BRICS Is Not Replacing the West, It Is Trying to Change the Rules of the Game in Its Favor

Source: Brasil 247 | Original Published At: 2026-09-08 15:21:46 UTC

Key Points

• India is set to host the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, which the article describes as likely the group's most important meeting in recent years.
• The expanded BRICS now includes 11 members and represents about half the world's population, around 40% of global GDP and about a quarter of global trade.
• The article argues that BRICS is not trying to replace the West but to change the rules of the global order and secure greater influence for the Global South.
• India sees BRICS as a platform to push for reform of the IMF, the World Bank and the UN system while maintaining ties with the United States, Russia, the Quad and the SCO.
• The 2025 Rio Declaration called for a more just, sustainable, inclusive, representative and stable international order and for greater representation of developing countries.
• The article says BRICS' future credibility depends on converting summit commitments into practical cooperation, including cross-border payments, development finance, technology partnerships, food and energy security, and stronger collective representation in global institutions.
• The New Development Bank is cited as an example of an institution created by emerging economies for themselves, although consensus among the diverse BRICS membership remains limited.