Joint Statement of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations Nizhny Novgorod Russian Federation10 June 2024

Joint Statement of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations Nizhny Novgorod Russian Federation10 June 2024

1. The BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations met on 10 June 2024 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. They exchanged views on major global and regional trends and issues. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the framework of BRICS Strategic Partnership under the three pillars of cooperation – politics and security, economy and finance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. They reaffirmed their commitment to the BRICS spirit featuring mutual respect and understanding, equality, solidarity, openness, inclusiveness, and consensus.
2. Welcoming the active participation of the new members of BRICS, the Ministers assured continued support to their seamless and full integration into BRICS cooperation mechanisms.
3. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to multilateralism and upholding the international law, including the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN) as its indispensable cornerstone, and the central role of the UN in an international system in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain international peace and security, advance sustainable development, ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and promoting cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect, justice and equality.
4. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to enhancing and improving global governance by promoting a more agile, effective, efficient, responsive, representative, legitimate, democratic and accountable international and multilateral system and to assuring greater and more meaningful participation of developing and least developed countries, especially in Africa, in global decision-making processes and structures, and making them better attuned to contemporary realities.
5. Mindful of the 2023 Johannesburg II Declaration the Ministers voiced their support for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including BRICS
countries, to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council. They also recognized the legitimate aspirations of African countries, reflected in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
6. The Ministers reaffirmed the important role of the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation that comprises both developed and developing countries on an equal and mutually beneficial footing where major economies jointly seek solutions to global challenges to the achievement of universally beneficial and inclusive global economic growth. They expressed their firm view that the G20 should continue to function in a productive manner, focusing on the delivery of concrete outcomes, taking decisions by consensus. They reiterated their commitment to a balanced approach by continuing to amplify and further enhance inclusiveness of the G20 process through the effective integration of the voice of the Global South in the G20 agenda. They welcomed and supported the inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20 at the G20 New Delhi Summit.
7. The Ministers reiterated that the consecutive G20 presidencies of India, Brazil and South Africa in 2023-2025 lay a solid ground for addressing inequalities, imbalances and shortcomings in the world economy, expressed support for continuity and collaboration in their G20 presidencies and wished them all success in their endeavours. In this regard they endorsed the three priorities of Brazil as the G20 Presidency: fighting hunger, poverty and inequality; sustainable development in its three dimensions; and global governance reform, and looked forward to the successful hosting of the 19th G20 Summit under the Brazilian G20 Presidency. They reaffirmed their willingness to coordinate positions on the G20 agenda.
8. The Ministers reiterated that the objectives and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, including its principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances, must be honoured. The Ministers called on all parties to fully implement the Convention and the Agreement. They emphasized the need for developed countries to enhance transfer of low-cost climate technology in an affordable and accessible manner, capacity building along with affordable, adequate, predictable and timely new additional financial resources as critical enablers of climate action in developing countries. They reaffirmed the call for developed countries explicitly listed in Annex II of the Convention to honour their climate finance commitments, including the collective goal of mobilising USD 100 billion per year to support the needs of developing countries. They stressed the need to set up an ambitious New Collective Quantified goal on climate finance prior to 2025, as per the needs and priorities of developing countries. The Ministers expressed opposition to the imposition of any restrictive measures in global trade as a pretext for combatting the climate change. The Ministers recognized that the UNFCCC process is the appropriate forum to decide issues related to climate change in all dimensions. This extends to support for the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as their National Adaptation Plans. The Ministers reiterated the importance of addressing the adaptation finance gap including by doubling adaptation finance which is also key to implement Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience. Further, it is important that the UN agencies, MDBs and other international agencies also support the climate actions of
the developing countries with additional and concessional climate finances, capacity building, technical assistance, and financing transfer of affordable climate technology.
