Nationally focused NGOs ‘will be priority at BRICS-Civil’ meet in July

Ms. Panova highlighted the difficulties that Russia had to face because of sanctions and argued that Russia has emerged stronger from the western sanctions

Delegates walk past the logos of the BRICS summit during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Nationally oriented NGOs will find prominence at the BRICS-Civil 2024 to be held in Moscow from July 3-4, according to a Russian organiser Dr. Victoria Panova, head of the BRICS Expert Council of Russia.

Speaking to the media, she said that BRICS is not aimed against any country and argued for creation of a digital payment mechanism that will allow BRICS member states to continue trading among themselves without the threat of unilateral sanctions.

“We are focusing on fair and just development, sovereign, economic and financial development, information security and digital development, public health and human wellbeing, heritage preservation, ecology and energy transition,” said Ms. Panova explaining the various segments that will be built upon during the BRICS-Civil meeting.

Just development

“The meeting will have nine main working groups. It will reflect the world majority. Nationally oriented NGOS will be our priority, not transnational ones,” said Ms. Panova explaining the priorities.

Ms. Panova highlighted the difficulties that Russia had to face because of sanctions and argued that Russia has emerged stronger from the western sanctions that were imposed after the beginning of the Ukraine crisis.

She said that BRICS expansion of its membership, by including Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Ethiopia, Egypt and Argentina in the Johannesburg summit of BRICS in August 2023, proved critics of BRICS wrong.

Ms. Panova said the BRICS summit in Moscow later this year will include two documents – one for recommendations to leaders and the other will be an Address of the BRICS people to the summit of the future. Ms. Panova argued against monopolistic and hegemonic tendencies and said technology and energy should not be weaponised by any entity and that people’s wellbeing will have to be prioritised so that energy or technology initiatives do not disrupt weaker sections of society.