The 9th BRICS Civil Forum Brought Together Over 600 Representatives of Civil Society
05/07/2024
On July 3–4, Moscow hosted the 9th BRICS Civil Forum, which was attended by representatives from the group's new member states. The event was organized by the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, in line with the official calendar of events for Russia’s BRICS Chairship in 2024.
During the Inaugural Session, Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, Vice Rector at HSE University, Сo-Сhair of Russian NGO group on BRICS and G20, Russian W20 Sherpa emphasized the importance of collectively addressing sustainable development challenges. “The coming together of the BRICS nations has resulted in increased interactions not only at the state level, but also among civil society members and non-profit organizations, which makes perfect sense because it is through civil society and its representatives that the fundamental aspects of just and fair development should be defined,” Victoria Panova emphasized. She also pointed out that the number of Forum participants has more than doubled compared to the original plan, with 650 people from 20 countries attending the event in Moscow. Dr Panova stressed that the expansion of BRICS has given a new momentum to the civil dialogue among all 10 member states.
One of the main goals of this year's Forum, held under the motto “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,” was to generate ideas for fair and just development and to explore ways to enhance the quality of healthcare, education, culture, and sports. “We aim to foster a more prosperous, fair, and secure world. This year, we established nine working groups that have put forth recommendations across various domains. These proposals will be presented to the BRICS national leaders during the summit in Kazan,” the Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia said in summing up. Victoria Panova's speech in its entirety can be viewed on the BRICS Expert Council's YouTube channel.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov said: “The Civil Forum has turned into one of the pillars of the BRICS architecture. It provides a platform to showcase civil initiatives and deliberate on the pressing issues concerning the lives of BRICS member states and individuals living in these states. The civil track is the most dynamic area in the strategic partnership, which is focused on the development of humanitarian ties and mutual cultural enrichment.”
According to Sergey Ryabkov, the primary objective of the group's activities, and of the Forum, in particular, is to create opportunities for the development of human potential. “A unique culture of dialogue, mutual relations grounded in genuine trust, and respect for individual development choices have all played a crucial role in finding common ground. This format of interaction, which avoids imposing foreign values and priorities, should serve as a model for equal relations between countries. BRICS is emerging as a true advocate for the interests of the Global Majority,” the Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized.
Sergey Ryabkov also stressed the importance of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, which will take place in New York, highlighting the need to work towards establishing a fair multipolar world order and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He also highlighted the need to develop common approaches to safely utilizing cutting-edge technologies, which can help accelerate their advance. Specifically, Russia is advocating for the adoption of a code of ethics for artificial intelligence (AI), which has been drawn up by Russian AI experts.
Other speakers at the Inaugural Session included Vyacheslav Nikonov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly and Chair of the Board of the National Committee on BRICS Research; Vyacheslav Fetisov, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Environment, Energy Transition, Social Fairness” and First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the State Duma; Galina Karelova, Chair of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly; Alena Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the Russian NGO Working Group on BRICS and G20 and Director of the AIDS Infosvyaz Foundation; and Elena Topoleva-Soldunova, Co-Chair of the Russian NGO Working Group on BRICS and G20, Director of Social Information Agency, and Member of the Council of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
The Forum continued with the plenary session titled “Right to Development: Equity, Equality, and Justice”. It was attended by Govind Kelkar, Executive Director of GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation (India); Pir Hossein Kolivand, Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society; Andrey Kondrashov, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Information and Cybersecurity, Digital Development” and Director General of the Russian Information Agency TASS; Valeriy Fadeev, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Vision 2050: Values and Rights of Nations”, Advisor to the President at the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights; Li Jun, Vice President at the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE); Fabiano Mielniczuk, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Information and Cybersecurity, Digital Development”, Professor of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Research Member of NEBRICS (Brazil); and Roman Tesfaye Abneh, Former First Lady of Ethiopia, CEO Hailemariam and Roman Foundation.
On Day 2, during the plenary session titled “Vision 2050: The Future of the World through the Eyes of the BRICS Countries”, participants discussed the most pressing cooperation issues and major challenges facing humanity and suggested approaches to tackling these challenges. Sergey Krikalev, the Special Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation on international cooperation in the field of space and Executive Director for manned space programs at Roscosmos State Corporation, who is also a Hero of the Russian Federation, pointed out that space has evolved into a platform for global collaboration. “Space serves as a good example of international cooperation, where leveraging diverse competencies from different nations leads to significant collective achievements. In space exploration, individuals from varying political backgrounds and religions work together harmoniously, showcasing effective communication despite differences,” said Sergey Krikalev. Furthermore, he suggested that BRICS nations could participate in existing space programmes instead of independently developing their own spacecraft.
According to Sergey Ryabkov, the primary objective of the group's activities, and of the Forum, in particular, is to create opportunities for the development of human potential. “A unique culture of dialogue, mutual relations grounded in genuine trust, and respect for individual development choices have all played a crucial role in finding common ground. This format of interaction, which avoids imposing foreign values and priorities, should serve as a model for equal relations between countries. BRICS is emerging as a true advocate for the interests of the Global Majority,” the Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized.
