Latest news with #multilateralism
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan deputy PM to travel to US next week for UN meetings on Palestine, multilateralism
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar will travel to the United States next week to chair UN Security Council meetings in New York focused on multilateralism and the Palestinian issue, the foreign office said in a statement on Saturday. Pakistan assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council earlier this month and is hosting a series of 'signature events' — or high-level meetings organized by the Council president — to spotlight key diplomatic priorities. Dar will chair an open debate on strengthening multilateralism and peaceful settlement of disputes, and preside over a quarterly debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. 'The high-level debate aims at exploring ways to strengthen multilateralism, and at enhancing diplomacy and mediation for peaceful settlement of disputes,' the foreign office said. Dar will also lead a briefing at the Council on enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as part of Pakistan's broader effort to bolster institutional partnerships for international peace and security. 'To express Pakistan's strong commitment, and unwavering support for the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, the DPM/FM will also attend the high-level Conference on the 'Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of Two-State Solution,'' the statement added. Pakistan has consistently supported Palestinian statehood and called for an end to Israeli occupation in various multilateral forums. During his stay in New York, Dar is expected to hold bilateral meetings with UN officials and counterparts from other member states. The foreign office said he will also travel to Washington for other official engagements. 'Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar's visit to New York and Washington exemplifies Pakistan's growing role and importance in the multilateral arena as well as its expanding multifaceted relations with the US,' the statement said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BRICS' New Map Is Taking Shape
As the BRICS group prepares for its July 2025 summit in Brazil, a new map of global alignment is emerging—one driven not by military alliances or ideology, but by a push for new partnerships in pursuit of multilateralism, trade and development. Over the past two years, BRICS has significantly expanded its list of members and partners as countries pursue new economic opportunities, political influence and greater resilience amid the increasing use of sanctions as a foreign policy tool and stalled global institutional reforms. Now, with Washington further retreating from key international institutions and U.S. tariffs unsettling global markets, BRICS has moved into the global spotlight, positioning itself as the new champion of multilateralism. From its outset, BRICS has stood on two pillars: the determination to chart an independent course and the drive to invest in new international institutions. Frustrated by stalled reforms at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund promised in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the group committed to creating its own financial frameworks. Since 2014, when it launched the New Development Bank and the West imposed sanctions on Russia, BRICS has rapidly expanded its institutional capacity and policy coordination. Despite internal differences, it remains united in rejecting external economic coercion and advancing currency diversification to enhance its members' economic sovereignty. BRICS already committed to deeper financial cooperation at the bloc's 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, creating a cross-border settlement system and strengthening banking and financial markets infrastructure. The 2024 summit also tasked BRICS finance officials with considering and reporting on the use of local currencies, payment instruments and settlement platforms. These efforts, coupled with deeper engagement with BRICS+ countries and realignment of supply chains, further help reduce reliance on the dollar. This agenda has gained renewed attention since U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on the BRICS countries if they seek to further advance de-dollarization. In response, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reaffirmed the group's commitment to developing independent payment platforms. Yet, as Brazilian Central Bank director Nilton David cautioned, BRICS currently lacks the asset base to challenge the dollar, and it may take a decade to build the necessary market capacity to do so. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Similar momentum is also shaping BRICS' trade agenda. The Trump administration's retreat from global agreements, especially on trade, has galvanized BRICS to fill the void. In May 2025, BRICS trade ministers adopted a declaration calling for strengthening the multilateral trading system, while also raising concerns about trade-distorting measures and outlining three shared priorities: World Trade Organization, or WTO, reform; renewal of the BRICS 2030 Economic Partnership Strategy; and development of the digital economy. This policy acceleration builds on BRICS' membership expansions, which strategically brought in key trade partners to deepen trade within and beyond the bloc, and the 2024 launch of an informal consultative framework that created a platform for coordinating BRICS positions within the WTO. Beyond trade coordination, BRICS is expanding its geopolitical reach by building a broader coalition of like-minded states. In global governance, scale confers influence, but impact depends on mobilizing a critical mass of states to reshape global norms and institutions. In 2023, a report titled 'Russia's Policy Towards World Majority' and released under the