Challenges and Responses: Building the Greater BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

As a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world， the collective rise of the Global South represented by BRICS countries is making global governance and the world order more just and equitable. The BRICS cooperation mechanism is an important platform for strategic communication and development cooperation among Global South countries. The historic enlargement of BRICS at the beginning of 2024 was a significant milestone in its development history， which has further enhanced the representation of BRICS countries in the Global South and injected new impetus into the cooperation and development of the Global South. However， against the backdrop of the accelerating global changes， the enlargement of BRICS has been given geopolitical significance by some Western countries， increasing the external pressure on BRICS cooperation. Moreover， with the more diverse membership， more intricate interest relations， and the continuous expansion of cooperation areas and scopes after the enlargement， the BRICS cooperation mechanism is facing some new challenges. It is therefore imperative for BRICS countries to respond actively and jointly foster a new dynamic for the high-quality development of the greater BRICS.

The Process and Characteristics of the Development of the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

Since its inception， BRICS has always attached great importance to building and improving the cooperation mechanism. Now， an institutional system has already been put in place， which takes the BRICS summit as the core and consists of ministerial meetings in various fields such as foreign affairs， finance， economy and trade， industry， agriculture， environment， culture and education， and health， as well as their subordinate specific working group meetings， and forums that involve people from various social sectors such as the Business Forum and the Think Tank Forum. The BRICS cooperation mechanism has not only enhanced the resilience of cooperation among BRICS countries， but also improved their ability to participate in global governance.

I. The Evolution of the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

The development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism has roughly experienced four landmark transformations.

First， the transformation from a business investment term to a substantive international cooperation mechanism. In 2001， Goldman Sachs first coined the term “BRICs”， which attracted great attention from the international community. In 2006， foreign ministers of Brazil， Russia， India， and China held their first meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly， officially launching the BRICS cooperation process. In 2008， the outbreak of the international financial crisis gave birth to the BRICS summit. In support of the summit， BRICS countries established a series of ministerial meeting mechanisms such as the meeting of senior representatives for security affairs， the meeting of foreign ministers at the United Nations General Assembly， the informal meeting of envoys of permanent multilateral institutions， and the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors. Meanwhile， BRICS countries also put in place various cooperation mechanisms in many fields such as finance， business， agriculture， science and technology， education， think tanks， sister cities， and media. In 2011， South Africa’s accession marked the first enlargement of BRICs， making it officially BRICS.

Second， the institutionalization of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. At the BRICS Summit in Durban in 2013， it was decided to establish the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement. In 2014， the leaders of the five countries signed the agreements on the establishment of the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement. In 2015， the New Development Bank officially opened in Shanghai， China， marking the institutionalized operation of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Third， the transformation from two pillars to three main drivers. In the early stage of the BRICS cooperation mechanism， while giving priority to cooperation in the financial and economic fields， it also attached importance to cooperation in the political and security fields， highlighting the advancement of two pillars of economy and politics. By the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in 2017， with the facilitation of China， the people-to-people and cultural exchanges among BRICS countries became institutionalized. BRICS cooperation has thus shifted from the traditional two pillars of economy and politics to three main drivers of political and security cooperation， economic and financial cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges， making the BRICS cooperation architecture more comprehensive and balanced.

Fourth， with the transformation from “BRICS Plus” to the historic enlargement of the BRICS， it has embraced a new era of greater BRICS cooperation. In order to strengthen the ties with emerging markets and a large number of developing countries， BRICS has added dialogues between the leaders of the five countries and those of countries and relevant regional organizations in the host country’s region since the Durban Summit in 2013. At the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in 2017， the “BRICS Plus” cooperation model was creatively proposed. However， more countries hoped to become formal members of BRICS. When China served as the rotating chair of BRICS in 2022， it called on the BRICS countries to admit new members， and all parties unanimously agreed to take the BRICS China Year as the opportunity to start the enlargement process. At the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in 2023， it was announced that new members would be welcomed. At the beginning of 2024， Saudi Arabia， Egypt， the United Arab Emirates， Iran and Ethiopia became formal members of the BRICS， ushering in a new era of greater BRICS cooperation.

II. The Basic Characteristics of the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

The BRICS cooperation mechanism is an exemplary practice of multilateralism. It demonstrates characteristics such as diversity and unity， openness and inclusiveness， and practicality and efficiency.

Diversity and unity. The BRICS summit， as the core of the BRICS cooperation mechanism， plays a role in top-level design and political guidance. It not only points out the direction for the current and long-term goals of cooperation among BRICS countries but also formulates initiatives， measures， and action plans to promote cooperation and development. To implement the outcomes of the summits， BRICS countries have established cooperation mechanisms in various fields， at multiple levels， through multiple channels， and with diverse forms involving various forces such as the government， enterprises and society. These include both institutional entities and cooperation mechanisms such as meetings， forums and working groups.

