BRICS issues New Delhi Declaration, as UAE and Iran back down from tough positions
The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 by consensus, after member states holding opposing positions on the West Asia conflict were brought into agreement
The declaration expressed "deep concern" over escalating tensions in the Middle East and called for "maximum restraint" by parties to the conflict, without naming any specific military strikes
The text reiterated firm opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians and to any change in the geography or demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, and called for an end to violence in Gaza, support for UNRWA, and full UN membership for Palestine
The Indian chairship held bilateral engagement with China's leadership on the summit sidelines, described as running roughly an hour
The summit statement affirmed that the grouping's positions are not directed "against" any third country
BRICS's Position on the Israel-Palestine Question
BRICS declarations on West Asia typically track the long-standing international consensus positions on Palestine: opposition to forced displacement/demographic change in occupied territory, support for a two-state solution, and backing for Palestine's full UN membership (currently held back at the Security Council level, since Palestine holds only "non-member observer state" status at the UN General Assembly, granted in 2012).
Key Details
- Palestine granted "non-member observer state" status at the UN General Assembly in 2012 (Resolution 67/19)
- Full UN membership requires a Security Council recommendation (subject to P5 veto) followed by a two-thirds General Assembly vote — a bid that the US has blocked at the Security Council in recent years
- UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) was established in 1949 to provide relief to Palestinian refugees; it operates distinctly from UNHCR, which handles refugees generally
- The "two-state solution" framework — an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel — remains the internationally endorsed template, referenced in UNSC Resolution 242 (1967) and subsequent frameworks
The New Delhi Declaration's language on Palestinian statehood and UNRWA support situates BRICS within this pre-existing UN framework rather than creating new positions, while avoiding specifics on any particular military action.
India-China Bilateral Mechanism: Special Representatives and Border Management
India and China manage their boundary dispute and broader ties through a layered mechanism distinct from ordinary diplomatic channels. The Special Representatives (SR) mechanism, established in 2003, handles the political framework for a boundary settlement at the National Security Advisor/senior-official level, separate from the working-level Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) that manages border-area tensions.
Key Details
- SR mechanism established 2003; the SRs are tasked with negotiating a framework settlement for the India-China boundary question, not just border management
- WMCC established 2012 for real-time consultation on border-area incidents
- The Line of Actual Control (LAC) — not a formally demarcated international border — is the operative boundary in India-China border management, distinct from the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and the International Boundary elsewhere
- India and China reached a disengagement agreement on patrolling arrangements in eastern Ladakh (Depsang and Demchok) in October 2024, easing a stand-off that began in 2020
A bilateral meeting between the two countries' leaderships on the sidelines of a multilateral summit is a recurring diplomatic format — using multilateral gatherings (BRICS, SCO) for bilateral engagement — that has been a feature of India-China engagement since the 2020 border stand-off.
BRICS and the Doctrine of Non-Alignment / Strategic Autonomy
The BRICS grouping's periodic assertion that it is "not against anyone" reflects its self-description as a platform for South-South cooperation and reform of global governance, rather than a military or ideological bloc — a framing that traces back to India's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) tradition and its contemporary successor doctrine of "multi-alignment" or strategic autonomy.
Key Details
- NAM founded 1961 (Belgrade Conference), with India, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Ghana, and Indonesia as founding members; explicitly rejected alignment with either Cold War bloc
- BRICS itself originated as an economic grouping (BRIC, coined 2001 by Goldman Sachs; formalized as a grouping in 2009 at Yekaterinburg), only later acquiring a broader geopolitical dimension
- "Strategic autonomy" is the term used for India's post-Cold War foreign policy approach of engaging multiple powers (US, Russia, EU, Global South) without formal alliance commitments
Statements that BRICS is "not against anyone" are consistent with this non-bloc self-positioning, important for distinguishing BRICS analytically from a formal military alliance (e.g., NATO) in comparative IR questions.
- BRICS Summit 2026 (18th edition) held in New Delhi under India's chairship, theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"
- BRICS now has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia
- Palestine has held UN General Assembly "non-member observer state" status since 2012 (Resolution 67/19)
- India-China Special Representatives mechanism on the boundary question dates to 2003; WMCC dates to 2012
- India-China reached a disengagement/patrolling arrangement for eastern Ladakh (Depsang, Demchok) in October 2024
- NAM was founded in 1961; BRICS (as a formal grouping) held its first summit in 2009