The establishment of the BRICS Think Tanks Council (BTTC) was proposed at a meeting of the five BRICS countries think tanks in March 2013 and confirmed by the BRICS Leaders at the eThekwini Summit (Durban, South Africa) later that month.
The BTTC comprises the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) (Brazil), the National Committee for BRICS Research (NRC/BRICS) (Russia), the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) (India), China Council for BRICS Think tank Cooperation (CCBTC) (China), and the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) (South Africa).
The main purposes of the establishment of the body, as encapsulated in the BTTC Declaration on the Establishment of the BRICS Think Tanks Council, are to form a platform for the exchange of ideas among researchers, academia and think tanks, to convene the BRICS Academic Forum, and to present policy recommendations and guidance to the BRICS Leaders for consideration.
The members of the BRICS Think Tank Council are:
