BRICS: African Leaders Demand International Institutions be Reformed

African leaders at the BRICS conference, which is now taking place in Russia, discussed Wednesday what they believe to be significant global challenges.

Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have joined the coalition, which began with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Turkey have formally applied to join, and numerous additional nations have expressed interest in doing the same.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stated, “International developments have demonstrated that the shortcomings of the current international system extend beyond political and security issues to include economic and development issues.

According to the president of Egypt, Cairo placed a high premium on ensuring that the world community understood its responsibility to support these nations’ growth.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa demanded the “recalibration of trade rules to enable industrialisation” and changes to the World Trade Organisation.

He stated that “we must launch common development programs in the fields of exports, industrial cooperation, and technology exchange in order to intensify cooperation amongst BRICs members.” Ramaphosa, who insisted on an immediate ceasefire and the acknowledgment of Palestinian self-determination, also voiced worry over the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the Middle East.