GLOBAL SOUTH: With over 30 countries vying for BRICS membership, the upcoming summit in New Delhi could reshape the landscape of global power dynamics and signify a bold leap towards greater unity among emerging economies.
More than 30 countries are said to have applied for full membership of BRICS, signalling the growing significance of the strategic bloc in international relations.
The decision of whether or not to expand the existing 11-member bloc will be taken at the next BRICS heads of state summit, also known as the 18th BRICS Summit, next month. It will be held in the Indian capital New Delhi under the chairmanship of President Narendra Modi. India is the current Chair of BRICS, having assumed the 2026 mantle from Brazil.
In August 2023, when the BRICS summit was held in South Africa, there were more than 20 countries that sought to join BRICS. The increasing interest in BRICS is not coincidental. It is intentional in every respect.
The rush to BRICS is necessitated by the rapid reconfiguration of the international order, with major implications. New alliances are carefully being formed. The voice of the previously inaudible members in the global affairs architecture is becoming brazenly louder. South-South relations continue to take new meaning, enhancing inclusive growth and cooperation. The Global South, also known as the Majority World, is undergoing a rejuvenation that has gradually challenged the dominance of the West in media representation, agenda-setting, and control of the narrative.
