Modi pitches ten-point reform roadmap for global governance at Brics summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used India's Brics presidency to press for a restructuring of international governance, telling leaders gathered in New Delhi that the current order serves a privileged few and must be opened up to the Global South.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Brics Leadership Summit alongside heads of state and senior leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Modi proposed that the grouping draw up ten concrete proposals on global governance reform, built around representation, responsiveness and rule-making. Those proposals, he suggested, could be developed into a reform roadmap by the next Brics Summit in 2027.

Security Council reform

Reform of the United Nations Security Council cannot be put off any longer, Modi said, arguing that negotiations should be bound to strict deadlines and clear outcomes. The Council currently has five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France — while India has long sought a seat at that table in recognition of its global role.

He said voting rights, leadership positions and policy priorities at global financial institutions need to reflect present-day realities, noting that countries driving global growth should have a proportionate role in shaping economic policy. Brics members together account for roughly 40% of world GDP, yet their voting rights at the International Monetary Fund amount to less than a fifth of the total.

From rule-takers to rule-shapers

Modi described the existing governance architecture as a pyramid in which a few set the rules for others to follow, and said the Global South now stands in the front row of global crises but the back row of decision-making. He called for transforming these countries from rule-takers into rule-shapers, with Brics offering young diplomats and policymakers from the Global South training in negotiation, practical skills and legal expertise.

"We must convert this pyramid of privilege into a platform of partnership, where every country will have its voice and stake, and where humanity will be at the core of every effort," he said.

On the responsiveness of institutions, he said faith in global bodies will grow only when they can solve global problems, and that collective responses must be judged on speed, scale and last-mile impact.

A 20-year agenda

With Brics marking two decades, Modi sought an ambitious agenda for the next 20 years. While the presidency rotates annually among members, he said institutional momentum and the implementation of initiatives must continue without interruption. To that end, he proposed a secured digital repository of decisions, with each member designating a nodal point, deadline and implementation status.

He also proposed a seafarers' emergency support network, noting that seafarers contribute significantly to global trade but often lack adequate help in difficult situations. Such a network could link the maritime authorities and missions of relevant countries and facilitate distress alerts, medical assistance, communication with families and evacuation support.

Modi further said artificial intelligence, cyberspace, outer space, biotechnology and critical technologies are shaping not only future opportunities but also the rules that will govern them, and argued that Brics should widen its scope beyond economic cooperation to take in governance reform, technology integration and humanitarian efforts.

"The message of the Brics Summit being hosted by India should be loud and clear: If our future is shared, then the right to shape that future must also be shared," he said. "From voice to impact, from privilege to partnership — this should be the resolve of Brics at 20."