auspices of Russia's Foreign Ministry positioned BRICS as the nucleus of a new multilateral architecture that could marginalize the West. Brazil's rotating presidency of the bloc this year has softened that narrative, portraying BRICS as 'a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South.' To get a sense of how broad that forum is now, we analyzed official and media sources to offer a snapshot of the BRICS' rapidly shifting landscape of global engagement. As the map below shows, the group now includes 10 confirmed members, comprising BRICS' longstanding five core states—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—plus five new ones that formally joined in 2024 and 2025: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, it has one unconfirmed member, namely Saudi Arabia, and 10 partner states: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Turkey has also been invited to join as a partner. (Interactive version here.) To explain the map's labeling, 'Applied' refers to states that have publicly announced their applications for membership. Others may have applied privately, but the exact number remains unclear. According to a New Indian Express report in October 2024, 34 countries had approached BRICS about joining. After the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, a Russian official cited over two dozen interested states. States where government officials have expressed interest in joining, consistently engaged with the grouping or plan to do so are defined as 'Officials interested.' Those labeled 'Debating' have seen nongovernmental discussions about membership or limited official involvement with the bloc's activities. As the map reveals, interest spans much of the Global South, though interest in Latin America has been comparatively lower, prompting Brazil to seek to involve Colombia, Uruguay and Chile in BRICS+ discussions. Gray zones on the map include states that have withdrawn from the grouping, such as Argentina, or had their applications rejected, like Venezuela. Others, like Algeria, were not admitted as full BRICS members but joined the New Development Bank, remaining within the broader BRICS orbit. Most countries in the gray zone, however, belong to the 'global West'—predominantly those that sanctioned Russia, which effectively disqualified them from joining under current BRICS criteria. Yet interest persists even among Western states, some of which are now feeling the impact of rising U.S. tariffs and multilateral retrenchment. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously sought dialogue with BRICS, and a former Canadian politician has proposed joining as a counterbalance to U.S. trade measures. Whether BRICS can reconcile internal rivalries, deliver tangible benefits in its expanded format or pursue further enlargement remains to be seen. Recent strains include the group's failure to issue a joint communiqué after the April 2025 foreign ministers' meeting in Rio de Janeiro, where disagreements over United Nations Security Council reform prompted Brazil, as chair, to issue a summary statement instead. To prospective candidates, the accession process appears arbitrary: Algeria was passed over despite actively campaigning for membership. The economic benefits of membership are also unclear, as market access, technology-sharing and links to the New Development Bank remain poorly defined. And while BRICS' development narrative resonates, concerns about China's dominance of the grouping persist. That said, China has taken steps to broaden its appeal, including its recent pledge to grant zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries—a clear effort to deepen trade ties with the Global South. At the same time, recent U.S. trade and diplomatic pressures are prompting even Washington's traditionally close partners to diversify their economic ties and explore deeper engagement with BRICS-led institutions. Colombia's decision to join China's Belt and Road Initiative in May and its acceptance into the New Development Bank in June, which followed tensions with Trump over deportation flights in early 2025, signal a major strategic realignment. With its rotating presidency, Brazil is now seeking to seize this moment to consolidate consensus within the group around a sustainable development agenda. As Celso Amorim, Lula's chief adviser and a former foreign minister, put it, 'BRICS is the new name for development.' As such, the Brazilian presidency's core priorities—global health, trade, investment and finance, AI governance, climate change, security architecture and institutional development—reflect both areas of need and opportunities for internal coordination. Externally, BRICS will be tested on its ability to use its new WTO consultation mechanisms to shape the future of the global trading system, influence climate diplomacy and contribute to the post-2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Internally, the bloc's members seek to assert greater control over their own food and monetary systems, through initiatives like the BRICS Grain Exchange and BRICS Pay, to build resilience outside Western institutions. Multilateral leadership, however, does not guarantee effective responses to international crises. On Ukraine and Gaza, BRICS has failed to articulate a unified position or offer credible security alternatives. On climate, Brazil's green diplomacy and new land restoration and biodiversity initiatives are encouraging. Yet broader climate cooperation within the grouping is still at a formative stage. If BRICS aspires to serve as a platform for the Global South, it must go further by setting measurable joint goals, taking the lead in tracking and scaling up climate finance, and delivering a credible plan to operationalize and fund the Loss and Damage mechanism. As the U.S. retreats from global leadership and Brazil advances a sustainable development agenda, BRICS is emerging as a pragmatic platform for