Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva convened an emergency BRICS virtual meeting on September 8. It was initially called in response to the Trump administration’s wildly punitive tariffs against BRICS member nations, but the actual subject of discussion was the world system that is required for justice and physical economic development to prevail. All BRICS full members participated: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.
President Lula da Silva focused the discussion:
“Just two months on, we are experiencing a moment of growing instability. It is increasingly clear that the governance crisis is not a cyclical issue. The pillars of the international order created in 1945 are being undermined in an accelerated and irresponsible manner….
“Our countries have become victims of unjustified and illegal trade practices. Tariff blackmail is being normalized as an instrument for conquering markets and interfering in domestic issues. The imposition of extraterritorial measures threatens our institutions. Secondary sanctions restrict our freedom to strengthen trade with friendly countries,” he warned.
“Divide and conquer is the strategy of unilateralism. It is up to BRICS to show that cooperation trumps any form of rivalry. Mutually agreed rules and standards are essential for development,” he emphasized.
He further warned that “when the principle of the sovereign equality of states is no longer observed, interference in internal affairs becomes common practice. The peaceful resolution of disputes gives way to bellicose behavior. Without the support of international law, the failures experienced in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria will be repeated.”