Sergey Ryabkov also stressed the importance of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, which will take place in New York, highlighting the need to work towards establishing a fair multipolar world order and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He also highlighted the need to develop common approaches to safely utilizing cutting-edge technologies, which can help accelerate their advance. Specifically, Russia is advocating for the adoption of a code of ethics for artificial intelligence (AI), which has been drawn up by Russian AI experts.
Other speakers at the Inaugural Session included Vyacheslav Nikonov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly and Chair of the Board of the National Committee on BRICS Research; Vyacheslav Fetisov, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Environment, Energy Transition, Social Fairness” and First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the State Duma; Galina Karelova, Chair of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly; Alena Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the Russian NGO Working Group on BRICS and G20 and Director of the AIDS Infosvyaz Foundation; and Elena Topoleva-Soldunova, Co-Chair of the Russian NGO Working Group on BRICS and G20, Director of Social Information Agency, and Member of the Council of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
The Forum continued with the plenary session titled “Right to Development: Equity, Equality, and Justice”. It was attended by Govind Kelkar, Executive Director of GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation (India); Pir Hossein Kolivand, Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society; Andrey Kondrashov, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Information and Cybersecurity, Digital Development” and Director General of the Russian Information Agency TASS; Valeriy Fadeev, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Vision 2050: Values and Rights of Nations”, Advisor to the President at the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights; Li Jun, Vice President at the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE); Fabiano Mielniczuk, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Information and Cybersecurity, Digital Development”, Professor of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Research Member of NEBRICS (Brazil); and Roman Tesfaye Abneh, Former First Lady of Ethiopia, CEO Hailemariam and Roman Foundation.
On Day 2, during the plenary session titled “Vision 2050: The Future of the World through the Eyes of the BRICS Countries”, participants discussed the most pressing cooperation issues and major challenges facing humanity and suggested approaches to tackling these challenges. Sergey Krikalev, the Special Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation on international cooperation in the field of space and Executive Director for manned space programs at Roscosmos State Corporation, who is also a Hero of the Russian Federation, pointed out that space has evolved into a platform for global collaboration. “Space serves as a good example of international cooperation, where leveraging diverse competencies from different nations leads to significant collective achievements. In space exploration, individuals from varying political backgrounds and religions work together harmoniously, showcasing effective communication despite differences,” said Sergey Krikalev. Furthermore, he suggested that BRICS nations could participate in existing space programmes instead of independently developing their own spacecraft.
During the same session, participants discussed the main challenges faced by humanity and ways of addressing them.
Raif Vasilov, President of the All-Russian Public Organization “Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Society of Biotechnologists of Russia” and Deputy Head at Kurchatov Complex of NBICS-Nature- Technologies of the Kurchatov Institute Research Centre, emphasized the potential offered by nature-like technologies for transforming the technosphere. These cutting-edge technologies can help rehabilitate nature from disturbances and disbalances. “Biotechnology is currently the most advanced type of nature-like technology, with unlimited potential. It is anticipated that by 2050, biotechnology will be applied across multiple fields. Many BRICS countries already have national programmes for the development of biotechnology and bioeconomics, thus opening up opportunities for collaboration. The application of bioeconomics and biotechnology can be implemented at diverse scales, ranging from individual villages to the regional and national levels. In fact, the discussion has expanded beyond bioeconomics to include biopolitics and bioethics, highlighting the need for establishing common rules in these areas,’ the expert noted.
Pamla Gopaul of South Africa, a Senior Programme Officer and Data Analyst at the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, emphasized that the social component should not be disregarded as social inequality poses a significant challenge for all BRICS nations. Keshav Parande, Secretary General at the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA International), believes that effective cooperation among the BRICS nations can only be achieved by prioritizing collective interests over individual interests.
Hoda Al Khzaimi, the Founder and Director of EMARATSEC Centre for Emerging Tech and Advanced Research Acceleration and Associate Vice Provost of Research Translation and Innovation at New York University Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), stressed the importance of preserving values and establishing collaborative innovation spaces and clusters.
Ayman Mousharafa, the Ambassador of Egypt to Algeria and Advisor and Consultant at AFREXIMBANK, revisited a topic previously discussed by the working group before the Forum: the gradual shift away from the US dollar towards the use of national currencies. “BRICS is currently facing multiple challenges; the collective West is expressing dissatisfaction with the group's success as it fears losing its dominance over various markets,” the diplomat noted, illustrating his point with the example of the cocoa trade, where the producing country receives only a small fraction of the massive profits generated, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Sergey Garbuk, Co-Сhair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Technology Ethics”, Director for Research Projects at HSE University and Chair of the Russian Technical Committee for the Standardization “Artificial intelligence”, pointed out that any technology can be both dangerous and safe, with the crucial factor being how it is utilized. He also proposed the idea of establishing a shared trust framework in the AI field and creating an international system for assessing technology compliance across the BRICS member states.
