Insights | Brazilian scholar: BRICS mechanism important for shaping global governance

By Wu Xinru

(ECNS) -- BRICS countries are very important for shaping global governance to be more inclusive and more representative of the voices of the Global South, Karin Costa Vazquez, non-resident senior fellow at Center for China and Globalization and scholar at Fudan University, shared her insights during an exclusive interview with China News Network. 

From August 22 to 24, the 15th BRICS Summit is being held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the first in-person BRICS summit in more than three years and also the largest summit of the Global South in recent years. 

Heads of State have held in-depth discussions on solidarity, openness, cooperation and other issues of common concern. ,.

In Vazquez's opinion, the mechanism also offers alternatives for other countries and regions in the world.

Since the mechanism was formed, member countries have made huge progress in many different fields. Collectively, these countries are proposing to enhance trade, facilitate and increase access to new markets and also to increase resilience of capital markets.“The mechanism, on the whole, is very, very promising and a much-needed field of cooperation going forward,” said Vazquez.

 

When human beings are faced with more and more complicated challenges, no single country can handle problems on its own. Vazquez says that the BRICS mechanism is inclusive and representational, offering a platform for countries to discuss and roll out solutions to common challenges.

She noted that we need voices, but consensus and concrete actions also matter.

As a scholar at Fudan University, one of the top universities in China, Vazquez has noticed that China has had a very important role in bringing new ideas. She said that “China has been one of the countries that have made some of the most interesting proposals in very concrete initiatives for the bloc to move forward.”

She views China as an active participant in discussions on multiple issues and a promoter of cooperation between the BRICS bloc and African countries. Speaking of economic and trade relations, she indicated that China’s intimate relationship with other BRICS countries can be an excellent model for the rest of the world.

Apart from official meetings of state leaders, civil organizations like the BRICS Think Tank Council and BRICS Business Council have also been established, which Vazquez says has been injecting strong momentum into the comprehensive BRICS mechanism and providing a platform for people across the spectrum to hold regular dialogues.