The countries of the Persian Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, see in the BRICS a vehicle to play a more prominent role in world organizations, according to analysts.
The African candidates, Ethiopia and Nigeria, are drawn by the bloc’s commitment to reforms at the United Nations that would give the continent a more powerful voice. Others want changes in the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
“Argentina has insistently called for a reconfiguration of the international financial architecture,” an Argentine government official involved in negotiations to join the BRICS told Reuters.
Unrealistic expectations?
The experts who closely follow the BRICS are not so optimistic about the results of the meeting.
“I don’t think this summit will yield such spectacular results because the power is still in the hands of Western countries. China is growing, but it is not yet the dominant power,” said Steven Gruzd of the South African Institute of International Relations.
The bloc’s ambitions to become a global political and economic player have long been frustrated by internal divisions and a lack of coherent vision.
Their once-booming economies, like China, are slowing. Russia, a founding member, faces isolation from the Ukraine war. In fact, President Vladimir Putin, who is facing an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, will not travel to Johannesburg and will only participate virtually.