Context:

• The Minister of State (I//C) for Culture and Tourism, hosted 6th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting through video conference.
• Aim: advancement and expansion of cultural activities amongst BRICS countries.
• Theme: Bonding and Harmonizing Cultural Synergy.

Highlights of the meet:

• It emphasized on collaborations in the field of online exchange of cultural experiences on knowledge of tangible and intangible heritage amongst BRICS countries.
• Importance of culture for establishing vibrant international humanitarian dialogue is emphasized.
• Formation of BRICS Alliance in the field of conservation, preservation and digitization of ancient manuscripts is proposed.
• Need to protect our tangible and intangible cultural heritage through mutual help and support within the BRICS framework in addition to the compliance of prevailing UNESCO Conventions.

 

Declaration of the meeting

• It was agreed upon to strengthen and enhance cultural cooperation amongst BRICS Nations in the fields of museums, art galleries, theatre, libraries and promote use of modern technologies to conduct online events to overcome the adverse effects of pandemic like situations.

 

What is BRICS? How did these countries come together?

·        It is an informal group of states comprising the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa.

·        It is actually a forum than a traditional-type organization with rigid membership and regulations.

·        Originally the first four were grouped as "BRIC" (or "the BRICs"), before the induction of South Africa in 2010.

·        At the Fortaleza Summit (2014), in Brazil, the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) were created

·        Among other areas of collaboration, matters pertaining to drug trafficking is an important area of cooperation among the BRICS member states.

What challenges BRICS is facing?

• Disagreements between its members.
• Slow progress shown on the ground when it comes to implementation of initiatives make it quite vulnerable to criticism.
• The development trends of the Brics nations are not very similar, as there is a huge difference in the economic structure of the member countries.
• The members also have differences over the UN Security Council (UNSC) reforms. It will be tough for the member countries to make a consensus on contemporary global issues.
• The burden of the NDB cannot be shared equally, as the size of the economy of each member varies with great magnitude. So, it is inevitable that the disputes will arise in sharing the burden of NDB.

BRICS and COVID-19:

• Most of its programs and mechanisms proved to be effective during the pandemic.
• The BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Framework Programme, helped scientists and researchers to effectively exchange their findings to better facilitate a common response.
• It worked better than other global governance institutions amidst the ongoing COVID crises.
• There was no blame-game or pointing fingers within BRICS, rather there is only a common vision for intensifying cooperation, including in sectors like healthcare, social welfare.
• BRICS has progressed on developing a common position on the most important matters of the global economy and security.

Way Ahead:

• It is now important for the Brics nations to engage in the grouping at the highest level to change the world order to counter the US supremacy.
• Brics forum should be effectively utilized for consultation, coordination and cooperation on contemporary global issues of mutual interest and promoting mutual understanding.
• The future of BRICS depends on the adjustment of the internal and external issues of India, China and Russia.
• Mutual communication between India, China and Russia is important for moving ahead.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1732406