Expansion of the BRICS family and the Brazil summit

The concept of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), initially proposed by a Western economist in 2001, became a reality in 2009 when the founding countries convened in Russia. Throughout the 2010s, as economic cooperation among BRIC nations intensified, the idea of expanding the platform to include other developing countries emerged. At the 2010 BRIC summit in Brazil, the notion that the group was open to future expansion was prominently discussed. This desire for expansion was met with enthusiasm from all four founding members. The accession of South Africa in 2011 transformed BRIC into BRICS, marking the group’s first expansion phase. Subsequently, in 2024, BRICS underwent a second expansion, welcoming the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia as new members. A third wave followed in 2025, with Indonesia’s full membership. Currently, BRICS comprises ten member states.

The BRICS’ popularity reached new heights during the Russia Summit. Indeed, interest in the bloc grew so significantly that it necessitated the creation of a new tier: “Associate Countries,” a stepping stone to full membership. Presently, there are nine countries within the “Associate Country” category: Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Uganda. Moreover, Turkey, Vietnam, and Algeria have been invited by BRICS to join this associate status program, while Saudi Arabia received an invitation for full membership. These nations are actively evaluating their prospects for either full or associate membership. BRICS is implementing a gradual expansion strategy, accommodating new members through full membership and the associate program. The “Associate Country” designation defines nations that maintain cooperative and partnership relations with the BRICS group without being full members. While participating in BRICS projects and activities, associate countries have partial involvement in decision-making processes. Additionally, while benefiting from BRICS’ advantages, associate members do not possess all the rights and obligations of full members. These countries can participate in specialized sessions at BRICS summits and foreign minister-level meetings, and have input in BRICS final declarations. Serving as a transitional stage, “Associate Country” status acts as a precursor to full membership. It enables potential candidates to understand the BRICS structure, familiarize themselves with its operation, foster dialogue, and define their potential roles within the bloc. Naturally, BRICS ‘Partner Country’ criteria include membership within the United Nations, abstaining from unilateral sanctions against BRICS members, and upholding good neighborly relations.

The bloc has clearly transformed into a substantial grouping, comprised of ten full members and nine associate countries for a total of nineteen states. BRICS has now surpassed the G7 economically and the G20 numerically. Over the last sixteen years, BRICS has established a political, economic, cultural and diplomatic network of considerable scale. With expansion to ten full members, plus partnerships with nine other countries, it is evident that the BRICS is far more than simply a dialogue or discussion platform. Furthermore, BRICS displayed solidarity during the summit in Russia, supporting President Putin and displaying their united front. This demonstrated BRICS’ ability to withstand pressures and maintain solidarity. In particular, no country’s leader has declined attending the summits since its inception.

The expansion of the BRICS group amplifies its global influence. The bloc’s enlargement will produce substantial shifts economically, politically, culturally and strategically. Uniting developing countries and amplifying their significance in the world economy may very well forge new power balances on the international stage. This is especially true given how countries within the BRICS group are beginning to establish their position against the perceived influence of US-centric global order. This movement marks BRICS as an effective global diplomacy center for non-Western nations. The last BRICS summit not only brought together China and India after five years of non-meeting, it also succeeded in seating Azerbaijan and Armenia at the same table and added Iran and the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Ethiopia as full members, underscoring its ability to alleviate and manage global conflicts. BRICS stands today as an exemplary model for cooperation by various non-Western nations. This transparent, open and consensus driven mechanism seeks to operate under collaborative spirit. Indeed, BRICS employs a consensus driven process in all of its affairs. Thus, participation in the bloc does not only signify economic advantage, becoming a full or associate member of the BRICS family is viewed as a position of considerable status and prestige. BRICS facilitates collaboration and stability among full and partner nations, establishing vital channels for dialogue and cooperation. Ultimately, BRICS represents the united vision of developing countries working to amplify intra-group trade and investment. It reflects the shared desire of states working towards achieving more effective governance on a global scale. Therefore, this expanding bloc is poised to emerge as an organization of significant global sway.

Brazil has begun its 2025 BRICS presidency energetically. The 2025 BRICS Summit will take place in Rio de Janeiro, under the banner of ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.’ The presidency is organising over 100 events in Brasilia between February and July. Brazil’s presidency focuses on two main priorities, the promotion of Global South cooperation and to continue global governance reform. Also central will be: alternative payment system development, expansion of intra-BRICS trade in local currencies, increased investment, cooperative agreements on artificial intelligence, a joint front in combatting climate change and public health threats, striving to reform the United Nations and broader global governance, plus bolstering the BRICS’s internal infrastructure. Where the 2024 Russia summit has seen BRICS expand, the Brazil Summit is set to solidify the blocs standing. Hosted by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, the event is predicted to be an expansive meeting of the 10 full members, the 9 partner countries, plus a range of additional nations. This may become the largest and most influential BRICS summit ever seen. As BRICS is also defined by its rotating leadership format, this might provide further innovations with the new and expanding members involved in its structure. The BRICS now acts at the intersection of both symbolic and direct action on the part of the non-Western world. Currently, BRICS stands as the strongest and most legitimate representative of the non-Western and developing countries. This unique structure will not only represent the voice, but also will act as the brain and heart of the developing south in the coming period.

The BRICS countries represent the history of humanity in their own right and an alternative ‘Union of Civilisations’ in contrast to the idea of ‘Clash of Civilisations’ propagated by Western analysts. BRICS is an open platform fostering dialog between cultures in order to form stronger political and economic structures. The BRICS family therefore can be identified as the best option in ensuring future cooperation and countering a descent into inter-cultural conflicts. Of note is that cultural particularities as well as diverse economic and political ideologies feature prominently among the member states. This is an organisation that celebrates traditions and heritage. Furthermore, the group doesn’t impose any standard norms, regulations, or doctrines on its member nations. In this respect the BRICS family emerges as one of the most diverse organisations to follow the UN system. “Our Diversity is Our Wealth” and “Unity in Diversity” would function as effective slogans for BRICS. In these respects BRICS is certainly more engaging and comprehensive than the G7. It does not operate on ideological or geopolitical considerations of the past and is not aimed against any one power, in particular Western nations. The bloc’s trajectory through the past 16 years is an indication that this is not an antagonistic, exclusionary body looking to counter the west, in this case being both Western countries and/ or US-centric structures, in contrast to this BRICS seeks not conflict, but non-Western based cooperation between nations. Notably while a number of states, such as Brazil being an key US partner outside of NATO, India with ties to QUAD security and trading partnerships, there are clear indications of non alignment within BRICS member states. Thus, accusations suggesting an anti-western dimension are clearly lacking in both legitimacy and truth. As such, BRICS is best characterized as a force building an alternative to the US-dominated world and represents one of the strongest players challenging these dynamics in practice.

BRICS represents development, progress, reconciliation, cooperation and progress and it does this by actively engaging in setting and progressing agendas, at both the domestic level of member states and in the wider international context. It functions both as an aspiration for reformation of global affairs, and also represents that transformation in its own existence. Through this unique path BRICS moves away from older frameworks centered on the traditional Western governance system. As a dynamic force for positive change, it operates to realise a shared vision for an alternate, and collaborative form of world order, setting it well along a non-Western route into the future.

Umur Tugay Yücel – Political Scientist | author of ‘The Decline of American Power and Rising Powers (China-Russia-India-Brazil)’ @umur_tugay