BRICS+ in Rio: a bold voice for the global south

This week, the world watched as Rio de Janeiro became the epicentre of multi-polar ambition.

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The XVII BRICS Summit, the first held in Brazil since the bloc's historic expansion closed with the Rio Declaration, a sweeping 90+ point manifesto aimed at reshaping the world's economic and political architecture.

Aspirational and unapologetically assertive, the declaration stands as a powerful counterpoint to the outdated neoliberal script that has dominated global governance since Bretton Woods.

From the outset, BRICS+ made its intentions clear. This is no longer a loose coalition of "emerging markets." It is a political project rooted in sovereignty, fairness, and systemic reform, united by a shared determination to build a world that works for the majority, not just the privileged few. The summit's theme, "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance", echoed loudly throughout Rio that this summit was not about following rules made in Washington or Brussels, but about rewriting them.

With over half the world's population now represented across 11 full BRICS+ members and 11 additional partner countries, the group embodies the Global Majority. This summit reaffirmed the bloc's core message, that developing nations are not passive players in global affairs they are protagonists.