9. The Ministers recalled that the UNFCCC, including the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) sessions, is the appropriate and legitimate international forum to discuss the issue of climate change in all its dimensions. The Ministers rejected attempts to link security with the climate change agenda. The Ministers commended the United Arab Emirates for hosting the COP28 on 30 November – 13 December 2023 in Dubai. The Ministers supported Azerbaijan’s and Brazil’s leadership in hosting COP29 in 2024 and COP30 in 2025 and welcomed India’s candidacy to host COP 33 in 2028.
10. The Ministers welcomed the creation of the loss and damage fund under the UNFCCC in COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh and its operationalization in the UAE in COP28 and confirmed its important role in supporting all developing countries in responding to the losses and damages of climate impacts.
11. The Ministers stressed the importance of country ownership through just transitions pathways of the transition and transformation responding to climate change challenges and contributing to global effort to tackle climate change, with developed countries taking the lead and providing needed support to developing countries in line with the respective obligations under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.
12. The Ministers expressed full commitment to a successful COP29 in Azerbaijan, with an expectation of strong outcomes on climate finance to developing countries, as a critical enabler for delivering on the current and future nationally determined actions and ambitions in mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.
13. The Ministers noted the increasing relevance of the interface between sustainable development and global health issues, while recognizing that international health cooperation shall be inclusive, based on equity and result-oriented for the benefit of all people. They reaffirmed that the global health architecture should be open, inclusive, science based, depoliticised and based on the principles of equity and transparency, equality, mutual respect, in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and with due respect to the sovereignty and interests of all countries. They reaffirmed their commitment to intensify efforts at national level towards achieving universal health coverage, including improving equitable access to quality essential health services and safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all and the collective capacity for global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and strengthening the ability to fight back any such pandemics in the future collectively.
14. The Ministers supported enhancing BRICS coordination on global health. They acknowledged that BRICS cooperation on countering TB and AMR as well as strengthening capacities in preventing communicable diseases and other health issues such as non-communicable diseases, research and development, experience sharing, including on traditional medicine systems, health financing, nuclear medicine, digital health, emergency early warning system, strong health system, local production and health partnership greatly contributes to relevant international efforts.
15. The Ministers recognised the negative impact on the world economy and sustainable development from unilateral approaches in breach of international law. They expressed concern about the use of unilateral coercive measures, which are incompatible with the principles of the Charter of the UN and produce negative effects on economic growth, trade, energy, health and food security notably in the developing world.
16. They condemned unilateral, punitive and discriminatory protectionist measures, that are not in line with international law, under the pretext of environmental concerns, such as unilateral and discriminatory carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs), due diligence requirements, taxes and other measures and reconfirmed their full support for the call in COP28 related to avoidance of unilateral trade measures based on climate or environment. They also opposed unilateral protectionist measures, which deliberately disrupt the global supply and production chains and distort competition.
17. The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of biodiversity conservation, including the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. They highlighted the need to combat pollution, including in the marine environment. Highlighting the significance of Circular Economies, they stressed the importance of capacity building, technology innovation, and international cooperation to advance these issues. The Ministers highlighted the need to ensure a just and equitable outcome of the negotiations on the plastics for a new plastics treaty. They highlighted the importance of ensuring just and managed transitions that is supported through an additional, accessible, adequate financial mechanism and resources, and clean technology transfer programmes to developing countries to support them in delivering any commitments, programmes or actions to be included in the new agreement.
18. The Ministers recognized the importance of ensuring food security and nutrition, promoting rural development. They encouraged further cooperation in agriculture and food security.
19. The Ministers expressed their support for an open, transparent, fair, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core, with special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing countries, including Least Developed Countries as the key foundational principle of the WTO. They commended the United Arab Emirates for hosting the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) from 26 February to 2 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi. They committed to provide support for the necessary WTO reform with the aim of strengthening resilience, enhancing the authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the Organisation. This is to be achieved through member-driven, inclusive, and transparent negotiations. They called for the restoration of a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024, and the appointment of new Appellate Body Members without further delay.