countries seeking greater autonomy in a fragmented world. It may not yet offer immediate solutions or robust institutional guarantees, but the strategic calculus for those watching it develop from the outside is shifting. While uncertainties persist about BRICS' role in the global order, including concerns about some of its leading advocates and institutional practices, the greater risk could lie in being left behind in a system where multilateral options are rapidly narrowing. The authors gratefully acknowledge the input of Padmini Das and Rohan Ganesan on a prior version of the BRICS Map. Mihaela Papa is the director of research and principal research scientist at the MIT Center for International Studies, where she leads the BRICS Lab. Her recent publications include articles on BRICS as a soft balancing coalition (International Affairs, 2025) and the BRICS Convergence Index (European Journal of International Relations, 2023). Walter Streeter earned his master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School, concentrating on the impact of Chinese foreign policy, particularly the economic effects of the Belt and Road Initiative on partner countries. He has contributed to The Fletcher Forum as a print editor and supported open-source investigations at the Ukraine Digital Verification Lab. The post BRICS' New Map Is Taking Shape appeared first on World Politics Review.
Arab News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Macron urges new era of Anglo-French unity in address to UK parliament
WINDSOR: President Emmanuel Macron argued Tuesday that France and Britain must work together to defend the post-World War II 'international order,' as he addressed parliament on the first day of his UK state first such visit by an EU head of state since Brexit, Macron said in a wide-ranging speech that the two countries must renew their century-old alliance to face down an array of threats.'As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, deeply committed to multilateralism, the United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference,' he told British lawmakers, speaking in English.'Clearly, we have to work together... to protect the international order as we fought (for) it after the Second World War,' Macron on various thorny issues, from global conflicts to irregular cross-Channel migration, he insisted European countries will 'never abandon Ukraine' in its war with Russia while demanding an unconditional ceasefire in earlier, the French president and his wife Brigitte had received a warm, pomp-filled welcome from King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Windsor as the three-day visit got had been greeted off the presidential plane at an air base northwest of London by heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of a 41-gun salute sounded from Windsor's Home Park and a royal carriage procession through the town, which was decked out in French Tricolores and British Union flags, the group entered its castle for state since 2020The first state visit by an EU head of state since the UK's acrimonious 2020 departure from the European Union, it is also the first by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy in on Brexit in his speech in parliament, which follows in the footsteps of predecessors Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand, Macron said it was 'deeply regrettable' but the result of its 2016 referendum was will hold several meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer starting taking power in 2024, the British leader has been making good on his pledge to reset relations with European capitals following years of Brexit-fueled discussions are expected to focus on aid to war-torn Ukraine and bolstering defense spending, as well as joint efforts to stop migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats — a potent political issue in is under intense pressure to curb the cross-Channel arrivals, as Euroskeptic Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK party uses the issue to fuel its has for years pressed Paris to do more to halt the boats leaving from northern French beaches, welcoming footage last Friday showing French police stopping one such boat from his parliamentary address Macron called it 'a burden for our two countries,' stressing the need for better 'cooperation' to 'fix' Tuesday, Britain's Francophile king, who is believed to enjoy a warm rapport with Macron, will host a lavish banquet in his honor in the vast medieval St. George's is set to laud the vital partnership between France and the UK amid a 'multitude of complex threats.''As friends and as allies, we face them together,' he will say, according to Buckingham and business tiesThe visit also aims to boost trade and business ties, with Paris and London announcing Tuesday that French energy giant EDF will have a 12.5-stake in new British nuclear power plant Sizewell is also a cultural dimension, with another announcement that France will loan the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum for 10 months from September loan of the embroidery depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England will be made in exchange for ancient 'treasures' mainly from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo site, one of England's most important archaeological will see Macron have lunch with Starmer ahead of the two leaders on Thursday co-hosting the 37th Franco-British Summit, where they are set to discuss opportunities to strengthen defense and France are spearheading talks among a 30-nation coalition on how to support a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, including potentially deploying peacekeeping two leaders will dial in to a meeting of the coalition on Thursday 'to discuss stepping up support for Ukraine and further increasing pressure on Russia,' Starmer's office confirmed on will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to the French presidency.
