Photo Credits: BRICS
OBJECTIVE: INFLUENCE THE AGENDA
* Civil BRICS wants its recommendations make it to the final BRICS declaration that will emerge from Goa later this year
* It does not not want the BRICS agenda to be dictated by a group of bureaucrats and others negotiating for themselves and by themselves * Influence the process to institutionalise the Civil BRICS and raise awareness about these global processes
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As a run up to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) scheduled to take place in Goa later this year, members of NGOs and other civil society converged on Goa in a bid to demand larger space in the ‘formal BRICS’ debate for the concerns of civil society.
“India has agreed to host a civil BRICS, which is a meeting of civil society activists from the BRICS countries following the lead given by Russia at the last BRICS summit in Moscow. While we are happy with this, we want that the recommendations that emerge from this civil BRICS summit makes it to the final BRICS declaration that will emerge from Goa later this year,” Amitabh Behar of the pre-BRICS consultation said.
“We do not want the BRICS agenda to be dictated by a group of bureaucrats and Indian Foreign Service Officials negotiating for themselves and by themselves. It is an opportunity for India to boost its international legitimacy and prove its worth. For long India has claimed that it is the world’s largest democracy and certainly has the longest among the BRICS countries,” John Samuel another representative said.
The consultation which had representatives of several NGOs during the meeting debated several aspects.
The objective of the consultation is to influence the agenda and outcome of the BRICS process, influence the process to institutionalise the Civil BRICS and raising awareness among civil society in India about these global processes.
For the moment while India has agreed to host a civil BRICS in New Delhi from October 3rd and 4th, the weight that will be attached to the recommendations that emerge from the civil BRICS is unclear.
“As of now we know that there will be a mention of civil BRICS in the final declaration, but clearly we are looking for more than that. We want that the process of transfer of suggestions from the civil BRICS to the main BRICS be formalised,” Behar said.
Civil society is hoping to include issues like that of the impact of BRICS investments on the marginalised, inclusive growth.
The five countries in BRICS formation together account for 43% of the world’s population, 46% of the global labour force, 30% of the earth’s landmass and 25% of the world’s share of GDP. However, they also account for 50% of the world’s poor.
“In the backdrop of jobless growth, and the growth pattern that has led to rising inequality, the development visualised by BRICS nations should be sustainable…,” Behar said.
