25 Years of BRICS: The Global South’s Rebellion

Source: Público | Original Published At: 2026-09-09 19:30:00 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS Summit is held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the BRIC acronym.
• BRICS+ is described as having 11 full members and growing partner relationships, representing about half of the world population, around 40% of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms, and roughly one-quarter of international trade.
• The article argues that the IMF and World Bank still reflect the 1944 Bretton Woods power distribution, with BRICS+ holding 12.93% of IMF voting rights compared with 38.61% for the G7.
• BRICS+ is presented as defending balanced representation, sovereignty, non-interference, consensus and multilateralism rather than acting as an ideological alliance.
• The piece highlights BRICS+ efforts to reduce dependence on the dollar through trade in national currencies, alternative payment and settlement mechanisms, and the New Development Bank.
• It warns that the transition toward a more multipolar order could face risks from possible US escalation to preserve its relative power.