Openness and inclusiveness. The BRICS cooperation mechanism has always acted on the BRICS spirit of openness， inclusiveness and win-win cooperation to continuously expand cooperation partners. From the dialogues between the leaders of the BRICS countries and other countries and relevant regional organizations in the host country’s region at the Durban Summit in 2013 to the creation of the “BRICS Plus” cooperation model at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in 2017， BRICS countries have continuously expanded their “circle of friends”. In 2022， BRICS countries started a new round of enlargement process and achieved historic enlargement at the beginning of 2024. At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024， it was announced that BRICS partner countries would be set up to strengthen partnerships with emerging markets and developing countries. Institutional entities such as the New Development Bank and the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Innovation Center are also open to the international community by admitting new members and setting up guest countries.

Practicality and efficiency. The outcomes of the BRICS cooperation mechanism will not just remain on paper but will be quickly implemented into specific actions. In the process of deepening cooperation， BRICS countries have continuously put forward new cooperation initiatives and promoted their implementation as soon as possible. Nearly ten years after its establishment， the New Development Bank has approved dozens of loan projects， with a total investment of nearly US$35 billion in fields such as clean energy and energy efficiency， transportation infrastructure， water resources and sanitation， and digital infrastructure. Since its launch four years ago， the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Innovation Center has cumulatively released 5 batches of key task lists consisting of 177 items and produced 16 work outcomes. With pragmatic and efficient actions， the innovation center has promoted the in-depth cooperation among BRICS countries in the field of the new industrial revolution.

Challenges Faced by the BRICS Enlargement and the Cooperation Mechanism

The historic enlargement of BRICS has opened a new era of greater BRICS cooperation. Meanwhile， more and more emerging markets and developing countries are actively considering joining the BRICS. The enlargement has injected new vitality into the BRICS cooperation mechanism. However， with the increase in the number of BRICS member countries， the development of the mechanism is also facing some new challenges， mainly manifested in the following three aspects.

First， the problem of multi-faceted coordination. With the accession of Saudi Arabia， Egypt， the United Arab Emirates， Iran and Ethiopia， the number of BRICS member countries has doubled and the heterogeneity among members has also become prominent. The ten BRICS countries have differences in language， culture， historical traditions， political systems， and development models. Their respective interest demands and diplomatic preferences are also diverse. The interest relations among them become more intricate. All of these has greatly increased the difficulty and cost of communication and coordination among BRICS member countries and brought challenges to the BRICS cooperation mechanism. The diversification of the interest demands and diplomatic preferences of BRICS member countries have increased the difficulty of coordinating cooperation topics and their priority rankings. Meanwhile， the expansion" of the BRICS cooperation mechanism will affect the cost-sharing and benefit-sharing of each member country. Coupled with problems such as the need to improve the mutual trust and cohesion among member countries， BRICS may face the “dilemma of collective action”.

Second， the homogeneity and competition within the industrial development of BRICS countries have become more prominent. The newly joined Saudi Arabia， the United Arab Emirates， and Iran all possess abundant oil resources and are important crude oil exporting countries in the world today. In addition， Russia， one of the founding members of BRICS， is also an important energy producer and exporter in the world. The similarity in industrial structures will inevitably lead to competition among relevant countries in the international market， especially the scramble for the global market share. The competitive relations among BRICS countries in some fields have brought certain resistance to the internal coordination of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Third， the external pressure on institutional development has increased. BRICS countries are typical representatives of the Global South. The historic enlargement has greatly enhanced the representativeness of BRICS countries within the Global South and also demonstrated the strength and unity of the Global South. However， against the backdrop of the accelerating transformation across the world and the intensifying strategic competition among major countries， Western countries， out of the consideration of expanding their geopolitical influence， have politicized the Global South and used it as a tool， attempting to maintain their leading position in the international system by leveraging their relations with the Global South countries. The United States， Europe， and Japan have introduced various measures targeting the Global South countries in an attempt to divide and win over them， bringing challenges to the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Thoughts on the Path of Developing the Greater BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

Since its birth， BRICS has always been faced with pessimistic voices due to its prominent internal heterogeneity and competition. However， BRICS countries have responded to these doubts and suspicions with practical actions and have continued to grow and develop. Advancing the cooperation mechanism has become a powerful guarantee for BRICS countries to move forward steadily. Entering the era of greater BRICS cooperation， the following paths can be taken to advance the development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

First， clarify the role and position. Clarifying the role positioning is the primary task in developing the BRICS cooperation mechanism. BRICS has always adhered to the BRICS spirit of openness， inclusiveness and win-win cooperation， opposed closed-door exclusion， and rejected bloc confrontation. It is precisely this open and inclusive cooperation arrangement that enables the BRICS member countries to adhere to the principle of independence and autonomy in the context of the intensifying strategic competition among major countries， thus continuously attracting more and more countries to join the group. Standing at another turning point in human history， BRICS countries， as the first echelon of the Global South， should conform to the historical trend， stand on the side of fairness and justice， and be more open and inclusive， join hands with countries around the world to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. They should build the greater BRICS into a new type of open and inclusive multilateral cooperation mechanism based on emerging markets and developing countries and oriented towards the globe， and serve to establish and improve a fairer and more reasonable global governance system.

