Interview: BRICS key to Global South representation, scholar says

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS is playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding genuine multilateralism and international rules by fostering a more balanced, inclusive and representative international order, an expert has said.

"BRICS is a venue for partnership, collaboration, and dialogue," Balew Demissie, a senior consultant at the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia, recently told Xinhua. "It promotes multilateralism, not unilateralism."

He said the group is playing an increasingly prominent role in "keeping the balance, inclusivity and representation" within the wider multilateral governance structure, where no single country or group dominates global decision-making.

"Rather than replacing existing global institutions, BRICS seeks to strengthen the principles of dialogue, sovereign equality, mutual respect and cooperation among nations," he said, adding that the group is more representative of and responsive to the interests and aspirations of the Global South, thereby contributing to a fairer and more genuinely multipolar world order.

BRICS, with its expanded membership, provides a platform for emerging economies across the globe to have a stronger voice in global decision-making, particularly on issues such as trade, development, finance, climate change, peace and security, Demissie said.

He noted that through organizations such as the New Development Bank, BRICS also contributes to diversifying global economic and financial partnerships, while serving as a constructive counterweight to unilateralism by promoting "greater openness, predictability, cooperation and inclusiveness in international economic relations."

Meanwhile, he highlighted China's contribution to global development through its role in the BRICS and through other collaborative initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative.

"Ethiopia has benefited immensely from the BRI in different aspects, including infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and rural revitalization," the scholar said.

He argued that China's continued opening-up and inclusive trade policies provide significant opportunities for Global South countries by expanding access to one of the world's largest and most dynamic markets.

China's economic approach "encourages stronger South-South cooperation and helps Global South countries diversify their trading and development partnerships, contributing to a more open, interconnected, and balanced global economy, while creating jobs and attracting necessary expertise," he noted.

To navigate current and future global uncertainties, BRICS should deepen collaboration in trade and investment, infrastructure, energy, education, digital technology and skills development, while expanding market access for small and medium-sized enterprises, he said.

Demissie also highlighted the critical importance of maintaining unity and coordination as the group expands and becomes increasingly diverse, requiring sustained dialogue, mutual understanding and flexible approaches to build consensus among members.