The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum concluded at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, with participating delegations adopting a Joint Declaration by consensus.
The two-day forum was organised under the theme “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development.” It brought together parliamentary leaders and representatives from BRICS member and partner countries to discuss the role of legislatures in strengthening democratic institutions, addressing global challenges and improving international cooperation.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum concluded with a Joint Declaration adopted by consensus.
Location: Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Complex, New Delhi, India.
Authority/Organisation: Lok Sabha Secretariat and the participating BRICS member and partner-country parliamentary delegations.
Action Taken: Delegations adopted a declaration covering global governance reform, counter-terrorism, peaceful dispute resolution and responsible technology use.
Impact: The declaration establishes shared parliamentary priorities, with implementation dependent on follow-up by participating countries and institutions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the concluding session and stressed the importance of strengthening parliamentary institutions, promoting dialogue and ensuring that cooperation produces tangible benefits for citizens.
Global governance reform and Global South representation
One of the key issues highlighted during the forum was reform of the United Nations Security Council and the wider international governance system. Participating representatives called for greater representation of the Global South in global decision-making.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The forum matters because parliamentary cooperation can help shape discussions on international security, institutional accountability, technology governance and sustainable development. Three issues stand out: Global representation: Calls for reform of international institutions reflect the demand for a more representative global decision-making system. Security cooperation: Joint opposition to terrorism and terrorist financing highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation. Technology and accountability: Responsible AI use could support more efficient legislatures, provided transparency, ethics and public trust remain central. However, a joint declaration is not itself proof that every proposal will become law or lead to immediate policy changes. Implementation and measurable outcomes will need to be assessed separately.
The discussions reflected concerns that international institutions need to respond more effectively to contemporary geopolitical, economic and development challenges.
Stronger cooperation against terrorism
The Joint Declaration reiterated opposition to cross-border terrorism, terrorist financing and the provision of protection to terrorists. Participating countries emphasised the need for a zero-tolerance approach and cooperation against terrorism.
The declaration also underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Responsible AI and stronger parliamentary institutions
Another major area of discussion was the responsible use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in parliamentary work.
The forum highlighted how technology could improve institutional efficiency, transparency, accountability and citizen participation. Such applications, however, need to be guided by ethical principles and public interest.
China to take over BRICS chairship
At the conclusion of the forum, support was extended to China for its BRICS chairship in 2027. The transition marks the next phase of parliamentary engagement within the grouping.
The practical impact of the declaration will depend on how participating countries and their legislatures translate the commitments into policies, cooperation and follow-up initiatives.
