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Global governance
Advancing a more representative voice for emerging and developing countries in international institutions.
Independent information portal
Cooperation for a changing world.
BRICS is a forum for political and diplomatic coordination among countries of the Global South, with work spanning development, finance, science, culture and more.
Hero image supplied by the user. The banknote shown is illustrative and is not an official BRICS currency. This is an independent educational design, not an official BRICS site.
About BRICS
A forum built on dialogue, consensus and practical cooperation.
BRICS has no constitutive treaty, permanent secretariat or common budget. Its members coordinate positions and develop cooperation across political, economic, financial, social and people-to-people areas.
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Economic cooperation
Encouraging trade, investment and connections that support shared development priorities.
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People-to-people ties
Building exchange through education, culture, youth, sport, science and civil society.
Member countries
Eleven members, one forum.
Membership information below reflects official BRICS material current through the site’s update date.
BrazilFounding member
RussiaFounding member
IndiaFounding member
ChinaFounding member
South AfricaMember since 2011
EgyptExpanded membership
EthiopiaExpanded membership
IranExpanded membership
Saudi ArabiaExpanded membership
United Arab EmiratesExpanded membership
IndonesiaJoined January 2025
Partner countriesBelarusBoliviaCubaKazakhstanMalaysiaNigeriaThailandUgandaUzbekistanVietnam
Summits
A growing record of dialogue.
Leaders’ summits set broad priorities, while ministerial and technical meetings support ongoing cooperation across the year.
2009 · Yekaterinburg
First BRIC summit.
First BRIC summit.
2011 · Sanya
South Africa joins; BRIC becomes BRICS.
South Africa joins; BRIC becomes BRICS.
2023 · Johannesburg
Leaders approve a further expansion.
Leaders approve a further expansion.
2024 · Kazan
Partner-country modality is created.
Partner-country modality is created.
How it works
Consensus is central.
BRICS is an intergovernmental coordination forum. Members determine priorities through consultation; its outcomes are expressed in summit declarations and other jointly agreed documents.
Read updates
India 2026
India assumes the rotating BRICS presidency in 2026.
The rotating chair coordinates the forum’s annual programme and helps carry work forward between meetings. Follow official channels for confirmed summit dates, agendas and documents.
User-supplied event image, shown for visual context only. This page does not treat it as independently verified, does not speculate about summit outcomes, and does not present a proposed BRICS currency as official policy.
Economy & Finance
Development, resilience and financial cooperation.
Economic dialogue includes trade, investment, payment arrangements, financial markets and collaboration on development priorities. Ideas about payment systems or currencies remain distinct from official announcements.
Trade & investment
Discussions seek to make cooperation and economic exchange more practical among members.
Financial dialogue
Members discuss financial cooperation, including the role of national currencies in trade and investment where applicable.
Illustrative currency image
User-supplied visual concept only. BRICS has not announced an official common currency.
New Development Bank
Infrastructure and sustainable development finance.
Established by the BRICS countries in 2015, the New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank headquartered in Shanghai. It finances infrastructure and sustainable-development projects in member countries.
Development focus
Clean energy · transport · water and sanitation · social infrastructure · digital and urban development.
Technology
BRICS cooperation also spans science, innovation, research networks, digital transformation and technology exchange.
Development
Practical cooperation for sustainable development.
Development-related discussions encompass infrastructure, resilient cities, energy transitions, food systems, health and the Sustainable Development Goals. The NDB is one institution supporting eligible projects through development finance.
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Shared priorities
Members exchange experience and pursue cooperation where priorities align, while national policy remains the responsibility of each country.
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Science, innovation & digital cooperation
Researchers, institutions and officials connect through initiatives that can support knowledge sharing and practical innovation.
Technology
Knowledge networks for future-facing challenges.
Areas of interest include research collaboration, emerging technologies, skills, digital public infrastructure and innovation ecosystems.
News & documents
Start with primary sources.
BRICS · Reference
Partner-country modality
Official overview of the partner-country modality, alongside current membership information.
NDB · Reference
New Development Bank members
Current NDB membership is separate from BRICS forum membership.
Open NDB source →Independent resource
iabrics.org
External independent BRICS-related resource; use official BRICS publications for authoritative updates.
Visit iabrics.org →Gallery
Cooperation, viewed globally.
Contact
Stay connected.
For authoritative information, consult official BRICS and New Development Bank publications. This demonstration site is independent and educational.