At last year’s BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, thirteen new partner countries were invited to join BRICS. Of these, nine countries have accepted the invitation and, as of Jan. 1, 2025 have now officially become partner members. These countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. The other four countries invited to join which have not as yet responded are Algeria, Nigeria, Türkiye and Vietnam.
Brazil has now taken over as head of the BRICS for 2025, what Planalto (Brazil’s Office of the Presidency) calls “the prominent forum for political and economic cooperation among nations of the Global South,” according to an announcement on its website.
Brazil’s agenda for this year is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Its five priorities are “1. Facilitating Trade and Investment: Promoting economic integration through the development of efficient payment systems. 2. Regulating Artificial Intelligence: Encouraging inclusive and responsible AI governance for development purposes. 3. Addressing Climate Change: Enhancing financing mechanisms to support global efforts, in coordination with the COP30 climate summit. 4. Public Health Collaboration: Strengthening cooperation projects among member countries, focusing on improving public health systems. 5. Institutional Development: Bolstering the internal frameworks of BRICS to ensure effective governance and decision-making.”
