Johannesburg is hosting a BRICS seminar on governance. All members of the bloc, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are represented. The purpose of the seminar is to exchange ideas, and enhance cooperation to ensure global good governance. Yolisa Njamela attended the seminar, and filed this report.

Over a hundred senior leaders and think tanks have gathered here. Key to this seminar is to share experiences on how to build effective global governance, to also expand exchange and cooperation. All BRICS members highlighted that the exchanges and discussions of governance and mutual learnings here are of great significance for BRICS countries to achieve greater development in the future especially for the people.

PROF. RICHARD LEVIN, HEAD NATIONAL SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, SOUTH AFRICA "We have a duty and an obligation not to use political rhetoric to win applause and smiles and ensure that our institutions are not just characterized by bureaucratic compliance. Within the political self, we must build institutions that are innovative, that are agile, that work differently, to ensure that they work for the interest of the people in order to overcome global poverty, unemployment and inequality."

BRICS cooperation not only provides new solutions to global economic governance, but also reflects the understanding of emerging and developing economies on building a more equal-footed new order of global governance. A governance that can bring the mankind into sustainable development.

YOLISA NJAMELA JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "The senior leaders here emphasized the need to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind with people at the center."

GUO WEIMIN, VICE MINISTER STATE COUNCIL INFORMATION OFFICE, CHINA "We take the people's aspiration for a good life as our goal, implementing the 'people first' concept in all governing work, keep pushing forward socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive for historic achievements in the Party's and nation's undertakings."

In a report by the Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 19th CPC National Congress in October last year, one of the key issues outlined was the importance of ensuring that people are at the centre of everything.

GUO WEIMIN, VICE MINISTER STATE COUNCIL INFORMATION OFFICE, CHINA "In that report, in which he mentioned 'the people' more than 200 times, he set an example for caring for the people. He has travelled nearly all over the country, including all of the extremely poor areas. It's safe to say that the CPC's 'people first' concept has become a powerful force that keeps all Chinese people united, and will help realize the Chinese Dream."

These discussions will be featured in the BRICS leadership summit due to take place later this month. Yolisa Njamela, CGTN, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.