expanded format of 11 full members and 10 partner countries, reflecting the group's growing global reach and strategic importance.

An era of greater BRICS cooperation

China has played a central role in the expansion of BRICS, transforming the group from a coalition of five emerging economies into a broader platform representing the wider Global South.

In 2017, during its rotating presidency, China formally proposed and developed the "BRICS Plus" model.

This model enriched the significance of BRICS cooperation and expanded the group's global partnership network to include more countries from the Global South, according to Xu Xiujun, a professor of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

To date, more than 100 countries and international organizations have participated in dialogue and cooperation under the BRICS framework, Xu said, adding that the "BRICS Plus" model has also laid a crucial foundation for the group's steady expansion toward the Global South.

During its 2022 presidency of BRICS, China formally proposed launching its expansion process. The following year, in 2023, BRICS took a historic step by initiating its first round of enlargement. On January 1, 2024, five new countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia – officially joined as full members.

Later that year, in October 2024, BRICS leaders gathered in Kazan, Russia, for the 16th summit, the first following the group's historic expansion, ushering in a new era of greater BRICS cooperation.

The greater BRICS cooperation marks a shift in the Global South from a relatively loose international force toward a more institutionalized structure centered on the BRICS cooperation mechanism, said Xu.

It also reflects BRICS' broader ambition to advance the modernization of the Global South and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

In January 2025, Indonesia officially joined BRICS as the newest full member. Additionally, nine other countries – Malaysia, Thailand, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Uganda and Nigeria – were welcomed as BRICS partner nations. Last month, Vietnam became the 10th BRICS partner country.

"BRICS has been very successful in its ability to bring together countries with fundamentally different values, worldviews, and political and economic systems," read a policy report by think tank Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, released in May 2025.

Together, BRICS countries now account for nearly half of the world's population and contribute more than 50 percent to global economic growth, according to one estimate.

According to the World Economic Outlook released in April by the International Monetary Fund, BRICS countries accounted for 40.2 percent of global GDP (measured by purchasing power parity) in 2024, with projections rising to 40.7 percent in 2025, while the G7's share is expected to decline from 28.8 percent to 28.4 percent over the same period, highlighting the former's growing economic weight as the latter's influence continues to wane.

BRICS expansion has improved the ability of Global South countries to defend their development rights and increased their resilience to global economic shocks, according to Sun Degang and Maria German, researchers at Fudan University.

In their co-authored paper, Sun and German said the enlarged BRICS has enhanced the bargaining power of developing countries.

A stronger voice of Global South

BRICS now is committed to acting as a driving force in global governance reform and enhancing the voice and representation of the Global South.

A case in point came in May 2025, when BRICS countries jointly condemned the United States' imposition of so-called reciprocal tariffs, which pose a serious threat to the global economy and international trade, with particularly damaging consequences for the development prospects of Global South countries.

The criticism was voiced during a special video conference of the BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues, held on May 12 under Brazil's rotating presidency. They expressed their joint support for the multilateral trading system and shared opposition to unilateralism and trade protectionism.

Beyond economic and trade cooperation, BRICS has increasingly positioned itself as a defender of global peace, stability and international justice.

This commitment was reaffirmed in June 2025, when Brazil issued a joint statement on behalf of the group's member states in response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The statement expressed grave concern over the military strikes against Iran since June 13, describing them as a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It also voiced serious concern over any attacks on peaceful nuclear installations.

Public perception of BRICS as a mechanism for leading cooperation among Global South countries is overwhelmingly positive, according to the "2025 Survey Report on BRICS Cooperation in the New Era of Global Development," released on June 30, 2025.

The survey, which covered 35 countries and over 13,000 respondents across five continents, found an average approval rating of 95.8 percent for BRICS. In countries such as Bangladesh, Chile, Cuba and Iran, support exceeded 97 percent.

Xu noted that the Global South has long struggled to translate shared goals into collective action due to institutional barriers.

However, BRICS offers a crucial platform for cooperation and a pathway for the Global South to participate more effectively in global governance, he said.

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