Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The world may be increasingly fractured, but the rise of the Global South is creating new centres of influence — and BRICS is becoming one of the most visible platforms for that shift. South African High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal believes the bloc’s growing relevance is best understood not by the number of meetings it holds, but by what its members are able to deliver.
advertisement
With the BRICS Summit set to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, Sooklal, speaking at India Today’s BRICS Roundtable on Africa Rising: BRICS’ Next Frontier, pointed to India’s successful hosting of the G20 summit as an example of the Global South’s ability to bring countries together and deliver on the global stage even amid geopolitical conflicts.
“The coming together of leaders sends a message that the Global South is capable of delivering power,” Sooklal said, arguing that BRICS too must be assessed in the context of a rapidly changing world.
He said the grouping had evolved significantly since its inception and would continue to do so as the global order changes. Sooklal described the current international environment as one of “global disorder”, pointing to growing challenges faced by institutions including the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
‘COUNTRIES DON’T LIKE GIVING UP PRIVILEGED POSITIONS’
Sooklal said reform of global governance, particularly the United Nations Security Council, remains a major issue for BRICS. The question, he said, has been debated for nearly two decades, but progress has been slow because countries holding privileged positions are reluctant to give up power.
He cited the 2023 China-Russia declaration on UNSC reform when asked about the positions of Beijing and Moscow, and said BRICS remains one of the groupings pushing for changes to the global governance architecture.
BRICS AND THE CHANGING FINANCIAL ORDER
Sooklal also highlighted BRICS’ economic potential, including efforts to develop alternative payment mechanisms. He said finance ministers and central bank governors from member countries have been tasked with exploring alternative modes of payment.
He questioned why emerging economies had not developed their own financial systems earlier and said the global financial landscape was already changing.
Sooklal also said de-dollarisation was not something created by BRICS, arguing that the decline in dollar-based trade reflects a broader transformation in the international financial system.
At the same time, he acknowledged that BRICS has been slow in translating its structures into greater trade among member countries. The private sector, he said, must play a larger role alongside governments.
‘DON’T BRING BILATERAL ISSUES INTO BRICS’
Despite differences among its members, Sooklal said BRICS could find common ground by keeping bilateral disputes separate from the grouping’s wider agenda.
He pointed to the European Union and differences between the US and Canada as examples of how countries with divergent interests can coexist within larger frameworks.
Referring to India-China tensions, including the Galwan episode, Sooklal said bilateral disputes had not become an issue within BRICS.
“Don’t bring your bilateral issues and make it a burden for others,” he said, arguing that countries should set such differences aside and work towards areas of consensus.
INDIA-SOUTH AFRICA PARTNERSHIP
Sooklal said India and South Africa have significant room to expand their bilateral relationship, despite being partners across platforms such as BRICS, the G20, IBSA and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
He said South Africa is India’s largest trading partner in Africa, but the overall trade relationship remains small compared with its potential.
Digital infrastructure, space, mining, healthcare and green energy are among the areas where the two countries could deepen cooperation, he said, while tourism and connectivity offer another major opportunity.
“Direct flights will be a game changer,” Sooklal said.
He also highlighted cricket as an important bridge between the two countries and invited Indians to visit South Africa when it hosts the ICC Cricket World Cup next year.
For Sooklal, the trajectory of BRICS and India-South Africa ties ultimately points to the same larger shift: a Global South seeking not merely a greater voice in the existing global order, but a greater role in shaping what comes next.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
