BRICS configurations: representation of the majority world

The document examines the evolution of BRICS from a financial acronym to an intergovernmental group, focusing on its annual declarations. It finds that while BRICS successfully used the G20 to push for reforms in the IMF and World Bank following the 2007-8 financial crisis, there remains a significant gap between its high-level declarative statements and actual collective policy implementation.

• The BRICS configuration uses its annual intergovernmental declarations to project a shared vision of enhancing the world order and representing the interests of low-income, emerging, and developing countries, despite the members having diverging domestic governance models and economic ideologies.
• Common themes in BRICS declarations are categorized into five areas: practical cooperation, global economic governance, international security, cultural diversity, and shared principles such as openness and solidarity.
• In its early years, BRICS successfully translated discursive goals into action by influencing the G20 to implement reforms in international financial institutions, specifically regarding IMF quota reforms and a shift in voting power at the World Bank to favor emerging market economies.
• While the alliance has expanded since 2023 to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Ethiopia, the 'BRICS Plus' arrangement remains informal, with non-BRICS countries interacting via individual interstate agreements rather than a formalized group channel.
• There is a persistent lack of evidence regarding collective policy coordination and implementation, suggesting that annual gatherings and non-binding declarations are insufficient measures of the group's success in acting for the majority world.

APA

Kodabux, A. (2024). BRICS configurations: representation of the majority world. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/brics-configurations-representation-of-the-majority-world

Chicago

Kodabux, Adeelah. BRICS configurations: representation of the majority world. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/brics-configurations-representation-of-the-majority-world.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kodabux |first1=Adeelah |title=BRICS configurations: representation of the majority world |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=28 October 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/brics-configurations-representation-of-the-majority-world |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kodabux2024brics, author = {Kodabux, Adeelah}, title = {{BRICS configurations: representation of the majority world}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://afripoli.org/brics-configurations-representation-of-the-majority-world}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }