BRICS in Transformation

The world is experiencing a period of accelerated reconfiguration of the international order. The combination of geopolitical fragmentation, economic slowdown in developed countries, and the rise of new powers has challenged multilateral institutions and the standards of global governance established after World War II. It is in this context that Brazil's presidency of the BRICS in 2025 gains historic significance.

We recognize that BRICS is one of the most valuable strategic platforms available to Brazil to project its voice and strengthen its international autonomy. In the Brazilian view, the bloc emerged as a necessity whose objective is to generate greater balance in the international system, and currently, BRICS has become an indispensable space for promoting a more inclusive and representative multipolar order.

In the view of the Brazilian State, BRICS is not an exclusive alternative in the dimension of the country's strategic relations with the Western world, nor is it a security alliance or a geopolitical confrontation. Rather, it is a platform for dialogue, consensus-building, and pragmatic articulation in favor of necessary reforms required by the international system.

Brazil should use BRICS to expand its strategic room for maneuver, diversify partners, reduce external vulnerabilities, and strengthen its capacity to act on different international platforms. BRICS is a bridge to Asia, a space for rapprochement with Africa, and a forum that allows Brazil to influence key debates on sustainable development, reform of multilateral institutions, and international finance. This entire vision is supported by the three fundamental principles that guide Brazilian foreign policy doctrine: pragmatism, realism, and universalism in international relations.

Brazil's participation in BRICS is justified, above all, by objective economic reasons. The bloc represents approximately 45% of the world's population and a growing share of global GDP. Increased trade with China, India, and other members of the bloc is already repositioning Brazil in important global value chains, especially in sectors such as agribusiness, energy, and strategic minerals. Furthermore, BRICS financial mechanisms, such as the New Development Bank (NDB), offer concrete alternatives for financing infrastructure, energy transition, and digital inclusion – areas central to Brazilian development.

From a political and diplomatic perspective, Brazil values building bridges between different poles of power. The BRICS, in the Brazilian conception, is a space where, despite occasional disagreements, the peaceful resolution of disputes and the democratization of global governance can be discussed without preconditions or constraints. This should be the essence of multilateralism: unity and dialogue, not fragmentation and diplomatic inaction.

The idea that the BRICS represents an anti-Western effort is incompatible with Brazilian foreign policy and Brazil's strategic interests with Europe and the United States. With European countries, we have a long and productive relationship of cooperation and convergence on multiple issues. With the United States, we have 200 years of history, and the country is our second-largest trading partner and the largest direct investor in Brazil. With both Europe and the United States, we have solid and deep cooperation in the field of defense—across various military programs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Not to mention cooperation in the cultural sector and other areas vital to humanity, such as climate change.

The recent expansion of the bloc, with the addition of new members, poses new challenges and opens up new opportunities. This increased heterogeneity makes consensus-building more complex, but at the same time, it increases the political and economic weight of BRICS. For Brazil, the group's diversity should be seen as a diplomatic asset, not an obstacle. Brazil's ability to act as a mediator, articulator of common agendas, and promoter of negotiated solutions gains even more value in this new context.

We understand that Brazil needs to view BRICS as a medium- and long-term platform, where the benefits are both tangible (in trade, investment, and access to financing) and intangible (in raising the country's international profile and its capacity for normative influence). This interpretation is also reflected in the set of articles in this issue of CEBRI-Revista, which addresses everything from global economic challenges to new international financing dynamics and the geopolitical dilemmas associated with emerging multipolarity.

The Brazilian presidency in 2025 is more than an ordinary diplomatic event; it is a strategic milestone for reaffirming Brazil's role as a bridge builder and an active advocate for a more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable international order. The challenges of the War in Ukraine, the War on Iran, and the War on Gaza are reflections of the anachronism that an unbalanced international system represents. They reflect inaction and the inability to address issues relevant to the world's most pressing problems.

Brazil has repeatedly advocated for comprehensive reform of the United Nations and its Security Council. While this will not solve all of humanity's ills, it will at least bring greater legitimacy and balance to problem-solving, ensuring that respect for international law is given greater weight.

Translated by Catarina Werlang with the support of digital machine translation tools and subsequently reviewed by the authors. Tools employed: Google Translate (initial draft), Grammarly (grammatical and syntactic revision), and ChatGPT (selective phrasing refinements).

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