12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum Joint Declaration: Pledge to Combat All Forms of Terrorism

1. Introduction & Background Context

In contemporary international geopolitics, the BRICS coalition has emerged as the premier institutional counterweight to Western unipolar hegemony, championing multipolar global governance and sovereign equality.
The conceptual acronym 'BRIC' was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill to designate the burgeoning economic trajectories of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Following initial ministerial deliberations in 2006, the inaugural heads-of-state summit convened at Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009, with South Africa's historic accession in 2010 transforming the grouping into 'BRICS'.
Beyond executive-led summitry, the 'BRICS Parliamentary Forum' was institutionalized to foster direct legislative diplomacy, peer accountability, and inter-parliamentary solidarity.
Following the monumental 2024 expansion that enlarged the bloc to 11 dynamic economies, the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi signifies a decisive milestone in South-South cooperative statecraft.

2. Key Event & Detailed Provisions

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum successfully convened at the historic Samvidhan Sadan (Old Parliament Building) in New Delhi under the auspices of the Parliament of India.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla presided over the high-level parliamentary sessions, while Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan hosted the international delegates and delivered an address on civilizational ethos.
Parliamentary delegations representing all 11 member nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia—participated in structured debates.
The forum concluded with the unanimous adoption of the comprehensive New Delhi Joint Declaration, which unreservedly condemned all manifestations of terrorism and pledged zero tolerance against cross-border terror sanctuaries.
The declaration explicitly denounced unilateral secondary economic sanctions that disrupt global supply chains and called for the sovereign, ethical, and inclusive regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

3. Constitutional & Statutory Framework

Article 51 (Directive Principles of State Policy): Enjoins the State to promote international peace and security, maintain just and honorable relations between nations, and foster respect for international law and treaty obligations.
Article 253 of the Constitution: Empowers Parliament with exclusive legislative competency to enact any law for the whole or any part of India to implement international treaties, conventions, and agreements.
Article 79: Defines the bicameral Parliament of the Union comprising the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
Constitutional Office of the Lok Sabha Speaker (Article 93): Serves as the supreme presiding arbiter of the legislature and acts as the official institutional ambassador in global parliamentary fora.
United Nations Charter: Operates as the foundational constitutional instrument of international law, enshrining non-intervention, sovereign equality, and peaceful dispute resolution.

4. Samacheer Kalvi School Textbook Connect

Tamil Nadu Samacheer Kalvi Class 12 Political Science Unit 8: 'International Organisations' offers extensive coverage of BRICS evolution, institutional pillars, and developmental finance mechanisms.
The establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB; headquartered in Shanghai, China) pursuant to the 2014 Fortaleza Declaration is explicitly chronicled in the state syllabus.
Class 10 Social Science (Civics) Unit 4: 'India’s Foreign Policy' highlights Panchsheel principles, Non-Alignment (NAM), and India's unwavering diplomatic war on global terrorism.
Class 12 Political Science Unit 7: 'India’s Foreign Policy' explores multipolarity, strategic autonomy, and coalition-building across the Global South in the 21st century.
Class 10 Civics Unit 5: 'India’s International Relations' examines regional cooperation, trade corridors, and South-South economic partnerships.

5. Socio-Economic & Administrative Significance

Encompassing over 45% of planetary demographics and more than one-third of global purchasing-power GDP, expanded BRICS represents an unprecedented collective economic powerhouse.
The bloc accelerates the de-dollarization imperative by instituting bilateral and intra-bloc trade settlements in local currencies, fortifying macroeconomic resilience against unilateral sanctions.
Parliamentary diplomacy bridges bureaucratic detachment by allowing elected representatives to address shared legislative priorities like food security, digital divide, and public healthcare.
The joint declaration’s explicit condemnation of the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir delivers profound multilateral legitimacy to India’s security doctrine.
Collaborative frameworks on Artificial Intelligence and digital public infrastructure (DPI) empower developing nations to resist digital colonialism by monopolistic tech platforms.

6. Challenges & Critical Analysis

Protracted Sino-Indian bilateral border standoffs and geopolitical rivalry across South Asia pose recurrent friction to achieving seamless multilateral consensus within BRICS.
Vast divergences in domestic constitutional architectures—ranging from secular constitutional democracies to monarchies and one-party states—create distinct governance viewpoints.
Extraterritorial sanctions imposed by Western jurisdictions on member states like Russia and Iran impose operational friction on cross-border clearing systems.
The rapid expansion to 11 member nations introduces institutional complexities, potentially slowing consensus-building on crucial economic treaties.
Divergent geopolitical alignments regarding the Ukraine conflict and West Asian dynamics often constrain joint statements to broad, non-binding normative language.

7. TNPSC Exam Orientation (Prelims & Mains Focus)

• Prelims Fact: The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was hosted at Samvidhan Sadan (Old Parliament), New Delhi.
• Prelims Fact: The New Development Bank (NDB) headquarters is located in Shanghai, China (established via the 2014 Fortaleza Summit).
• Prelims Fact: Total member nations in expanded BRICS: 11 countries (post-2024 expansion).
• Prelims Fact: Constitutional Article promoting international peace and arbitration: Article 51 (Part IV - DPSP).
• Prelims Fact: Constitutional Article empowering Parliament to legislate on international agreements: Article 253.
• Mains Question: 'Assess the evolving role of the expanded BRICS coalition in shaping a multipolar world order. How does parliamentary diplomacy complement conventional foreign policy in addressing transnational challenges like terrorism?'

8. Way Forward & Concluding Assessment

The BRICS coalition must expedite the deployment of decentralized trade settlement mechanisms, such as BRICS Pay, to safeguard commercial sovereignty against weaponized finance.
Member states must articulate unequivocal collective support for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to secure permanent membership for India.
Instituting a centralized BRICS Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Exchange Mechanism will convert rhetorical declarations into actionable frontline border security.
The bloc must spearhead global demands for equitable Climate Finance and loss-and-damage transfers from historical industrial polluters to the Global South.
By synthesizing democratic legitimacy with collective economic leverage, the BRICS Parliamentary Forum serves as an indispensable vanguard for equitable, inclusive 21st-century global governance.