Brazil leads Brics in 2025 with focus on climate, AI and group expansion

From January 1, 2025, Brazil will assume the presidency of the Brics group, which brings together some of the world’s main emerging economies. The country will host the group’s summit meeting for the fourth time, with the mission of promoting dialogue between the ten members and advancing crucial issues for building a more sustainable world.

In an interview with Agency Brazil, Ambassador Eduardo Saboia, chief negotiator (or sherpa) of Brics, highlighted the relevance of the group, which represents more than 40% of the world’s population and around 37% of global GDP adjusted by purchasing power parity. “If you want to build a better world, a sustainable world, Brics has to be part of this construction. It is important that there is an understanding between these countries because this understanding helps you achieve a broader understanding [com outros países]”, he stated.

Focus on climate and Cop-30

Under Brazilian leadership, Brazil intends to focus on crucial topics, such as climate change, sustainable development with poverty reduction and artificial intelligence (AI) governance. These topics complement debates already consolidated in the group, such as global governance reform and the use of local currencies in trade between member countries.

The climate issue gains prominence due to the holding of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP-30), in Belém, Pará. “How can we take advantage of the Brics presidency to build an understanding that can help for the success of COP-30? The countries that are members of Brics have a central role in the issue of energy, which is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions”, said Saboia.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance

Another topic of interest is the governance of AI, a technology that the ambassador defines as “disruptive”. Despite the absence of a global regulatory framework, Saboia expects progress during the Brazilian presidency: “Who knows, in the BRICS, during the Brazilian presidency, we can advance the idea of ​​having a vision from these countries on what the governance of artificial intelligence should be like” .

Expansion of the group and inclusion of new members

Brics has undergone significant expansion in recent years. In 2023, during the summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the group invited Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates to join the group from January 2024. Saboia emphasized that the expansion reflects the success of Brics and its ability to represent the Global South.

“The Brics today arouse great interest and it is important that it is representative of the countries of the global south, of emerging countries,” he stated. For Brazil, the expansion speaks directly to its historical position of supporting the reform of global bodies, such as the UN Security Council. “It makes sense for us to have an expansion of the Brics. Now this platform has an agenda, it has a certain meaning, so the countries that entered embraced these achievements”, he explained.

Furthermore, Brazil intends to strengthen the category of countries associated with Brics, with 13 invited nations, including Cuba, Bolivia, Turkey, Nigeria, Indonesia, Algeria, Belarus, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Vietnam and Uganda. According to Saboia, the priority will be to ensure a smooth and effective integration. “One of the priorities of our presidency is to make these countries feel part of the Brics family,” he stated.

Consolidation and challenges

For Saboia, the role of Brics goes beyond building global solutions; the group also functions as an international stabilizer. “It’s stabilizing because if you have these countries, which are very different and have different political systems, each with their own challenges, understanding each other and they meet every year, that’s good for everyone, because that’s where solutions come from for the population” , he concluded.

With a robust agenda and global challenges ahead, Brazil intends to use its presidency to consolidate Brics as an indispensable forum for advancing global issues. The group’s next meeting will be an opportunity to strengthen its role as a force of unity and representation on the international stage.

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with agencies