The leaders of the BRICS group approved this Saturday, in New Delhi, the New Delhi Declaration, a joint document calling for "maximum restraint" in the face of worsening geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The declaration expresses "deep concern" about the course of the conflict and demands strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, directly calling for the protection of civilian populations and infrastructure.
The 140-item document underscores the importance of "maintaining the steady flow of global trade, supply chains, and energy," warning of the dangers of blockades that may affect the international economy. At the same time, BRICS adopted a firm position against the use of coercive mechanisms by Western powers, condemning the imposition of unilateral coercive measures contrary to international law, which they consider to generate "profound negative implications for human rights" and disrupt free trade.
The summit took place at the Bharat Mandapam convention center in New Delhi, and the main challenge of the meeting was to reach a common text among nations with frequently divergent diplomatic alignments, including on the war in Ukraine. The endorsement of the declaration put an end to doubts about the group's internal coordination capacity.
The BRICS bloc is currently composed of 11 countries: the founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, joined by the new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia, reinforcing the group's weight in the Global South.
