The 9th BRICS Academic Forum Recommendations to the 9th BRICS Summit

The 9th BRICS Academic Forum was held from June 10th to 12th in Fuzhou, China, and was attended by think-tank representatives from BRICS countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as other emerging and developing countries including ****. Participants commend the efforts devoted by India during its BRICS presidency to promote BRICS think-tanks cooperation, express appreciation for the academic exchange and cooperation activities China has organized since it assumed BRICS presidency, and expect the China Council for BRICS Think-Tanks Cooperation to continue to play a guiding role in promoting deeper cooperation among BRICS think-tanks.

Participants are of the view that the key to productive BRICS cooperation over the past 10 years lies in, among others, the following factors: BRICS countries’ persistent pursuit of shared development, the BRICS spirit of “openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation”, the working principle of “mutual inclusiveness, mutual trust, equal consultation, and practical cooperation”, and commitment to consolidating the foundation for BRICS cooperation, to forging BRICS consensus, and to deepening the BRICS strategic partnership.

Participants are convinced that, the 9th BRICS Summit, scheduled for the coming September in Xiamen, will build on past achievements and usher in the second “golden decade” of BRICS cooperation through the review of experiences, the pooling of consensus, and the formation of a blueprint for the way forward. Furthermore, the summit, by offering more effective “BRICS solutions” for world peace and development, shall make even greater contributions to the development of the world economy, global governance, and democratization of international relations. On the basis of reviewing the past decade of BRICS cooperation, taking into account BRICS research achievements of the past several years, and with a view to promoting the future development
of BRICS cooperation, the 9th BRICS Academic Forum presents the following recommendations to the leaders of BRICS countries.

I. Reform and Improve Global Economic Governance

1. Take a clear stance in support of economic globalization. Aiming for an open, inclusive, balanced, and all-win economic globalization, BRICS countries should jointly uphold an open global economy, review BRICS countries’ development models and experiences, serve as models that offer guidance in reshaping the rules of global economic governance, continue to enhance the voice and representation of emerging and developing countries in global economic governance, and facilitate the creation of a community of shared future for all mankind;

2. Firmly support and protect the open trading regime with the WTO at its core, continue to push forward the Doha Round of negotiations, resist all kinds of protectionism and exclusive arrangements, ensure the equality in opportunities, rights, and rules for all countries in their development, continue to promote the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, and facilitate sound global economic growth;

3. Continue to promote international development cooperation, jointly implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, strengthen South-South cooperation through various channels, boost North-South dialogues, call for and galvanize developed countries to shoulder their due international responsibility while making the shared development of BRICS countries a model for global development, and help developing countries improve their capacity for development so as to narrow the gap between the North and the South;