The BRICS in the G20: from the reformist consensus to the individualization of agendas

This article examines the evolution of the BRICS strategy for the G20, from the 2008 financial crisis to the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi (2023). Initially, the bloc shared reformist ideals regarding the global financial architecture. However, from 2016 onwards, there was a process of individualization of the BRICS agenda, brought about by a series of geopolitical episodes that dictated confrontational tones on the part of some of the BRICS countries towards the West. The announcement of the expansion of BRICS from 2024 raises questions about the future of the Global South in multilateral forums, as well as the difficulties of cohesion between the emerging countries in the context of China’s growing prominence in alliance with Russia. In this article, we analyze the declarations of the BRICS and the G20 and highlight the successive achievements of the Global South vis-à-vis the G7 powers, suggesting a tendency for the G20 to wither away as disputes intensify. Inter-BRICS divergences are also discussed pointing to challenges in maintaining the reformist consensus characteristic of the immediate post-2008 period.