The world is at a crucial turning point, requiring decisive leadership and innovative ideas, and BRICS has a unique opportunity to influence a refreshed global order.
This is according to International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, who spoke in Russia on Tuesday.
"The BRICS bloc is a legitimate voice of the global South regarding global governance reform. We also remain a critical player in global agenda setting for economic, political and social cooperation," Pandor said.
The Foreign Ministers from the expanded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group of nations met for a two-day meeting focused on current international relations, global governance reform and conflict resolution.
The meeting, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is the first since the bloc expanded in 2023 to include Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia.
The Minister believes that the expansion of BRICS is evidence of the bloc's growing importance and the critical role of cooperation in collectively promoting the shared interests and values of emerging and developing countries.
"It also signals our hunger for a body in the globe that embraces progressive ideals and seeks to alter the current nature of international relations to a more inclusive, equitable and development-oriented world."
She told her colleagues that the "current complex divided global environment" demands that BRICS continue to advocate for multilateralism to play a critical role in fostering stability and cooperation in times of significant geopolitical uncertainty.
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"Therefore, for our collective, multilateralism remains the only solution to successfully address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, underdevelopment, climate change, migration, disease, human trafficking, terrorism, and hunger, and to ensure an environment of sustainable peace and continuous development.
"I am convinced that our mutually beneficial cooperation through BRICS uplifts communities instead of increasing their vulnerability," she added.
The Minister said it is evident that the world is currently falling short of achieving the development goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This, she said, was due to increased economic risk for the most vulnerable and persistent low growth for those with the greatest need.
"We have to urgently accelerate our collective action to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
South Africa, Pandor stressed, is committed to a successful Summit of the Future.
"We are convinced that it could support efforts that bridge the development divide and provide new solutions to tomorrow's challenges.
"We believe the summit presents an opportunity to revitalise the multilateral system and fulfil our promises to reform the current system of global governance to make it more representative and inclusive for everyone," Pandor said.
