The Brazilian presidency of the BRICS should be “short” and concentrate work in the first half of 2025. Itamaraty’s idea, according to sources, is that this be a “transition” forum between G20 and COP30 and open space for the climate conference to be focus on the second semester.
During its presidency of the group, Brazil will host around one hundred meetings and intends for most of them to take place by July. In addition to the Leaders’ Summit, around twenty ministerial summits are planned. The other meetings bring together technical level representatives, between face-to-face and remote conversations.
Although the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, has formally asked for the Leaders Summit to be held in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, there is still no definition of the meeting location. Most of the other meetings, including ministerial ones, will be concentrated in Brasília.
In the last meetings of sherpas of the Russian presidency, held this week in Yekaterinburg, Itamaraty diplomats presented a kind of “teaser” about Brazil’s intentions at the head of the group. The formal and detailed presentation to members is scheduled to take place in February in Brasília.
According to Itamaraty officials, one of the focuses of the Brazilian presidency will be working on the group’s institutionality. There is a perception that the recent expansion of the group, from five to ten full members, still needs to be matured, with the definition of guidelines for the rotation of the presidency and the inclusion of members in working groups, for example.
The Brazilian government also sees the need to work on the concept of “partner member” created under the Russian presidency during its presidency of the group. The idea is to develop “guidelines” details of this condition, which does not have veto power and the right to participate in all groups.
As in the G20, combating climate change and reforming global governance should be among Brazil’s priorities, especially for multilateral financial mechanisms.