The Herald
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Lula tells Trump world does not want an ‘emperor' after US threatens Brics tariffs
A Kremlin spokesperson said Russia's cooperation with the Brics was based on a 'common world view' and 'will never be directed against third countries.' India did not immediately provide an official response to Trump. Many Brics members and many of the group's partner nations are highly dependent on trade with the US. New member Indonesia's senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, who is in Brazil for the Brics summit, is scheduled to go to the US on Monday to oversee tariff talks, an official told Reuters. Malaysia, which was attending as a partner country and was slapped with 24% tariffs that were later suspended, said it maintains independent economic policies and is not focused on ideological alignment. With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and Trump's disruptive 'America First' approach, the Brics group has presented itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars. In a joint statement released on Sunday afternoon, leaders at the summit condemned the recent bombing of member nation Iran and warned the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Trump's tariff policies. Hours later, Trump warned he would punish countries seeking to join the group. The original Brics group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members. Saudi Arabia has held off formally accepting an invitation to full membership, but is participating as a partner country. More than 30 nations have expressed interest in participating in the Brics, either as full members or partners. Reuters
Japan Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
BRICS fills soft-power vacuum as Trump-led U.S. retreats
With the U.S. withdrawing from international organizations and alienating other countries with tariffs, the 10-nation BRICS grouping of major emerging economies has been gradually stepping in to fill a growing soft-power vacuum, particularly among Global South countries. Highlighting this approach was the group's two-day summit that ended Monday in Rio de Janeiro, where member states took a firm stance on topics such as strengthening multilateralism, establishing international artificial intelligence standards and tackling climate change as the BRICS aims to become a credible alternative to the established international order. 'This year's summit — particularly its efforts to align positions on artificial intelligence, health care and climate change — indicates that BRICS is evolving into a credible voice for the Global South, capable of setting new standards and norms,' said Sebastian Maslow, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo. Maslow laid out a laundry list of areas where the U.S., under President Donald Trump, appears to be retreating. From withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate agreement and undermining the World Trade Organization to engaging in unilateral military action against Iran and scaling back international aid, BRICS' emphasis on multilateral cooperation and development can be viewed as 'an attempt to fill the global governance vacuum' created by the Trump administration. 'As the U.S. grows increasingly unpredictable due to its 'America First' trade posture, BRICS has positioned itself as a defender of the international trade order, emphasizing rules and norms,' he added. Yet the grouping, which represents about 40% of global economic output, also faces several issues, the greatest of which is arguably cohesion. BRICS heterogeneous nature makes it increasingly difficult for members to align their agendas across the board and therefore fully compete with — or complement — the U.S.-led Group of Seven. The original bloc comprised Brazil, Russia, China and India. It later included South Africa, and last year added five new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates — with 10 others becoming partner nations. While the BRICS' expansion has given it boosted diplomatic and economic heft, it also means that its members, some of which are regional rivals, are increasingly divided over what the grouping's primary role should be. For instance, it's still unclear whether it is mainly a multilateral organization focused on boosting development, a geopolitical instrument aimed at countering Western — particularly G7 — dominance, or a platform to overcome international isolation, as is notably the case with Russia. 'While the expansion increases the group's geographic footprint and share of the world's economy and population, it also underscores growing internal contradictions by bringing together democracies and autocracies with varying global ambitions,' said Mario Braga, Latin America analyst at U.S.