The BRICS Summit in Kazan marked a defining moment for “new-age multilateralism,” led by the Global South, Samir Bhattacharya, associate fellow at India’s Observer Research Foundation, told Sputnik Africa.
Bhattacharya highlighted the unique role BRICS is poised to play in reshaping global governance, emphasizing the importance of a multilateral order inclusive of voices from developing nations.
"The new-age multilateralism, which is coming, it is going to stay and it will be led by the Global South," Bhattacharya remarked.
According to him, the summit demonstrated a renewed commitment to multipolarity and cooperation. While Western-led institutions like the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods economic system remain dominant, they reflect outdated structures that don’t align with the current global landscape.
“The UN Security Council,” he noted, “still has five permanent members from a time when half of the African countries were not even independent.”
Bhattacharya also emphasized that BRICS’ alignment is not anti-West but rather “the Global South bloc, which can take the issues that really are important.” As Western powers continue to resist reforms within existing multilateral frameworks, he foresees a rise in alternative institutions led by BRICS and other Southern nations.
“This summit has shown that Western-led multilateralism is dead,” he underscored.
Looking forward, Bhattacharya suggested that despite their differences, convergence between Western and Southern multilateral systems is possible, especially as collective global challenges require collaboration.