NDB governors meet in Cape Town

The UAE joined BRICS following its 2023 invitation. It had separately become an NDB member in 2021.

The first BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum brought together business networks and drew attention to women’s access to finance and innovation.

The forum advanced a roadmap for tourism exchanges, skills, sustainable tourism and digital services.

Parliamentary representatives signed a protocol linked to the forum’s memorandum, strengthening exchanges among legislatures after enlargement.

A US$1 billion loan supported water supply and sanitation infrastructure in municipalities, addressing basic service gaps.

A R5 billion agreement aimed to modernize South Africa’s freight rail system and improve logistics.

The leaders placed more representative global governance, sustainable development and cooperation among the expanded membership at the centre of the summit.

The Kazan Declaration endorsed modalities for a category through which other emerging and developing countries could cooperate without becoming full members.

Leaders sought more meaningful representation for Africa, Asia and Latin America in international decisions, including UN Security Council reform.

The declaration welcomed local-currency settlements and a voluntary, non-binding payments initiative. It did not launch a common BRICS currency.