Academic Forum – SABRICS Think Tank

The BRICS Academic Forum is a strategic platform for advancing scholarly dialogue and policy-relevant research among BRICS member states and partner institutions. It facilitates collaborative engagement on key global challenges, including development, governance, climate change, energy transitions, and knowledge production, from a Global South perspective. By convening academics, think tanks, and policymakers, the Forum strengthens South-South cooperation, promotes inclusive multilateralism, and contributes evidence-based recommendations that inform the BRICS declarations, global policy discourse, and agenda.

Themes and Priorities for 2023 Year

Each BRICS Presidency sets a thematic focus that reflects the host country’s strategic priorities while responding to the evolving global context. These themes guide the agenda for cooperation across academic, policy, and institutional platforms, ensuring that BRICS engagements are aligned with pressing developmental challenges and opportunities facing member states and the broader Global South.

The theme for South Africa’s BRICS Presidency is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism. The theme for South Africa’s BRICS Presidency is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism. Through this, BRICS cooperation is responding to the needs and demands of the larger international community, particularly growth, sustainable development and inclusion of the global South in the world system. South Africa’s theme for 2023 is underpinned by the following priorities:

Developing a partnership towards an Equitable Just Transition

Dramatic changes to climate and extreme weather events are felt across the globe. Tackling climate change requires urgent, significant, and transformational changes across all sectors of our economies. South Africa’s priority in 2023 is to explore opportunities to manage the risks associated with climate change while improving the lives and futures of all its people.

Transforming Education and Skills Development for the Future

Education and continuous skills development are long term solutions towards development and escaping poverty. Under this priority, SA will look to strengthen our existing cooperation and initiatives towards knowledge creation and knowledge exchange to unlock opportunities for the future.

Unlocking Opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement

The African Continental Free Trade Area creates a predictable environment for investments by South Africa’s BRICS partners, particularly in infrastructure development. Each of the BRICS nations have active partnerships on cooperation, trade and development on the African continent. Under this priority, SA will be looking at building a partnership between BRICS and Africa to unlock mutually beneficial opportunities for increased trade, investment and infrastructure development.

Strengthening Post-Pandemic Socio-Economic Recovery and the Attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development

Under this priority, SA will look towards implementation of its economic plans and strategies towards placing BRICS economies at the centre of global economic growth. There will be a focus on identifying solutions for accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Equity, fairness, and a recognition of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities are expected to underly SA’s response.

Strengthening Multilateralism, including Working Toward Real Reform of Global Governance Institutions and Strengthening the Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace Processes

Without compromising on the BRICS common vision of a more equitable, fair, balanced, just and representative global political, economic and financial system, SA aspires to build on recent reform achievements and to identify achievable, meaningful and timeous reforms that can be realised under pressure of a collective voice and influence. South Africa is cognizant that the marginalisation of women in peace processes must be addressed. Lasting peace, security and sustainable development cannot be achieved without the inclusion of women in conflict resolution as well as in post conflict reconstruction

BRICS Summits and Declarations

BRICS Summits are the principal annual meetings of BRICS Heads of State and Government, where strategic priorities for cooperation are set and key global and developmental issues are addressed. The Declarations issued at these Summits capture the collective positions of member states on matters such as multilateral reform, economic cooperation, sustainable development, peace and security, and Global South collaboration.Together, the Summits and their Declarations provide the policy direction and institutional framework that guide BRICS initiatives, partnerships, and knowledge platforms across member countries.