The New Delhi Declaration: 7 Takeaways from the 2026 BRICS Summit

The New Delhi Declaration, adopted at the XVIII BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026, provides an important indication of the direction in which BRICS intends to develop as an expanded grouping. Adopted under India’s Chairship and centred on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the Declaration covers a broad range of political, economic, financial, technological, developmental and environmental priorities.

The Declaration is significant not merely for the number of areas it addresses, but for the way in which it connects questions of global governance with economic architecture, technology, development and institutional cooperation. Seven themes stand out.

1. BRICS is pushing for a more representative global governance system

The Declaration places reform of global governance near the centre of its political vision. BRICS reiterates its commitment to developing a more just, equitable, agile, effective, responsive, representative, legitimate, democratic and accountable international and multilateral system. It argues that existing international structures must better reflect contemporary global realities and reaffirms the importance of multilateralism, multipolarity and the central role of the United Nations.

This position is also connected to the growing role of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries. The Declaration identifies the need for greater representation of these countries in international institutions and emphasises BRICS' role in amplifying the voice of the Global South.

The message is therefore broader than institutional reform in isolation: BRICS is seeking an international system that more closely reflects the contemporary distribution of economic and political weight.

2. Reform of the UN Security Council remains a priority

The Declaration gives specific attention to reform of the United Nations Security Council. BRICS reiterates its support for comprehensive UN reform, including making the Security Council more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, while increasing the representation of developing countries.

The Declaration also recognises the legitimate aspirations of African countries, referring specifically to the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. It states that Security Council reform should amplify the voice of the Global South. Significantly, China and Russia, as permanent members of the Security Council, reiterate their support for the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council.

This makes Security Council reform one of the clearest institutional issues through which the Declaration articulates BRICS' broader argument for greater Global South representation.

3. Reform of the global financial architecture is moving up the agenda

The Declaration extends its institutional reform agenda beyond the UN to the international financial system. It describes reform of global economic governance as a consistent BRICS priority and calls for international financial institutions to become more representative, transparent and accountable.

Particular attention is given to the Bretton Woods Institutions. BRICS calls for these institutions to become more agile, effective, credible, inclusive, accountable and representative, arguing that their governance structures should reflect the transformation of the global economy since their establishment. The Declaration further states that the voice and representation of Emerging Markets and Developing Economies should reflect their relative position in the global economy.

The Declaration also calls for more inclusive and transparent selection processes that would increase regional diversity and representation of EMDEs in the leadership of the IMF and World Bank. It reaffirms the BRICS position on IMF quota and governance reform and the importance of a strong, adequately resourced IMF.

Taken together, these provisions show that BRICS is approaching the question of representation not only as a political issue but also as a question of global economic governance.

4. BRICS is continuing to build practical cooperation in payments and economic integration

Economic and financial cooperation in the Declaration moves beyond broad statements of intent towards specific mechanisms. One important example is the work of the BRICS Payment Task Force, which is exploring cross-border payment interoperability and the use of BRICS local currencies for trade and investment settlement.

Importantly, the approach is presented as exploratory and cooperative rather than as a single prescribed model. The Declaration explicitly recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Alongside payment cooperation, BRICS is also pursuing stronger trade facilitation, resilient global value chains, digitisation and infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives.

The significance of this agenda lies in its practical orientation. Rather than treating economic cooperation solely as a political objective, the Declaration identifies payment systems, trade, investment and supply chains as areas in which BRICS members can develop deeper operational cooperation.

5. Technology, AI and Digital Public Infrastructure have become central to BRICS cooperation

Technology represents another major area of emphasis. The Declaration identifies Science, Technology and Innovation as key drivers of sustainable economic and social development and highlights cooperation across a range of technological fields.

More specifically, it notes the proposal to launch a digital public infrastructure repository for BRICS countries, together with pilot projects involving digital public infrastructure solutions. It also proposes broader cooperation through digital ecosystems, while emphasising digital skilling, research cooperation and capacity building.

Artificial intelligence receives particular attention. The Declaration recognises AI's potential to stimulate economic growth and sustainable development while stressing the importance of safety, security, inclusiveness, reliability, energy efficiency and trustworthy AI. It also commits BRICS members to implementing the BRICS Leaders' Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence.

This makes technology more than a sectoral item in the Declaration. It is increasingly treated as an important component of economic development, connectivity, institutional cooperation and the future competitiveness of BRICS countries.

6. Sustainability is being approached alongside development, energy security and resilience

The Declaration approaches sustainability through a broader development framework. Climate change is linked to resilience, development finance, infrastructure and the capacity of developing countries to respond to environmental risks.

BRICS reaffirms its commitment to the Paris Agreement and calls for stronger implementation covering mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and the means of implementation for developing countries. The Declaration also recognises that high debt burdens constrain climate and development investment and therefore calls for coordinated international action on debt sustainability, fiscal space and climate financing.

The same approach appears in the Declaration's wider sustainability agenda, including cooperation on carbon markets, climate research, community-based adaptation and resilience.

Sustainability is therefore not presented separately from economic development. It is treated alongside infrastructure, finance, technology, energy and resilience, reflecting the development challenges faced by BRICS members and other developing countries.

7. The biggest question now is implementation

Perhaps the most consequential takeaway from the Declaration is the extent to which it moves towards practical institutional mechanisms. The Indian Chairship established a BRICS Task Force on Growth and Development as a platform for addressing shared growth and development challenges among BRICS and other EMDEs. Its work covered the four pillars of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability and included development finance architecture reform, the macroeconomic and financial implications of digital transformation and AI, climate finance and the relationship between AI and the green economy.

The Declaration also records a range of other institutional initiatives, including payment cooperation, technology platforms, business mechanisms and development-oriented financing initiatives.

Crucially, however, the Declaration itself recognises the importance of institutional development and implementation. It calls for outcome-oriented enhanced coordination, continuity and long-term institutional development, while describing institutional development as a continuous and dynamic process that should reflect the needs and priorities of BRICS countries.

This may ultimately be the most important measure of the Declaration's significance. The document establishes an extensive agenda, but the effectiveness of that agenda will depend on whether commitments translate into functioning mechanisms, sustained cooperation and measurable outcomes.

Conclusion

The New Delhi Declaration presents BRICS as a grouping seeking to deepen its role across several dimensions simultaneously. Its agenda encompasses reform of global governance, greater representation for developing countries, reform of international financial institutions, payment and economic cooperation, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, climate action and institutional development.

The common thread across these areas is a stronger emphasis on representation, resilience and practical cooperation. BRICS is not abandoning its traditional political emphasis on multilateral reform, but it is increasingly connecting that agenda with concrete questions of finance, technology, infrastructure, trade and development.

The Declaration therefore provides less a single policy announcement than a broad institutional roadmap. Its longer-term significance will depend not simply on the commitments recorded in New Delhi, but on the capacity of BRICS members to convert those commitments into durable institutions, practical cooperation and outcomes.