The 2025 BRICS Seminar on Governance and People-to-People Exchange Forum kicked off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 30. Over 120 delegates from BRICS countries including China, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Egypt and Indonesia, as well as relevant international organizations, conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges around the theme of “Greater BRICS Cooperation: Injecting More Certainty and Stability into a Volatile Global Landscape”.
Chinese delegates noted that the BRICS mechanism has achieved historic expansion, giving shape to the pattern of “Greater BRICS Cooperation”. This has further enhanced the mechanism’s representativeness and influence, making it a stabilizing force amid a world fraught with changes and upheavals. They emphasized that “Greater BRICS Cooperation” should actively advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial, inclusive economic globalization. It is imperative to strengthen the exchange of governance experiences among Global South countries, join hands to build a fair and rational global governance system, promote inter-civilization exchanges and mutual learning, guide the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South, and contribute BRICS’ strength to global development.
Ivone Silva, President of Brazil’s Lula Institute, stated in her speech that BRICS countries account for a significant share of the world’s population and economic aggregate. Cooperation among BRICS nations is not only a response to the current economic and political landscape but also an opportunity to shape a fairer and more sustainable future.
Boris Guseletov, Lead Research Fellow at the Department of Socio-Political Studies under the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out that the integrated development of social justice and global governance is crucial to resolving emerging challenges in international cooperation. He added that the world has entered a new phase of volatility and transformation, and the international order is undergoing profound division and restructuring. The expanded BRICS mechanism will pool efforts to advance common development, uphold multilateralism, and make greater contributions to establishing a more equitable global governance system.
Shediso Matona, Senior Research Fellow at the National School of Government of South Africa, stressed that the evolving geopolitical situation has brought uncertainties to the global economy. Only through solidarity and coordination, demonstrating collective strength and safeguarding the multilateral trading system, can BRICS countries effectively address crises and safeguard the common interests of Global South nations.
As a representative of the new BRICS member states, Wei Zhenyu, Director of the International Relations Program at Indonesia’s Global Research Center for Development, opined that the expansion of BRICS has steadily increased the mechanism’s influence and representativeness on the international stage, equipping it with stronger capabilities to advance various global agendas.
The participants highly recognized China’s significant contributions to actively engaging in global development and governance, as well as leading cooperation among BRICS and Global South countries. They believed that China’s Three Global Initiatives provide a vital platform for cooperation in the cause of human development, security and civilization. The delegates expressed the hope that the BRICS Seminar on Governance and People-to-People Exchange Forum will further strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among BRICS nations, and jointly develop into a key institutional platform for knowledge sharing and civilizational dialogue among the Global South.
During the event, the “BRICS – The Beauty of Humanities” Photo Exhibition organized by the BRICS Association for Visual Arts was held. Two thematic reports were also released, namely Greater BRICS Cooperation: A Stabilizing and Progressive Force Amid Centennial Global Changes and 2025 Survey Report on BRICS Cooperation in the New Era of Global Development.
The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, China International Communications Group (CICG) and Brazil’s Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
