BRICS Can Shape 'Refreshed' Global Order: Naledi Pandor

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Naledi Pandor, who is in Russia for a two-day meeting, said on Tuesday that the world is at an important moment and BRICS can introduce a refreshed global order.

Pandor noted that the "BRICS bloc is a legitimate voice of the global South regarding global governance reform," adding that the intergovernmental organization remains a "critical player in global agenda setting for economic, political and social cooperation," SA News reported.

Foreign Ministers from the expanded BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) came together for a two-day meeting to discuss international relations, global governance reform and conflict resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led this meeting, which is the first since BRICS added Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia in 2023.

Pandor said that the expansion of BRICS shows its growing importance and the crucial role of working together to support the interests and values of emerging and developing countries.

"It also signals our hunger for a body in the globe that embraces progressive ideals and seeks to alter the current nature of international relations to a more inclusive, equitable and development-oriented world," she said.

She went on to inform her colleagues that the world's "current complex divided global environment" requires BRICS to keep supporting the idea of working together with many countries, adding that it is crucial to keep things stable and promote cooperation, especially when there's a lot of uncertainty about global politics.

The minister further said that multilateralism remains the only solution to successfully address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, underdevelopment, climate change, migration, disease, human trafficking, terrorism and hunger.

"I am convinced that our mutually beneficial cooperation through BRICS uplifts communities instead of increasing their vulnerability," she added. "We have to urgently accelerate our collective action to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

Pandor noted that BRICS is committed to a successful Summit of the Future as it can support efforts that bridge the development divide and provide new solutions to tomorrow's challenges.

"We believe the summit presents an opportunity to revitalize the multilateral system and fulfil our promises to reform the current system of global governance to make it more representative and inclusive for everyone," she added.