The 17th BRICS Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), saw Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva drawing parallels between the BRICS bloc and the historic Asian-African Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference. Lula emphasized how BRICS embodies the spirit of Bandung, which stood against domination by major world powers. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s presence marked Indonesia’s first full participation as a BRICS member.
Lula highlighted the current crisis facing multilateralism globally, pointing out the recent collapse on an unprecedented scale. He reflected on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and how BRICS members were original signatories to the UN Charter. The Bandung Conference’s rejection of a divided world into spheres of influence in favor of a multipolar international order was also mentioned.
Asserting BRICS as the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement, Lula emphasized its significance in the contemporary global landscape. Since Indonesia became a full member of BRICS in 2025, the summit provides a platform for leaders to address political, security, economic, and financial challenges. Discussions also include collaborations in emerging sectors like artificial intelligence governance, climate action, environmental protection, and global health.