20. The Ministers welcomed the adoption of the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
21. The Ministers noted the establishment of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. They also reaffirmed that the rush for these minerals, which are mostly found in the developing world, should not replicate the previous injustice and inhumane history of colonialism. The Ministers called for these minerals to be beneficial to the socio-economic well-being of the societies and countries where the minerals are found. They further agreed that the countries where those minerals are available should have the opportunity to be a part of the global value chains without any discrimination rather than just be exporters of raw materials.
22. The Ministers expressed their support to promote just and balanced energy transitions, as befitting respective national priorities and circumstances by efficient use of all energy sources, namely renewable energy, including biofuels, hydropower, fossil fuels, nuclear energy and hydrogen, among others, which are crucial for just energy transitions towards more flexible, resilient and sustainable energy systems.
23. The Ministers recognized the need for a comprehensive reform of the global financial architecture to enhance the voice of the developing countries and their representation in the international financial institutions. They reaffirmed the call in COP27 to ensure that the reform of the International Financial Institutions would focus on increasing the scale of finance, enable simplified access to the resources. They looked forward to a successful 2025 shareholding Review of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. They supported a robust Global Financial Safety Net with a strong quota-based and adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF) at its centre. They called on continuing the process of IMF governance reform including creating a new quota formula reflecting the economic size of its membership during the overall review of quotas.
24. The Ministers stressed on the need for reforming the policies and practices of multilateral development banks (MDBs) to increase their lending capacities, to be able to better assist developing countries in financing their development needs and enhancing their climate action, in line with the Sharm El-Sheikh Action Plan of COP27 which Egypt hosted in November 2022.
25. The Ministers encouraged the New Development Bank to follow the member-led and demand-driven principle, employ innovative financing mechanisms to mobilise financing from diversified sources, enhance capacity building and knowledge exchange, including with knowledge sources from developing countries, assist member countries in achieving the SDGs and further improve efficiency and effectiveness to fulfil its mandate, aiming to be a premier multilateral development institution for EMDCs. They agreed to jointly develop the New Development Bank to a new type of Multilateral Development Banks of the 21st century. They urged the Bank to execute its purpose and functions in accordance with the Agreement on the New Development Bank in a fair and non-discriminatory manner. The Ministers expressed their support to the further expansion of the NDB membership and early consideration of applications of BRICS Member countries as per the NDB approved policies.
26. The Ministers underscored the importance of the enhanced use of local currencies in trade and financial transactions between the BRICS countries. They recalled the paragraph 45 of the Johannesburg II Declaration tasking the Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors of the BRICS countries to consider the issue of local currencies, payment instruments and platforms and to report back to the BRICS Leaders.
27. The Ministers expressed the intention to promote energy cooperation among the BRICS countries. They emphasised that guaranteeing universal access to affordable and reliable energy and ensuring energy security is a crucial foundation for economic development, social stability, national security, and the welfare of all nations worldwide. They called for resilient global supply chains, especially of certain minerals, materials and technologies, critical for energy transition, for ensuring predictable and stable energy supply. They also called for resilient global supply chains to ensure universal access to affordable, accessible, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy sources. They also stressed the importance of enhancing energy security and market stability by strengthening value chains, promoting open, transparent, and competitive markets, and ensuring the protection of critical energy infrastructure.
28. The Ministers welcomed the cooperation between transport agencies of the BRICS countries and the outcomes of the BRICS Transport Ministers meeting held on 6-7 June 2024 in Saint Petersburg. The Ministers pointed out the importance of convergence of approaches to develop efficient and secure international transport corridors for BRICS economic growth. They emphasized as equally important the need to ensure the safety of current international transport corridors to prevent supply chain disruptions and ensure maritime transport security in accordance with international law. They also called for necessary information exchange in the transport sphere to increase logistics efficiency and reduce transport costs. The Ministers committed to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States while carrying out transport cooperation.
29. The Ministers expressed their concern about ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world. They reiterated their commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy, inclusive dialogue and consultations in a coordinated and cooperative manner and supported all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises. The Ministers reiterated the need for full respect of international humanitarian law in conflict situations and the provision of humanitarian aid in accordance with the basic principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence established in UNGA resolution 46/182.