During the sessions titled “Information and Digital Security" and "Ethics of New Technologies”, a wide array of topics were discussed, including ethical standards for using digital technologies; potential threats, such as loss of identity and the cultural degradation of large populations; principles for ensuring a secure information environment; data protection and cybersecurity; and legislation aimed at safeguarding children and young people from the risks associated with AI technologies, cryptocurrencies, and access to technology.
Pamla Gopaul of South Africa, a Senior Programme Officer and Data Analyst at the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, emphasized that the social component should not be disregarded as social inequality poses a significant challenge for all BRICS nations. Keshav Parande, Secretary General at the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA International), believes that effective cooperation among the BRICS nations can only be achieved by prioritizing collective interests over individual interests.
Hoda Al Khzaimi, the Founder and Director of EMARATSEC Centre for Emerging Tech and Advanced Research Acceleration and Associate Vice Provost of Research Translation and Innovation at New York University Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), stressed the importance of preserving values and establishing collaborative innovation spaces and clusters.
Ayman Mousharafa, the Ambassador of Egypt to Algeria and Advisor and Consultant at AFREXIMBANK, revisited a topic previously discussed by the working group before the Forum: the gradual shift away from the US dollar towards the use of national currencies. “BRICS is currently facing multiple challenges; the collective West is expressing dissatisfaction with the group's success as it fears losing its dominance over various markets,” the diplomat noted, illustrating his point with the example of the cocoa trade, where the producing country receives only a small fraction of the massive profits generated, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Sergey Garbuk, Co-Сhair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group “Technology Ethics”, Director for Research Projects at HSE University and Chair of the Russian Technical Committee for the Standardization “Artificial intelligence”, pointed out that any technology can be both dangerous and safe, with the crucial factor being how it is utilized. He also proposed the idea of establishing a shared trust framework in the AI field and creating an international system for assessing technology compliance across the BRICS member states.
During the sessions titled “Information and Digital Security" and "Ethics of New Technologies”, a wide array of topics were discussed, including ethical standards for using digital technologies; potential threats, such as loss of identity and the cultural degradation of large populations; principles for ensuring a secure information environment; data protection and cybersecurity; and legislation aimed at safeguarding children and young people from the risks associated with AI technologies, cryptocurrencies, and access to technology.
In the run-up to the Forum, the civil society representatives from the BRICS nations reached a consensus on several draft documents. These include the Declaration of the Representatives of Civil Society, signed at the Forum (the process of gathering signatures is now continuing online), along with a unique document: a collective Address to the UN Summit of the Future by the BRICS Civil Forum participants. This document aims to highlight to heads of state and government the critical importance of fully realizing the right of peoples to development in order to build a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable society, as well as protect current and future generations.
For the first time in the history of the BRICS Civil Forum, the event featured a philosophical essay contest titled “Vision 2050—BRICS People 2050—How BRICS Will Change the World by 2050”. Participants were tasked with envisioning a future that benefits all humanity and suggesting long-term strategies to bring such a future to life. Over 160 applications were received, with contestants hailing from Russia, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay, Turkmenistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Following the meeting, the jury identified 10 winners, with three of them earning the chance to visit Moscow and attend the BRICS Civil Forum in person. Nearly every second participant had some type of solution to offer,” Felix Azhimov, Chair of the Contest Jury and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at HSE University (Russia), noted.
On June 27, a press conference was held to unveil a collaborative study by TASS and the BRICS Expert Council-Russia titled “Colonialism 3.0: Origins and Methods of Modern Western Globalism”. TASS, the general partner of the Forum, co-organized a photo exhibition titled “Western Globalism in Action” and a presentation of a paper titled “Colonialism 3.0: Origins and Methods of Modern Western Globalism” as part of the event.
Additionally, the two days of the Forum featured an art exhibition by renowned Russian designer from the Urals region Nina Ruchkina, which was titled "Nina Ruchkina. Beauty Bring the World Together." Ms Ruchkina specially created a scarf dedicated to BRICS, which celebrates the beauty of women from across the BRICS countries and honours Russian culture.
On July 4, the traditional follow-up press conference took place at the “Rossiya Segodnya” International Media Group to highlight the key results of the Civil Forum.
This Forum became a landmark event, marking an important milestone in the institutionalization of the BRICS civil society process under Russia's Chairship.
On June 27, a press conference was held to unveil a collaborative study by TASS and the BRICS Expert Council-Russia titled “Colonialism 3.0: Origins and Methods of Modern Western Globalism”. TASS, the general partner of the Forum, co-organized a photo exhibition titled “Western Globalism in Action” and a presentation of a paper titled “Colonialism 3.0: Origins and Methods of Modern Western Globalism” as part of the event.
Additionally, the two days of the Forum featured an art exhibition by renowned Russian designer from the Urals region Nina Ruchkina, which was titled "Nina Ruchkina. Beauty Bring the World Together." Ms Ruchkina specially created a scarf dedicated to BRICS, which celebrates the beauty of women from across the BRICS countries and honours Russian culture.
On July 4, the traditional follow-up press conference took place at the “Rossiya Segodnya” International Media Group to highlight the key results of the Civil Forum.
This Forum became a landmark event, marking an important milestone in the institutionalization of the BRICS civil society process under Russia's Chairship.