Modi: Global South must shape, not just follow, rules
In the opening address at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the Prime Minister called for transforming the Global South from a "rule-taker into a rule-shaper" in global governance.
A proposal was made for BRICS members to jointly develop ten proposals for global governance reform, organised around three themes — representation, responsiveness, and rule-making — to be consolidated into a "BRICS Reform Roadmap" by the next summit.
A "BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism" was proposed to preserve institutional momentum across the grouping's annually rotating chairship.
A new "Seafarers' Emergency Support Network" was proposed among BRICS members to coordinate distress alerts, medical aid, family communication, and evacuation support for mariners in distress; India indicated it would pursue the initiative going forward.
The address also renewed calls for structural reform of global institutions to give developing countries a greater voice in decision-making.
The "Global South" as a Diplomatic and Analytical Category
"Global South" is a loose, non-geographic shorthand for developing and emerging economies seeking a greater voice in global governance; it succeeded Cold War-era terms like "Third World" as that language fell out of use after 1991. The term is generally traced to 1960s usage (commonly attributed to the American activist Carl Oglesby) and gained wider currency after the 1980 Brandt Report ("North-South: A Programme for Survival"), which visually divided the world along the "Brandt Line" into a wealthier North and a poorer South.
Key Details
- The Group of 77 (G77) at the United Nations — the main institutional expression of Global South coordination — was formed on 15 June 1964 at the first UNCTAD session in Geneva by 77 developing countries; it now has 134 members, though it retains its original name
- India has hosted "Voice of Global South Summits" (2023, 2024) as a distinct platform from BRICS, aimed at consolidating developing-country positions ahead of G20 and other forums
- Unlike G77 or the erstwhile Non-Aligned Movement, "Global South" carries no formal membership or charter — it functions as a political framing rather than an organisation
Casting BRICS itself as a Global South-led platform for "rule-shaping" situates the grouping within this six-decade continuum of developing-country coordination, from the G77 (1964) through the Non-Aligned Movement to today's BRICS-led reform push.
BRICS Institutional Design: The Continuity and Implementation Mechanism Proposal
BRICS operates without a permanent secretariat or charter; each year's presidency rotates among members, who set that year's agenda and host the summit. This has historically meant a loss of institutional continuity when the chairship changes hands, since incoming presidencies are not bound to carry forward the previous year's initiatives. A "Continuity and Implementation Mechanism," as proposed at this summit, would be a structural fix aimed at retaining momentum on agreed initiatives across chairship transitions.
Key Details
- BRICS chairship rotates annually among full members in alphabetical order by convention (India held the 2026 chairship, following Brazil in 2025)
- Because BRICS declarations are consensus-based and non-binding, follow-through on any single summit's commitments has depended heavily on the incoming chair's priorities — the gap the proposed mechanism seeks to close
- The proposal parallels similar institutional continuity troubleshooting seen in other rotating-chair groupings, such as the G20's "Troika" system, where the current, previous, and incoming presidencies coordinate jointly
The Continuity and Implementation Mechanism proposal, alongside the ten-point Reform Roadmap, reflects an attempt to convert BRICS's usual one-off summit declarations into a standing reform process that survives the annual change of chair.
Seafarers' Emergency Support Network and the International Maritime Labour Framework
Seafarer welfare and safety at sea are governed internationally chiefly through the International Labour Organization's Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 — often called the "seafarers' bill of rights" — and through the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) distress and safety systems. A dedicated BRICS-level "Seafarers' Emergency Support Network," as proposed, would sit alongside these existing global frameworks as a bloc-specific coordination layer for medical aid, evacuation, and family communication during maritime emergencies.
Key Details
- MLC, 2006 was adopted by the ILO in February 2006 and entered into force in August 2013; it consolidates over 65 earlier maritime labour instruments and sets standards on employment conditions, hours of work/rest, repatriation, and onboard medical care
- The IMO's Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), in force since 1999, is the existing worldwide framework for ship-to-shore distress alerting — the proposed BRICS network would be a regional/bloc-level complement rather than a replacement
- India is the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers (after the Philippines), contributing over 12% of the global seafaring workforce as of recent industry data, giving it a direct stake in mechanisms protecting mariners in distress
The proposal comes against a backdrop of maritime disruption from regional conflicts and chokepoint tensions affecting shipping lanes; India's position as a leading seafarer-supplying nation gives it a direct interest in championing a dedicated distress-support mechanism at BRICS.
- G77 founded: 15 June 1964, first UNCTAD session, Geneva; now 134 member states
- Brandt Report ("North-South: A Programme for Survival"): 1980, introduced the "Brandt Line" concept dividing global North and South
- MLC, 2006: adopted February 2006, entered into force August 2013 (ILO)
- GMDSS (IMO): in force globally since 1999
- India's global seafarer-supply ranking: 2nd largest (after the Philippines), accounting for over 12% of the world's seafaring workforce
- BRICS chairship for 2026: India; the "BRICS Reform Roadmap" is proposed for consolidation by the next summit