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VIDEO EXPLAINER | 3 NOVEMBER 2026
The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held on 26 and 27 October at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi, chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Its theme was Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development. The Forum adopted a joint declaration of 30 paragraphs, endorsed by the parliaments of 10 countries. It came a few weeks after the 18th BRICS Leaders Summit in September 2026.
Who attended and what was discussed
Invitations went to 11 member countries and 10 partner countries. The Forum held four high-level sessions, built on the pillars of India’s BRICS chairship: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
The declaration
The declaration is backed by the parliaments of Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE. Saudi Arabia is not on this list. Key paragraphs include:
- A paragraph supporting UN reform, including reform of the Security Council.
- Para 23: opposes unilateral coercive measures, meaning economic and secondary sanctions.
- Para 24: strongly condemns a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The text does not name the attack, but it refers to the 22 April 2025 attack in which 26 people were killed.
- Para 25: reiterates support for a two-state solution; the word Gaza does not appear in the declaration.
- Para 30: the Forum will meet again in 2027 during China’s chairship.
Concept: the parliamentary track of BRICS
BRICS has an executive summit and also a parliamentary track. The chairship rotates every year: India in 2026, China in 2027. BRICS currently has 11 members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in 2024, and Indonesia joined in 2025.
Background: BRICS institutions
The first BRIC summit took place in 2009 in Yekaterinburg. The agreement establishing the New Development Bank was signed on 15 July 2014 in Fortaleza, and on the same day the treaty for the Contingent Reserve Arrangement was signed. The New Development Bank is headquartered in Shanghai.
Constitutional / Legal / Institutional framework
- BRICS Parliamentary Forum: parliamentary track alongside the leaders’ summit; chairship rotates yearly (India 2026, China 2027).
- Lok Sabha Speaker chaired the 12th edition at Samvidhan Sadan.
- New Development Bank: agreement signed 15 July 2014, Fortaleza; HQ Shanghai. Contingent Reserve Arrangement: treaty signed the same day.
CLAT angle
- GK: the 12th Forum, dates, venue, theme, chair and the four pillars.
- GK: current 11 BRICS members and the years they joined (2024 and 2025).
- GK: NDB (15 July 2014, Fortaleza, Shanghai HQ) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement.
- Passage-based: unilateral coercive measures, economic and secondary sanctions, and UN Security Council reform.
- Remember who is on the declaration list and that Saudi Arabia is not.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum |
| Dates | 26 and 27 October |
| Venue | Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi |
| Chair | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla |
| Theme | Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development |
| Declaration | 30 paragraphs; parliaments of 10 countries |
| Pillars | Resilience, innovation, cooperation, sustainability |
| Next Forum | 2027, China’s chairship (Para 30) |
| BRICS members | 11 (Indonesia joined 2025) |
| NDB HQ | Shanghai |
Mnemonic / memory hook
R-I-C-S: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, Sustainability.
The four pillars of India’s BRICS chairship, which shaped the four sessions of the Forum.
FAQ
When and where was the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held? On 26 and 27 October at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi.
Which countries are BRICS members now? There are 11 members; Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in 2024, Indonesia in 2025.
Where is the New Development Bank headquartered? Shanghai.
Sources
Text of the joint declaration of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum; Lok Sabha Secretariat and Ministry of External Affairs statements on India’s BRICS chairship; New Development Bank founding agreement (Fortaleza, 15 July 2014).
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