We're living in a world of global disorder: South Africa envoy makes case for BRICS

At India Today's BRICS Roundtable, Anil Sooklal said the bloc should be judged by what it delivers. He said India's G20 hosting showed the Global South can lead even in a fractured world.

In Short

• Sooklal said new centres of influence are emerging across the Global South
• He cited India’s G20 presidency as proof of consensus-building capacity
• The envoy linked BRICS’ trajectory to a rapidly changing world order

The world may be increasingly fractured, but the rise of the Global South is creating new centres of influence — and BRICS is becoming one of the most visible platforms for that shift. South African High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal believes the bloc's growing relevance is best understood not by the number of meetings it holds, but by what its members are able to deliver.

Speaking at India Today’s BRICS Roundtable on Africa Rising: BRICS’ Next Frontier, Sooklal pointed to India’s successful hosting of the G20 summit as an example of the Global South’s ability to bring countries together and deliver on the global stage even amid geopolitical conflicts.

“The coming together of leaders sends a message that the Global South is capable of delivering power,” Sooklal said, arguing that BRICS too must be assessed in the context of a rapidly changing world.

He said the grouping had evolved significantly since its inception and would continue to do so as the global order changes. Sooklal described the current international environment as one of “global disorder”, pointing to growing challenges faced by institutions including the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

‘COUNTRIES DON'T LIKE GIVING UP PRIVILEGED POSITIONS'

Sooklal said reform of global governance, particularly the United Nations Security Council, remains a major issue for BRICS. The question, he said, has been debated for nearly two decades, but progress has been slow because countries holding privileged positions are reluctant to give up power.

He cited the 2023 China-Russia declaration on UNSC reform when asked about the positions of Beijing and Moscow, and said BRICS remains one of the groupings pushing for changes to the global governance architecture.

BRICS AND THE CHANGING FINANCIAL ORDER

Sooklal also highlighted BRICS’ economic potential, including efforts to develop alternative payment mechanisms. He said finance ministers and central bank governors from member countries have been tasked with exploring alternative modes of payment.

He questioned why emerging economies had not developed their own financial systems earlier and said the global financial landscape was already changing.

Sooklal also said de-dollarisation was not something created by BRICS, arguing that the decline in dollar-based trade reflects a broader transformation in the international financial system.

At the same time, he acknowledged that BRICS has been slow in translating its structures into greater trade among member countries. The private sector, he said, must play a larger role alongside governments.

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