30. The Ministers recognized the importance of the increased participation of women in peace processes including in conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction and development, and sustaining peace.
31. The Ministers agreed that the international community is confronted with multiple risks and challenges rarely seen before, and various security issues keep flaring up, which poses a serious threat to world peace and stability. The Ministers called on the international community to seek collective answers to global and regional challenges and security threats, including terrorism. The Ministers stressed the need to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and to respect the legitimate and reasonable security fora.
44. The Ministers noted the paramount importance of the efforts aiming at accelerating the implementation of the resolutions on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, including the Conference
convened pursuant to UN General Assembly Decision 73/546. They called on all invited parties to participate in this conference in good faith and engage with this effort constructively.
45. The Ministers also called for the full implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1540 which offers states an important impetus for adopting effective and robust measures at the national level to prevent weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials from getting into the hands of non-state actors, including terrorists, as well as frameworks for cooperation at the international level for this aim.
46. The Ministers reasserted their support for ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS) and of its weaponization. While recalling the importance of the PAROS-related provisions of the Outer Space Treaty (OST), they emphasized the need to discuss a legal multilateral instrument on PAROS. They recognised the submission to the Conference on Disarmament in 2014 of the updated Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT). They stressed that practical and non-binding and voluntary commitments such as Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs), may also contribute to PAROS.
47. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion of an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful ICT-environment. They underscored the leading role of the United Nations in promoting constructive dialogue to forge common understandings on security of and in the use of ICTs including developing a universal legal framework in this domain. The Ministers commended the ongoing work of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Security of and in the Use of ICTs 2021-2025. In light of the existing and potential threats of malicious use of ICTs, the Ministers reiterated the urgency of elaborating a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes and expressed their support for the successful finalization of the work of the UN Ad Hoc Committee in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolutions 74/247 and 75/282.
48. The Ministers also acknowledged the need to advance practical intra-BRICS cooperation including through the implementation of the BRICS Roadmap of Practical Cooperation on Ensuring Security in the Use of ICTs and its Progress Report and the activities of the BRICS Working Group on Security in the Use of ICTs. They welcomed the decision to establish the BRICS Points of Contact Directory.
49. The Ministers reiterated the need for all countries to cooperate in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms under the principles of equality and mutual respect. They agreed to continue to treat all human rights, including the right to development, in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis. They agreed to strengthen cooperation on issues of common interests both within BRICS and in multilateral fora including the United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council, taking into account the necessity to promote, protect and fulfil human rights in a non-selective, non-politicised and constructive manner and without double standards. They called for the respect of democracy and human rights and underlined that they should be implemented on the level of global governance as well as at national level. They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all with the aim to build a brighter shared future for the international community based on mutually beneficial cooperation.
50. The Ministers expressed serious concern over exponential spread and proliferation of disinformation and misinformation. They emphasised the importance of ensuring free flow of and public access to accurate fact-based information, and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of opinion and expression as well as digital and media literacy in order to allow for meaningful connectivity, in accordance with applicable national and international law.
51. The Ministers expressed deep and sincere condolences to the people and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the tragic death of President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other victims.
52. The Ministers noted the considerable interest of emerging markets and developing countries in joining BRICS. They discussed the Partner Country Model in line with the paragraph 92 of the Johannesburg II Declaration. They reviewed the progress on the relevant preparations to be reported to the BRICS Leaders by the XVI Summit in Kazan.
53. The Ministers committed to enhancing engagement with the developing countries. They welcomed their participation in the special session to be held on 11 June 2024 within the framework of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting as a good opportunity for exchange of views on current global and regional developments.
54. The Ministers expressed their full support to the Russian Federation’s BRICS Chairship in 2024 under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”. They expressed their commitment to working together to ensure the success of the XVI BRICS Summit. The Ministers looked forward to the next BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations meeting to be held on the margins of UNGA79 and hosted by Brazil as incoming Chair of BRICS in 2025