The 9th BRICS Civil Forum took place in Moscow on 3−4 July, bringing together representatives of BRICS member states, including newly admitted countries. The Forum was organised by the BRICS Expert Council in line with the official calendar of events of the Russian Federation’s BRICS Chairmanship.
Opening the Forum, Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Vice-Rector of HSE University, and Russia’s Sherpa to Women20, called for collective efforts to address sustainable development challenges. She noted that closer cooperation within BRICS has intensified dialogue not only at the intergovernmental level but also among civil society organisations and non-profit actors. "It is civil society and its representatives who should help shape the key parameters of equitable development," she emphasised. Panova also highlighted the unprecedented level of participation: more than 650 participants from 20 countries attended the Forum—more than twice the originally expected number—demonstrating how BRICS expansion has given new momentum to civil dialogue among all ten member states.
Held under the theme "Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security," the Forum aimed to generate ideas for fair development and to identify pathways to improve healthcare, education, culture and sports. Nine thematic working groups developed policy recommendations across these areas. The recommendations will be submitted to BRICS leaders ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan.
Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Russia’s BRICS Sherpa, described the Civil Forum as a core element of BRICS' institutional architecture. He stressed that the civil track represents one of the most dynamic dimensions of BRICS cooperation, focused on humanitarian ties and cultural exchange. According to Ryabkov, BRICS offers a model of dialogue based on trust, mutual respect and non-imposition of values, positioning the group as a genuine representative of the Global Majority.
Special attention was also given to the upcoming UN Summit of the Future in New York, where, Ryabkov noted, BRICS countries should promote a fair multipolar world order and coordinated approaches to the safe use of emerging technologies. In this context, Russia is advancing an AI ethics code developed by national experts.
The Forum featured high-level plenary sessions, including "The Right to Development: Equality, Equity and Justice" and "Vision 2050: The Future of the World through the Eyes of BRICS Countries." Participants discussed global challenges ranging from public health and social inequality to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, environmental sustainability and financial sovereignty.
Experts highlighted the importance of nature-like and biotechnological solutions, reducing social inequality, fostering collective rather than individual national interests, building shared innovation ecosystems, and gradually increasing the use of national currencies in international trade.
The Forum also addressed information and digital security, ethical standards for emerging technologies, data protection, cybersecurity, and safeguarding children and youth in the digital environment.
Ahead of the Forum, civil society representatives agreed on several key documents, including a Manifesto of the Global Majority’s Civil Society and a joint Appeal to the UN Summit of the Future, calling for full implementation of the right to development as a foundation for a sustainable and just global future.
For the first time, the Forum hosted an international philosophical essay contest titled "Vision 2050 — BRICS People 2050: How BRICS Will Change the World by 2050," which received over 160 submissions from participants across multiple regions.
The Forum also featured cultural and media events, including a joint photo exhibition with TASS, an analytical report on contemporary forms of global colonialism, and an art exhibition celebrating BRICS unity through design.
A closing press conference summarizing the Forum’s outcomes was held on 4 July at the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group.
The 9th BRICS Civil Forum marked a historic milestone, as Russia’s Chairmanship advanced concrete steps toward the institutionalization of the BRICS civil society track.
More information is available on the official website of the BRICS Civil Forum.