BRICS Leaders Adopt New Delhi Declaration at 18th Summit
New Delhi — India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam this weekend, closing out its 2026 chairmanship year with the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the consensus, saying no member had raised any objection.
The declaration came after intensive negotiations to bridge differences among members over the West Asia conflict which is a notable achievement given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE all sit within the bloc despite rival regional positions. It called for conflict prevention through dialogue and diplomacy, and voiced concern over unilateral tariffs distorting global trade.
On global governance, the bloc pushed for reform of the IMF, World Bank and UN Security Council, with China and Russia reaffirming support for India and Brazil to gain greater roles at the UN. Leaders also advanced local-currency settlement mechanisms, and agreed to deepen cooperation on AI, health, energy and food security. The declaration strongly condemned terrorism, specifically citing the April 2025 Jammu and Kashmir attack that killed 26 people.
Held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the summit was India’s fourth time hosting BRICS. Sidelines included a joint tree-plantation ceremony and group photo at Bharat Mandapam, a tour of the “India Innovates” exhibition, and bilateral talks between Modi and visiting leaders, including the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.
Modi also proposed a “troika arrangement” and a digital repository to track implementation of BRICS commitments going forward.