Second， improve the cooperation mechanism with efficiency as the core. Practicality and efficiency are prominent features of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. After the enlargement， on the basis of ensuring that new members are familiar with and integrated into the cooperation mechanism， BRICS countries need to focus on improving the mechanism with efficiency as the core. Firstly， the decision-making mechanism of the BRICS Summit needs to be innovated to improve decision-making efficiency. With the increase in the number of participating members， more diversified interest demands， and greater difficulty in internal coordination and consensus-seeking in the BRICS summit after the enlargement， it is imperative to innovate the decision-making mechanism to improve decision-making efficiency and reduce decision-making costs. Especially when dealing with major issues or facing urgent situations， BRICS countries need a more efficient decision-making mechanism. Secondly， the communication and coordination mechanism and information exchange mechanism of ministerial meetings and related working group meetings need to be improved to enhance the efficiency of the meetings. Ministerial meetings and related working group meetings are important underpinnings for the BRICS cooperation mechanism. They should not only prepare for the summit but also implement the outcomes of the summit. Under the new circumstances after the enlargement， ministerial meeting mechanisms and related working groups should strengthen regular communication and exchanges， increase information exchange channels， improve the rules of procedure， and optimize the consultation mechanism to improve the efficiency of the meetings. Finally， the participation of enterprises and various social sectors in relevant forums， alliances， and other mechanisms should be expanded to improve the comprehensive decision-making mechanism. Expanding the participation of social forces is conducive to improving the efficiency of inter-governmental cooperation mechanisms and thus promoting the improvement of the comprehensive decision-making mechanism.

Third， strengthen the capacity for implementation of the mechanism. Implementation capacity is the manifestation of the vitality of a system. In general terms， the BRICS cooperation mechanism is a loose and soft cooperation mechanism. Based on the subjective consensus of each member country， it engages in communication and exchanges through summits， ministerial meetings， and publishes declarations and memorandums. It is somewhat less formal. The cooperation willingness and consensus lack legal binding force. There are no specific charters or agreements， nor are there any formal organizations and permanent institutions. Soft cooperation mechanisms usually have weak implementation capacity due to the lack of binding force. How to strengthen the implementation capacity of the mechanism is also an important issue for its development. Firstly， more corresponding institutional entities can be established. As a behavioral system with specific functions， an institutional entity has relatively clear rights and responsibilities among its members and has a certain degree of action capacity. In terms of establishing institutional entities of BRICS， since there is currently no consensus among all parties on whether to establish a permanent secretariat， BRICS countries can explore to set up secretariats or establish institutional entities in specific cooperation fields to strengthen the institutionalization， specialization， and efficiency of cooperation and improve the implementation capacity of the mechanism. Secondly， the incentive mechanisms and supervision mechanisms should be enhanced. BRICS countries can try to establish and publish a negative behavior list to punish the member countries that do not implement the system or have poor implementation. Meanwhile， BRICS can give full play to the supervision power of the media and all sectors of society on the implementation of the mechanism. Finally， the synergy among mechanisms needs to be strengthened. Since BRICS cooperation involves numerous fields， with different levels of cooperation mechanisms， it is important to strengthen the cross-field linkage mechanism. Especially after entering the era of greater BRICS cooperation， enhancing the synergy among mechanisms is also conducive to strengthening the implementation capacity of the mechanism and improving the effectiveness of BRICS cooperation.

Conclusion

Currently， the once-in-a-century global changes are picking up pace. There are both the new dynamic of multi-polarity and the potential crisis of a new Cold War. The Global South represented by BRICS countries is an important force in promoting world multi-polarity and driving global governance reforms. The BRICS cooperation mechanism embodies the common vision and aspirations of the Global South countries. Although the enlargement has brought new challenges to the BRICS cooperation mechanism， it has also injected new vitality and promoted the unity and cooperation of the Global South countries. China has always been a builder and contributor to the BRICS cooperation mechanism. In the face of the new situation of intensified turmoil and changes in the world， China， together with other BRICS countries， will hold high the banners of peace， development， and win-win cooperation， showcase the strength of the BRICS and make it shine even brighter. By so doing， BRICS can be built into a main channel for promoting unity and cooperation of the Global South and a pioneering force for driving global governance reforms.

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Lu Jing is Professor of the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University