India hosted the meeting of the 18th BRICS Summit in the BRICS Outreach/Plus format. The meeting took place in India's capital, New Delhi, on Sept. 13. Leaders of 38 countries attended, including some of the most powerful states such as China, Russia, Brazil and India, who gathered to discuss regional and global crises.

Established in 2006, BRICS is an international platform that brings together 11 major rising powers, namely Brazil, China, Russia, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The platform represents almost half of the world’s population and a high share of the global economic production. It serves as an instrumental platform for consultation, coordination and cooperation on international issues of political and economic governance. It is considered an alternative institution to the declining Western global hegemony.

Shortcomings of BRICS

There are many shortcomings of BRICS. I will underline some of these defects in this short essay. First of all, BRICS members, who do not have many similarities, are hardly allies. On the contrary, there are fierce competitions and serious hostilities among BRICS members. Some members have histories of border disputes and military confrontations.

On the one hand, there is deep-seated animosity between Ethiopia and Egypt. The bilateral relationship between the two countries has been extremely tense for the last several years mainly because of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. While Addis Ababa views unilateral filling of the dam as vital for its economic development, Cairo considers it a vital threat to downstream water security.

Similarly, there is serious hostility between Iran and two Arab Gulf countries, namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Iran has recently attacked both the UAE and Saudi Arabia during its war with the U.S. and Israel. Furthermore, Iran and the UAE have been on conflicting fronts in the Middle East. While Iran has been fighting with Israel, the UAE is known as one of the closest allies of Tel Aviv.

There is also the intense rivalry between China and India. The two countries engaged in a deadly clash over disputed borders in 2020. In addition, while China is known as one of the West’s most significant adversaries, India is considered a close friend and a strategic ally of the West.

Second, BRICS members are located not only in different regions, but also on different continents. Each member has different, sometimes conflicting, national interests and priorities. For instance, while China has been trying to improve its relations with Western European countries through the Belt and Road Initiative Project, Russia has been in an indirect, in some cases direct, war with the European countries in Ukraine. While Beijing has been trying to improve its economic relations with Europe, Russia has been subject to economic sanctions from Europe for the past four years.

Third, they do not agree on what a new global order should look like. Therefore, it is always difficult to reach tangible decisions during the summit meetings. Tension has run through the last meeting as well. Some BRICS members such as China, Russia, Brazil and Iran consider the platform as an instrument to weaken the influence of Western global powers. However, India, which tries to improve its relations with the West, has been reluctant to see the platform as an anti-Western bloc. Although Modi underlined that BRICS members should become rule-shapers, not rule-takers, and called for stronger cooperation across the Global South, he did not mention the alternative. He warned that mounting geopolitical tensions and weaponization of technology and critical minerals could hamper global development and shared prosperity.

In spite of differences among the member states, the joint declaration called for greater representation for developing countries in international institutions. It declared its support for a multipolar world order and the United Nations reforms, including the enlargement of the Security Council.

The New Delhi Declaration

Delivering a joint declaration, the New Delhi Declaration, was a success by itself, since it is quite difficult to reach a consensus in BRICS meetings. However, the declaration side-stepped the issues on which the members disagreed. Furthermore, it is silent about some issues. For instance, the declaration urges "maximum restraint” on the war in the Middle East. It condemns "attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities,” but it does not blame any specific country.

Likewise, the declaration reiterates support for a two-state solution and opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians. However, it does not mention Israel despite its violation of fundamental principles of international law and its commission of various types of crimes in Palestine. It is easily understood that India, one of Israel’s closest allies, prevented others from mentioning Israel’s name.

Similarly, the declaration makes no mention of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the U.S., which unilaterally raised tariffs. Since Russia is one of the founding members of the platform, other states did not dare to criticize Moscow. Some member states did not want to criticize the U.S. either.

All in all, BRICS member states are careful not to step on each other’s toes. Member states do not interfere with each other’s red lines. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to reach consensus and to make a decision on important issues of international politics. This situation undermines the power of this platform.