As Chair of BRICS for the year 2023, South Africa will host the first meeting of its tenure —the BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas—in Bela Bela, Limpopo Province, from February 1-2, stated a press release of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa. Professor Anil Sooklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS and South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa will host his counterparts from the Brazil, Russia, India and China. BRICS is a grouping of five major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – which together represent about 41 % of the world’s population, 26 per cent of the planet’s landmass across four of the continents, 25 %of global GDP and 20 per cent of world trade. “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism,” added the release. The theme emphasizes the continued value of BRICS as a partnership of leading emerging markets and developing countries providing leadership and momentum towards global growth, sustainable development and inclusion of the global South in the world system. The theme informs South Africa’s priorities for 2023, namely developing a partnership towards an equitable Just Transition; transforming education and skills development for the future; unlocking opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement; strengthening postpandemic socio-economic recovery and the attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and strengthening multilateralism, including working towards real reform of global governance institutions and strengthening the meaningful participation of women in peace processes, stated the release.
