Overview
- The 18th BRICS Summit, held Sept. 12–13, 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, ended with unanimous adoption of the 45‑page New Delhi Declaration.
- The declaration presses for major changes to global institutions by calling for reform of the UN Security Council, the IMF and the World Bank to increase developing‑country representation.
- Leaders rejected a single BRICS currency while endorsing local‑currency trade settlements, backing the BRICS Payment Task Force and measures to strengthen the New Development Bank to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.
- The declaration includes a joint condemnation of the April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack and sets a zero‑tolerance line on terrorism; high‑level Iran–UAE talks on Sept. 12 helped clear a regional impasse that threatened consensus.
- Summit commitments now move to implementation through projects on cross‑border payments, AI cooperation, a remote‑sensing satellite constellation, a proposed BRICS grain exchange and NDB reforms, but analysts warn results will take months or years and hinge on sustained follow‑through.