The Declaration strongly condemned the recent attacks “against some BRICS countries, including that in India”.[Xinhua]
The 8th BRICS Summit in Goa, India is about to conclude.
The five members of the influential bloc have issued a 109-point communique known as the Goa Declaration.
Below are excerpts:
The Goa Declaration acknowledges that the five BRICS nations facing increasing emerging challenges to global peace and security which hinder sustainable development.
The BRICS nations are therefore committed to further enhancing their collective efforts to strengthen their solidarity and cooperation founded on common interests.
To this end, BRICS will further strengthen their strategic intra-partnerships.
One critical endeavor which meets that goal is the New Development Bank.
The Goa Declaration says:
We note with satisfaction the operationalisation of the New Development Bank (NDB) and of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), which contributes greatly to the global economy and the strengthening of the international financial architecture. We welcome the report presented by NDB President on the work of the Bank during the first year of its operations. We are pleased to note the progress in operationalising the Africa Regional Centre (ARC) of the NDB and pledge our full support in this regard. We look forward to developing new BRICS initiatives in a wider range of areas in the years to come.
The BRICS members also said that outreach is a strategic imperative for the bloc.
BRICS will hold an Outreach Summit of BRICS Leaders with the Leaders of BIMSTEC member countries – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation comprising of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
“The meeting will be an opportunity to renew our friendship with BIMSTEC countries as well as to jointly explore possibilities of expanding trade and commercial ties, and investment cooperation between BRICS and BIMSTEC countries, while advancing our common goals of peace, development, democracy and prosperity,” the declaration said.
Terrorism, global stability
A key component of the Goa Declaration addresses India’s concerns about terrorism on the subcontinent. India has in the past few weeks accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism there and urged fellow BRICS members to pressure its neighbor to condemn terrorism.
The Declaration strongly condemned the recent attacks “against some BRICS countries, including that in India”.
The Declaration did not mince words and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and ruled out any justification for such acts.
“We agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating international terrorism both at the bilateral level and at international fora.”
The Goa Declaration lauded the work of the BRICS Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, which met in New Delhi just last month, and said it would go a long way to combating the specter of such violent acts.
But the BRICS members also said:
We call upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, radicalisation, recruitment, movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, blocking sources of financing terrorism, including through organised crime by means of money-laundering, drug trafficking, criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, and countering misuse of the Internet including social media by terror entities through misuse of the latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).Successfully combating terrorism requires a holistic approach. All counter-terrorism measures should uphold international law and respect human rights.
Science and research
BRICS members also pledged their strong support for scientific and research cooperation between them as a strategic imperative.
To that regard, they threw their support behind the fourth BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting last week which endorsed a plan aimed at strengthening cooperation in science, technology and innovation, and in particularly focusing on how to leverage young scientific talent for addressing societal challenges.
The Work Plan, which lasts until 2018, will establish a network platform for BRICS young scientists.
It will also aim at “co-generating new knowledge and innovative products, services and processes; and addressing common global and regional socio-economic challenges utilising shared experiences and complementarities”.
The Goa Declaration also emphasized the significance of executing the BRICS Research and Innovation Initiative.
“We welcome the hosting of the first BRICS Young Scientists Conclave in India, instituting of BRICS Innovative Idea Prize for Young Scientists,” the communique said.
For the full 109 points, click here.
The BRICS Post