BRICS Insights: BRICS Synergy Growing

Since its formation as a group of leading emerging economies, BRICS has developed strategic cooperation mechanisms on numerous issues, some of which have already been implemented while others remain ongoing issues for dialogue. The flagship initiative is clearly the New Development Bank (NDB), which became operationalized on July 21, 2015.

When one considers that this proposal was endorsed by leaders at the Fifth BRICS Summit that South Africa hosted in 2013 — and is already reality with functional offices in record time — the political power of the intergovernmental forum is clear.

The NDB has already announced its first round of funding for green and sustainable projects for all five BRICS members. Numerous other sectors are ripe for cooperation, enhancing trade within BRICS as well security and social realms such as healthcare, population concerns and education.

BRICS countries continue to exchange views, consult each other and coordinate positions as appropriate and feasible on issues related to the United Nations (UN) as well as other forums, notably the G20 leaders’ meeting. The context in which international relations and cooperative policy is developed is complex. For instance, South Africa, like other BRICS members, has other commitments to global and regional forums and groups, which must be taken into account.

BRICS members must coordinate positions in such forums as appropriate, while the group remains an important caucus where issues of importance to the developing world and to the Global South can be discussed, notably reform of global economic and financial structures, including leadership. BRICS finance ministers meet on the margins of meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions and perform precision work on a wide range of issues.

Likewise, BRICS ministers of foreign affairs and international relations meet on an annual basis on the margins of the UN General Assembly to discuss pertinent issues of mutual interest and coordinate and prepare engagement as appropriate. With respect to the position of the UN Secretary-General, there is a very specific process that informs such deliberations.

An inaugural straw poll was just conducted. All BRICS member states will be consulting each other as such as a matter of principle. South Africa will exchange views with various partners, including other BRICS members, especially the two permanent UN Security Council members, China and Russia, to ensure that an appropriate candidate who will promote the African Union’s continental agenda is elected.

Synergy in the BRICS group is encouraging to South Africa as the group’s influence continues increasing, as seen in the annual Summit Declarations that the BRICS leaders issue.

The core of the BRICS agenda is to enhance cooperation amongst its members. Every Summit Declaration features an action plan, which is the most transparent work program of any such forum and highlights key areas of cooperation as well as new areas to explore. Every summit chair also publishes outcome documents after sectoral meetings.

South Africa will continue to play a central role in positioning the government to achieve optimal cooperation at BRICS summits and make an ideal response to the national, regional and global developmental agenda while ensuring that the synergy of such engagements is improved however possible.

South Africa has contributed to the creation of two structures: the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Think Tanks Council, which were the group’s summit deliverables in 2013. South Africa advocated for and supported the inclusion of Track 3 and civil society structures in BRICS architecture. South Africa has and continues to play an important role in the enhancement and continued functioning of numerous BRICS structures and sectoral areas of cooperation.

BRICS partners have certainly appreciated South Africa’s proactive contributions to the group’s institutions. South Africa will continue to work together with its partners on strengthening this group with the support of domestic socio-economic policy, so that tangible deliverables will be apparent to the peoples of BRICS, which constitute about 42 percent of the global population.

Excerpted from an interview with Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, by The BRICS Post editor-in-chief Zeenat Saberin