Mechanism empowering development

The post-Cold War world order is unravelling. The global trading system and the multilateral order, painstakingly built after World War II, are being torn apart. What once stood as a framework for cooperation is now a weapon of mass bullying. Trade wars strike like sudden cyclones. Tariffs rise unpredictably. One day, they are 15 percent, only to shoot up to 50 percent in a few days, jump to 100 percent the following week and then drop to 20 percent days later. Such turbulence shakes small and large economies alike, bringing uncertainty, disrupting supply chains and sending countries scrambling for new markets and solutions.

This new age of upheaval calls for BRICS+, a dynamic grouping of countries, to promote multipolarism. BRICS+ must rise not just as an economic grouping but as an empowering and stabilizing platform for the Global South. True to its roots, BRICS+ is a solid, enduring and purpose-built platform. Accordingly, it also has to be an empowering platform. And like any well-built structure, it must be firm enough to hold back the landslide of confusion and agile enough to let water pass through to allow flexibility while preventing collapse.

It is not enough for BRICS+ to simply hold the line. It must also pave the road forward. Over 45 percent of the global population lives in BRICS+ member states, most of them in the Global South where life remains precarious and economic security is far from guaranteed. So strong bricks must be laid to build roads that strengthen resilience, and promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity.