Ajit Doval to host BRICS security conclave: Cross-border terrorism, Middle East conflict in focus; China FM among key attendees

India is hosting the BRICS National Security Advisers' (NSA) Meeting on June 22–23, 2026, with the NSA chairing the conclave as India holds the BRICS chairsh...

What Happened

India is hosting the BRICS National Security Advisers' (NSA) Meeting on June 22–23, 2026, with the NSA chairing the conclave as India holds the BRICS chairship.
Senior security officials from across all 11 BRICS member states are attending, including China's top foreign policy official Wang Yi, Russia's NSA Sergei Shoigu, and Iran's Supreme National Security Council deputy.
The central theme of discussion is "Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today," with cross-border terrorism, the Middle East conflict, and misuse of information and communication technologies (ICT) as specific agenda items.
Delegates will review outcomes from recent BRICS Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism and on Security in the Use of ICTs.
India's 2026 BRICS chairship operates under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," with multilateralism and people-centric development as priorities.

Static Topic Bridges

BRICS: Composition, Evolution, and India's Chairship

BRICS is a multilateral grouping originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It has since expanded significantly: four new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE) joined in January 2024; Indonesia joined in January 2025; and Saudi Arabia completed its membership in July 2025, bringing the bloc to 11 full members. Additionally, 13 partner countries have been designated. BRICS now represents roughly half of the global population and over 41% of world GDP (PPP). India holds the chairship for the fourth time in 2026.

Original BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (acronym coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001)
2024 expansion added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE; 2025 added Indonesia and Saudi Arabia
India's 2026 Chairship theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"
BRICS NSA/security conclaves address both traditional and non-traditional threats and serve as a precursor to leaders' summits

Connection to this news: This conclave is a formal BRICS security process hosted by India during its chairship year, placing non-traditional threats — especially cross-border terrorism — on the multilateral agenda.

Non-Traditional Security Threats and Cross-Border Terrorism

Non-traditional security threats are challenges to state and human security that lie outside the conventional military domain. They include terrorism, cyber threats, climate change, pandemics, transnational crime, and energy insecurity. Cross-border terrorism — where militants operate from safe havens in one country to strike another — is considered a hybrid threat sitting at the intersection of traditional and non-traditional security. BRICS members have collectively reaffirmed zero-tolerance for terrorism in all forms, including cross-border movement of terrorists, financing of terrorism, and maintenance of safe havens.

India has consistently advocated for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN since 1996
The UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) mandates all states to criminalise terrorist financing and enhance cross-border cooperation
The BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group coordinates intelligence-sharing and capacity building among member states
"Lawfare" — use of legal mechanisms to counter terrorist financing — is a growing non-traditional instrument

Connection to this news: Cross-border terrorism is one of the explicit agenda items at the June 2026 conclave, directly relevant to India's security concerns in its neighbourhood.

Security in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

The security of ICT infrastructure has emerged as a major non-traditional threat domain. State and non-state actors use cyberspace for espionage, critical infrastructure attacks, and information warfare. BRICS established a Joint Working Group on Security in the Use of ICTs to address common vulnerabilities and promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The UN Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) process and BRICS ICT frameworks overlap significantly.

BRICS Joint Working Group on Security in the Use of ICTs reviews threats and shares best practices among member states
India's National Cyber Security Policy (2013) and the proposed CERT-In framework are key domestic instruments
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (2001) is the primary international treaty — India has not acceded to it
Responsible state behaviour norms in cyberspace are under active negotiation at the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG)

Connection to this news: The NSA meeting will review outcomes of the ICT Security Working Group, making cybersecurity a second pillar of the conclave's agenda alongside terrorism.

Key Facts & Data

BRICS NSA Meeting: June 22–23, 2026, hosted by India
Meeting theme: "Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today"
BRICS current membership: 11 full members + 13 partner countries
India holds the 2026 BRICS chairship (fourth time) under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"
BRICS accounts for approximately 50% of global population and over 41% of world GDP (PPP)
China's senior official Wang Yi and Russia's Sergei Shoigu among notable attendees
Agenda covers cross-border terrorism, Middle East conflict, and ICT security