In 2025, Brazil took over as the President of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), marking a significant point in the bloc’s development. Under the leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil has set out an ambitious timetable that focuses on sustainable development, expanding economic cooperation, and restructuring global governance institutions. Such strategic objectives reflect Brazil’s continued emphasis on strengthening the Global South and making the international order more equitable.
Expansion of Membership of BRICS
The most significant development during Brazil’s presidency is BRICS expanding to include new members. In January 2025, Nigeria was admitted as a ‘partner country,’ joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan in this class. The expansion demonstrates BRICS’ growing power and determination to speak for a broader range of developing nations, according to Associates Press.
In addition, Russia also expressed its intention to assist Vietnam in transforming itself into a partner of BRICS. This action is part of the group’s wider effort to build closer ties with emerging nations and extend its global footprint.
Key priorities for Brazil’s BRICS presidency
Under the main heading “Strengthening Cooperation within the Global South for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”, Brazil has identified five key priorities for its presidency of BRICS:
- Regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Brazil has set out to devise a regulatory system that includes responsible and comprehensive governance frameworks for AI, ensuring the benefits of development can be enjoyed by all countries. With this plan, we hope to take into account ethical concerns and make sure common access for everyone to the latest technologies of AI.
- Trade and Investment Facilitation: This is part of how we hope to bring about economic integration between the members of BRICS through direct payment systems, and the development of non-traditional financial intermediaries. In particular, we are trying to build up a new financial system that can process cross-border payments between member countries within their bloc, thereby enhancing economic cohesion among them.
- Climate Change Financing: Brazil intends to enhance funding mechanisms to support the global climate initiative, and it even gives concrete priority to this over practically anything else during the upcoming COP 30 conference; Brazil is deeply committed to addressing climate change through innovative financial strategies and sustainable development practices in specific areas of activity.
- Public Health Collaboration: Priority cases concerning public health cooperation include seeking ways for BRICS nations to cooperatively improve their healthcare systems. This includes initiatives to upgrade medical care infrastructure, share medical information across member countries, and address health disparities among member states.
- Institutional Development: The presidency’s objective is to strengthen BRICS’ internal mechanisms to ensure effective governance and consensus-making, particularly as new member nations join the organization. This involves revising the rotational leadership system and creating clear guidelines for participation and decision-making by member countries.
Challenges and Opportunities
The expansion of BRICS poses problems and opportunities alike. Linking new members means harmonizing diverse political systems, economic structures, and development priorities. As a leader, Brazil must bring member countries together for a common purpose. And as BRICS gains influence internationally, it requires a strategic approach to global governance reform ensuring that the bloc effectively voices the interests of developing nations in international forums.
Furthermore, the plan to create alternative payment systems and reduce dependence on the US dollar has broader geopolitical implications. While this serves to enhance economic sovereignty for member countries, reactions from other great powers have not been favorable. For example, the US has threatened to impose tariffs. Negotiating these various geopolitical forces will be a critical part of Brazil’s presidency.
As Brazil becomes the leading BRICS country, it is set to play a significant role in shaping the future of the Global South. By concentrating on how communities and countries can modify their practices to become sustainable, through its economic integration and reforms of institutions intended to harmonize them, Brazil also expects to equip BRICS for dealing with global challenges more effectively and forming a new kind of international order that will not be as dominated by Western powers. Implementing these priorities successfully will require cooperation with member states and a strategic response to changing geopolitics.
