Terrorism, trade, tariffs & wars: What's in India's hard-won Brics declaration

The adoption comes after reports of late-night negotiations that continued until 4 am, as India led efforts to bridge differences between the UAE and Iran.NEW DELHI: The Brics countries on Saturday unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 at the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi. The declaration stated discussions were held under the theme, “Strengthening Cooperation to Promote Fair Competition, including in Renewable Energy Markets”, with a view to support sustainable energy transitions.“No member has raised any objection. The New Delhi Declaration 2026 is adopted unanimously,” PM Modi said at the summit.The declaration focused on condemning terrorism, conflict prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes, stronger multilateralism and concerns over unilateral trade measures.Key points of the declarationThe Declaration addressed various key issues and concerns affecting the global order, such as:Terrorism: Brics strongly condemned terrorism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism, terrorism financing and safe havens, condemned the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and called for zero tolerance, accountability and early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.Brics cooperation: The bloc reaffirmed its commitment to mutual respect, sovereign equality, solidarity, inclusiveness and consensus, and pledged to strengthen cooperation across its three pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people cooperation.Conflict prevention: Brics countries stressed the importance of efforts to prevent conflicts, including by addressing their root causes.Peaceful resolution of disputes: The declaration reaffirmed a commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue, consultation and diplomacy. Brics further urged all parties to uphold the Gaza ceasefire and ensure unhindered humanitarian aid, opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians, and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state based on the internationally recognised 1967 borders.Stronger multilateralism: BRICS backed a multilateral approach that takes into account the diverse national viewpoints and positions of countries. Concern over unilateral trade measures: The grouping expressed serious concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that distort trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules.The declaration was adopted on the first day of the two-day Summit being hosted by India in New Delhi. The joint declaration came after intensive negotiations that continued until 4 am on Saturday, with India leading efforts to bridge differences between the UAE and Iran over the West Asia conflict. The talks followed an earlier Brics foreign ministers’ meeting under India’s presidency that ended without a consensus, prompting prolonged negotiations to ensure the summit concluded with a joint statement.PM Modi, in his separate opening remarks, called for reforms in global governance and proposed 10 measures to be developed into a Brics reform roadmap. He also called for greater representation of the Global South in international decision-making, describing the existing system as a “pyramid of privilege” that should become a “platform of partnership”.India is chairing Brics in 2026 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.