-based geopolitics and intelligence firm RANE. This, Braga added, 'will make it increasingly hard to reach consensus over the coming years.' Trump sought to capitalize on these divisions by threatening on Sunday an additional 10% tariffs on any country that supports what he described as the BRICS' 'anti-American' policies. Trump didn't provide any explanation, but he had previously warned the bloc not to create a new currency or take steps to replace the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency. For now, Trump's stance appears to have been effective. 'At the BRICS summit, the group adopted a more cautious stance, driven by concerns over possible retaliatory measures from Washington,' said Eurasia Group expert Julia Thomson. BRICS nations are looking to fill a soft-power vacuum as the U.S., under President Donald Trump, appears to be retreating from the global stage. | BLOOMBERG 'The final communique was notably broad and avoided contentious subjects, such as U.S. trade policy or BRICS initiatives that might diminish the dominance of the dollar, including the promotion of trade with local currency,' she added. Nevertheless, the differences among member states haven't prevented leaders from gathering or carving out areas of alignment, including on climate change, health care and development aid, AI and global governance — collective efforts that continue to gain momentum among emerging economies. On climate change, BRICS leaders formally endorsed at the summit the Tropical Forests Forever Facility mechanism Brazil had proposed at the United Nations COP28 climate summit in 2023. The TFFF framework aims to attract public and private investment to support forest preservation via a $125 billion endowment, RANE's Braga said, with China already signaling its willingness to invest. China is key in this regard as it has become the world's leading producer of renewable energy and the largest producer of solar panels and wind turbines. Meanwhile, Brazil, which will be hosting the COP30 in November, is third globally in terms of installed renewable energy capacity, with 88% of its energy mix coming from renewable sources. Arguably the most important factor for Global South countries is economic development, an area where the BRICS has pushed hard to promote its soft power by financing infrastructure and sustainable development projects through the group's New Development Bank (NDB). 'South-to-south collaboration in trade and investment continues to grow,' said Warwick Powell, an adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology. 'The NDB has increased its financing of development and infrastructure projects and will continue to do so.' China, for its part, has made direct contributions to economic development via its Belt and Road initiative. Meanwhile, the summit also saw the BRICS, which now represent more than half the world's population, aim to assume global leadership in eliminating what are called socially determined diseases, which are broadly defined as illnesses that "are closely linked to poverty, inequality, and inadequate living conditions." In addition to promoting the research and development of innovative health approaches, BRICS leaders also recalled the central role in fostering multilateral and regional cooperation of the WHO — an organization the U.S. has withdrawn from twice under Trump. Another area where BRICS nations are targeting a global role is in regulating nonmilitary AI. Leaders of the grouping are calling for international frameworks to avoid regulatory fragmentation — a move that could help avoid having individual states following their own set of rules. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. | AFP-JIJI 'Global South nations see AI as something that must be developed and governed in an inclusive manner,' Powell said, adding that this stands in contrast to the more zero-sum approach so far articulated by the Trump administration. On the issue of multilateralism, BRICS has long pushed to reform global institutions such as the U.N. Security Council and the International Monetary fund to reflect what it views as the realities of multipolarity and the growing clout of emerging economies. Yet experts such as Braga say that while there is indeed a gradual but growing shift in the global balance of power, the G7 will likely retain its status and decision-making power given its economic muscle and influence over global institutions. If BRICS aspires to become a credible player in global governance, it must first 'institutionalize cooperation' in areas such as health care, climate action and humanitarian aid, Maslow said. 'Cooperation in these domains should develop a tangible presence similar to that achieved by development financing through the NDB,' he said. Additionally, Maslow noted, BRICS members should temper anti-Western sentiments and its push to challenge the U.S. dollar. 'Such actions risk deepening internal divides,' he said. 'Countries like Brazil and India are unwilling to jeopardize their relationships with G7 members.'
