Leaders of the 11-nation BRICS group wrapped up their summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6 July with a joint communiqué that sharply criticises recent conflicts in the Middle East and rising trade protectionism. Hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the meeting brought together heads of state or senior envoys from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and six newer members, and underscored the bloc’s ambition to act as a counterweight to Western influence.
In their statement, the members demanded an “immediate, permanent and unconditional” ceasefire in Gaza and the “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from all occupied Palestinian territories. The declaration, which followed Lula’s opening speech condemning what he called a genocide in the enclave, also reiterated support for a two-state solution and denounced the use of hunger as a weapon of war.
The summit condemned the military strikes launched against Iran on 13 June, branding them a breach of international law and the UN Charter. It urged the UN Security Council to take up the matter and voiced concern over attacks on civilian and nuclear infrastructure inside Iran.
On trade, BRICS expressed “serious concerns” about the surge in unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that, in its view, distort commerce and contravene World Trade Organization rules. Although the statement did not name the United States, officials said the language targeted President Donald Trump’s recent import levies, which the bloc warned could further disrupt global supply chains and growth.
The communiqué reaffirmed the group’s commitment to multilateralism, welcomed Indonesia as a new member and called for accelerated reform of global governance bodies, including the UN Security Council. While the leaders signalled readiness to deepen economic cooperation, they stopped short of announcing new collective currency or payment-system initiatives.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has opened the BRICS summit with a speech in which he condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, saying, “We cannot stand by indifferent to the genocide being committed by Israel against the people of Palestine.”
