BRICS People's Summit Held in Brazil

From December 1 to 4, 2025, Rio de Janeiro hosted the BRICS People's Summit, the culminating event of the Brazilian Chairship and a key continuation of the BRICS Civil Forum. The Summit brought together representatives of civil society and social movements from BRICS and partner nations, as well as participants from the Brazilian Chairship's outreach programme.

The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks from notable figures, including Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, Vice Rector at HSE University, and Co-Chair of the Russian Chapter of the Civil BRICS Council; Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank (NDB); João Pedro Stédile, leader of Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement (MST); and Maurício Lyrio, Brazil's Sherpa for BRICS.

In her address to participants, Victoria Panova stressed the urgent need to institutionalise the Civil BRICS Council, which she described as a vital platform for unifying civil societies across the BRICS countries. She noted this would enhance collaboration among public organisations and boost the overall effectiveness of cooperation within the group. The Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia also highlighted that establishing a stable institutional framework for the Civil BRICS Council would be a significant step in developing mechanisms for engagement between civil society and official BRICS structures.

Over the four days, discussions centred on global governance, technological development, climate change, sustainable development, strengthening international dialogue, and the role of civil society in shaping the BRICS agenda. Special focus was placed on exploring alternatives to existing Western international development mechanisms, including initiatives to build new institutions and support structures for the Global South nations.

The Summit concluded with a meeting of the Civil BRICS Council, which reviewed the event outcomes and charted the way forward. Participants supported the formation of national civil councils in all BRICS countries and partners, and advocated for the creation of a dedicated fund within the New Development Bank to support civil initiatives and public diplomacy. Representatives from the Latin American nations expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation within the Council and emphasised the importance of their civil society organisations' involvement in BRICS activities.

The Summit reaffirmed the growing influence of civil society within the BRICS international framework and served as a key platform for advancing dialogue among the Global South nations.