BRICS parliamentary representatives call for reform of global governance

The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasilia. Delegations from 16 countries, including BRICS members and invited states, took part in the event.

Brazil was represented at the opening of the forum by Davi Alcolumbre, President of the Federal Senate (upper house) of the Brazilian National Congress. In his speech, he called for reform of the international security architecture, strengthening of national health systems and the development of rules in the field of artificial intelligence.

Alcolumbre recalled that BRICS countries account for 40 per cent of global GDP and separately noted the active participation of women parliamentarians in the forum, calling it an important achievement.

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin also delivered a speech. He outlined the priorities of Brazil's presidency of BRICS, including the formation of a pandemic response mechanism, the expansion of settlements in national currencies, and the financing of projects by the New Development Bank (NDB). Alckmin called for the strengthening of parliamentary ties and collective action in the areas of global security and health.

Indonesia was represented at the forum by House of Representatives (DPR) legislator Mardani Ali Sera. He stressed the importance of deepening cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, finance and technology, and noted BRICS’ desire to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

"In addition, BRICS member nations have been promoting the use of local currencies in trade among them as a strategic measure to bolster economic resilience," he pointed out.

Deputy Head of Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) Hussein Fadluloh, in turn, said that Indonesia is interested in implementing joint projects on investment and technology transfer, especially in the context of the national policy on deep processing of raw materials.

Belarus was represented at the forum by Sergey Rachkov, Chairperson of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. He stated that the republic aims to become a full member of BRICS and is interested in expanding cooperation with the association in the areas of food, mechanical engineering, and agricultural technology. Rachkov also noted the importance of BRICS as a platform reflecting the interests of the Global South.

Delegations from Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, the UAE, Nigeria, Cuba, Egypt, Bolivia, and Ethiopia also participated in the forum. A joint declaration was adopted at the end of the forum.

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