South African Envoy Makes Case for BRICS Amid Global Disorder

Source: India Today | Original Published At: 2026-09-10 07:46:12 UTC

Key Points

• South African High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal spoke at India Today’s BRICS Roundtable on Africa Rising: BRICS’ Next Frontier.
• Sooklal said BRICS should be judged by what its members deliver rather than by the number of meetings it holds.
• He cited India’s hosting of the G20 summit as evidence that the Global South can lead and bring countries together amid geopolitical conflicts.
• He described the current international environment as “global disorder” and pointed to challenges faced by the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation and UNESCO.
• Sooklal said reform of global governance, especially the United Nations Security Council, remains a major BRICS issue, citing the 2023 China-Russia declaration and noting that progress has been slow because countries holding privileged positions are reluctant to give up power.
• He highlighted BRICS efforts to explore alternative payment mechanisms, saying finance ministers and central bank governors have been tasked with this work, and argued that de-dollarisation reflects broader changes in the international financial system.
• He acknowledged that BRICS has been slow to translate its structures into greater trade among member countries and said the private sector must play a larger role alongside governments.