BRICS Leaders Gather in New Delhi as Expanded Coalition Advances a New Agenda for Global Cooperation

Addis Ababa, September 11, 2026 (FMC) — BRICS leaders are set to convene in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, bringing together an expanded coalition of countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America at a consequential moment for global cooperation, economic governance and multilateralism.

Hosted by India on September 12–13 under its 2026 chairship, the summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” India has placed development, sustainability, innovation and the aspirations of the Global South at the center of its chairship, while seeking to advance practical and solutions-oriented cooperation among BRICS members.

The summit comes amid profound shifts in the global political and economic landscape, including geopolitical tensions, disruptions to trade and supply chains, economic uncertainty and growing calls for stronger and more representative multilateral institutions.

Against this backdrop, BRICS offers a major platform for its members to coordinate positions on issues of shared importance and advance the interests of the Global South.

The opening leaders’ session on September 12 will focus on “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism,” putting questions of global governance and the future of multilateral cooperation at the heart of the summit.

Leaders will also engage on shared priorities spanning economic cooperation, food and energy security, health, disaster resilience, critical supply chains, trade, investment, connectivity and technology.

The September 13 session will turn to “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth,” with the summit expected to culminate in the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration.

The New Delhi summit reflects the significant expansion of BRICS since its original five-member configuration.

The grouping now comprises 11 full members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Together, they account for 49.5% of the world’s population, around 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade.

Ethiopia joined BRICS as a full member in January 2024, marking a significant step in the country’s engagement with major economies of the Global South and its participation in platforms shaping international economic and political cooperation.

Ethiopia has remained actively engaged in the BRICS process throughout India’s chairship, including in preparations for the leaders’ summit.

The expanded BRICS has also developed a broader partnership framework, with 10 partner countries—Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam—participating in the grouping’s wider cooperation framework.

Economic and financial cooperation will remain an important dimension of the summit. BRICS members have increasingly sought to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade, investment, development finance and cross-border payment systems, while advancing discussions on reforms to international financial institutions and a more representative global economic architecture.

The leaders’ summit comes at the culmination of an extensive year of BRICS engagement under India’s chairship. More than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held across more than 25 Indian cities, covering the grouping’s political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people pillars.

For Ethiopia, the New Delhi summit is an important platform for advancing its interests and priorities within a broader Global South framework. As one of Africa’s BRICS members, Ethiopia’s participation places it within a wider effort to deepen South-South cooperation, expand economic partnerships and contribute to discussions on a more inclusive and balanced international system.

The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit therefore comes at a defining stage in the evolution of the grouping. Its expanded membership has widened its geographic reach and collective economic weight, while its agenda has grown increasingly connected to questions affecting the wider international community.

The outcomes of the New Delhi gathering—and the New Delhi Declaration in particular—are expected to provide an important indication of how the expanded coalition will translate its growing collective weight into stronger cooperation, practical initiatives and a more influential role in shaping the future of global governance.