United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the BRICS 2026 New Delhi Declaration, calling its strong commitment to multilateralism 'reassuring' and emphasising the UN’s central role in addressing global crises.

His remarks came after bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders, where he pressed for reforms to international institutions to reflect today’s multipolar realities.

The UN Chief highlighted that the BRICS summit produced a common declaration with a strong commitment to multilateralism and to the United Nations. He described it as reassuring that major powers believe multilateralism is the way forward, with the UN at the centre of crisis management.

He noted that while not all permanent members of the UN Security Council were present, the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin was significant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the proceedings, joined by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, representing nations seeking permanent council seats with broad support.

Western nations, including the US, France and Britain, stayed away from the summit. The US administration under President Donald Trump has opposed multilateral approaches, favouring unilateral policies that reduce the prominence of the UN and other international bodies. Trump has viewed BRICS as a challenge to his objective of maintaining a US-led unilateral global power structure.

The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on 12 September 2026. The declaration emphasised expanded cooperation in global health initiatives and a shared dedication to universal health coverage through resilient and inclusive measures. It reiterated the conviction that multilateral cooperation in health must be preserved and reinforced, stressing the coordinating role of the World Health Organisation.

The declaration also addressed broader reforms. Guterres, in his summit remarks, underscored that today’s economic and geopolitical realities are not those of 1945, and institutional structures must reflect this. He called for reforms to the UN Security Council and Bretton Woods institutions to ensure equity and justice. He stressed four priorities: financing, technology, climate justice and peace.

On financing, he urged multilateral development banks to become bigger, better and bolder, mobilising private investment and expanding concessional funding. He pressed for debt-relief mechanisms and a fairer financial architecture. On technology, he warned that artificial intelligence’s benefits are concentrated in a few countries and companies, risking widening divides. He thanked BRICS nations for supporting the UN’s AI governance initiatives and urged backing for new funds to help developing countries build AI capacity.

On climate, Guterres warned of scorching heat, glacier melt, wildfires and floods, noting that the world will soon breach the 1.5°C limit. He called for urgent action to minimise the overshoot, faster transitions away from fossil fuels, and fulfilment of climate finance pledges of $300 billion annually, alongside tripled adaptation funding. He condemned the plundering of critical minerals from developing countries.

On peace and security, he cited conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and West Asia, urging respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes under the UN Charter. He stressed that multipolarity must be accompanied by reforms to ensure balance and equity in global systems.

During his visit, Guterres met Modi and other leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Discussions covered conflicts, freedom of navigation, sustainable development, renewable energy, food security and lethal autonomous weapons. India’s push for UN reform and greater representation in global institutions was a recurring theme.

The BRICS declaration also highlighted gender imbalance at the UN, noting that no woman has ever served as Secretary-General in its 81-year history. With Guterres’ term ending in December 2026, several female candidates are in contention, making this a decisive moment.

The summit reinforced BRICS’ advocacy for greater influence of emerging economies in international bodies historically dominated by Western powers. India’s chairship underscored its role as a bridge between competing worlds, with the declaration covering governance, health, energy, technology, supply chains and sustainable development.

ANI