The global landscape is undergoing a profound structural shift characterised by the rise of a multipolar world order and the increasing assertiveness of the Global South. At the forefront of this shift is BRICS, a grouping that collectively accounts for nearly 42% of the world’s population and 23% of global GDP. While executive-level summits traditionally dominate international diplomacy, the institutionalization of parliamentary dialogue has added a vital democratic layer to multilateralism. The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum hosted by the Parliament of India in New Delhi on October 26–27, 2026, emerged as a watershed moment in legislative diplomacy.
Convened under India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, the forum brought together Presiding Officers, parliamentary leaders, and delegates from across the expanded BRICS member and partner nations under the central theme: Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development. The forum succeeded in transforming elite executive declarations into actionable domestic legislative agendas, firmly anchoring global governance in human-centric metrics.
The significance of the 12th BRICS PF lies primarily in its unique mandate as the democratic conscience of the BRICS architecture. While leaders' summits yield high-level executive commitments, it is the parliaments that wield the constitutional authority to pass laws, allocate budgets, and maintain public accountability. By gathering legislators in New Delhi, the forum successfully linked international multilateral cooperation with the everyday concerns of ordinary citizens, asserting that global governance must belong to every individual rather than remaining confined to the domains of statecraft.
Furthermore, the timing of the meeting added to its geopolitical significance. The world is grappling with severe regional conflicts, economic uncertainty, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the technological disruptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this context, India leveraged the forum to champion its core chairship pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability. The event also highlighted India's growing diplomatic footprint as a skill capital and a natural bridge builder for the Global South, using its platform to ensure developing nations are given equitable representation in institutional frameworks.
{{/usCountry}}Furthermore, the timing of the meeting added to its geopolitical significance. The world is grappling with severe regional conflicts, economic uncertainty, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the technological disruptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this context, India leveraged the forum to champion its core chairship pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability. The event also highlighted India's growing diplomatic footprint as a skill capital and a natural bridge builder for the Global South, using its platform to ensure developing nations are given equitable representation in institutional frameworks.
{{/usCountry}}The crowning achievement of the two-day summit was the unanimous adoption of a landmark New Delhi Joint Declaration, which served as a unified roadmap for future legislative convergence. The key milestones achieved during the deliberations include:
- A unified stance on counter-terrorism: India scored a significant national security and diplomatic victory by securing robust, uncompromised counter-terrorism language in the Joint Declaration. Building directly on previous executive frameworks, the forum explicitly condemned cross-border terrorism, terror financing, and safe havens. It issued a collective demand for absolute zero tolerance and an end to political double standards when addressing global terror networks.
- Direct call for UN reforms: The declaration formally endorsed a comprehensive overhaul of the United Nations, particularly the expansion of its Security Council (UNSC). By formally backing efforts to make global governance fairer, more representative, and responsive to the current geopolitical reality, the forum amplified the shared voice of the Global South, which has historically been under-represented in Western-centric global institutions.
- Responsible AI and digital governance: A forward-looking achievement of the summit was the focus on optimizing modern technology. The forum highlighted the potential of AI and digital technology to streamline parliamentary workflows and deepen citizen participation. Crucially, the delegates agreed that technological advancement must remain strictly aligned with human values, transparency, and ethical constraints, setting a precedent for collective legislative frameworks regarding digital spaces.
- Regional conflict consensus: Amidst escalating hostilities in West Asia, the forum served as an essential platform for diplomatic dialogue. Despite complex regional standoffs, the participating policymakers—including major representatives from West Asian nations—included language in the declaration calling for maximum restraint and a peaceful resolution to disputes, illustrating the power of parliamentary diplomacy when traditional executive channels face deadlock.
- Celebrating inclusivity and future continuity: The meeting marked the 10th anniversary of the BRICS Women’s Parliamentarians Forum, reinforcing a decade-long commitment to gender-inclusive policy making first formalised in the Jaipur Declaration. New proposals for capacity-building working groups were adopted, and the summit concluded seamlessly with the official handover of the BRICS PF Chairmanship to China for 2027, ensuring the institutional continuity of the grouping.
The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi proved that parliamentary diplomacy is no longer a secondary instrument, but a vital cornerstone of modern international relations. By focusing on people-centric development and institutional resilience, India successfully steered the narrative toward mutual progress, democratic accountability, and a fairer world order. The achievements codified in the Joint Declaration—ranging from firm counter-terrorism measures to standardising AI governance and demanding UN reforms—will provide a durable legislative foundation as member States translate shared global aspirations into enduring domestic realities.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Prabhu Dayal, former ambassador, New Delhi.