WHO Chief Tedros arrives in New Delhi for 18th BRICS Summit
Synopsis
The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi has drawn an unusually broad cast of multilateral institution heads — including WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WTO DG Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala — alongside heads of state and foreign ministers. With over 350 preparatory meetings across 25 Indian cities, India's chairship is the most expansive BRICS presidency yet, and the summit's outcome declaration could reshape Global South cooperation on health, trade, and geopolitics.
Key Takeaways
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in New Delhi on 13 September 2026 for the 18th BRICS Summit .
The summit is being hosted at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026 under India's BRICS chairship.
India's chairship theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' , guided by PM Modi's 'Humanity First' vision.
Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov , Philippines President Ferdinand R.
Marcos Jr. , WTO DG Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla are among the other delegates who arrived for the summit.
India's BRICS chairship has encompassed more than 350 meetings across 25 cities in India throughout 2026.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), arrived in New Delhi on Saturday, 13 September 2026 to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam. His arrival is among a wave of high-level global delegations descending on the national capital for the two-day summit spanning 12–13 September.
WHO Chief's Visit and Health Diplomacy
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) extended a formal welcome to Ghebreyesus, noting in a post on X: 'The visit underscores the importance of global cooperation in health-related matters for shared progress and prosperity.' The WHO chief's presence at the summit signals that global health governance will be a substantive thread in this year's BRICS agenda — a notable elevation for health diplomacy on a platform traditionally focused on economic and geopolitical matters.
Other Arrivals: Belarus, Cuba, WTO and ASEAN
Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov also arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the summit. The MEA welcomed him, stating that 'India and Belarus share warm and friendly relations, marked by growing cooperation across a broad range of areas, in bilateral and multilateral spheres.'
Earlier, on Friday, 12 September, Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. landed in the capital in his capacity as the current chair of ASEAN, and was received at the airport by Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel. The MEA noted that India and ASEAN maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership centred on trade, maritime security, and regional connectivity in the Indo-Pacific — a key pillar of India's 'Act East' policy.
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla also arrived in New Delhi on Friday. The MEA said Okonjo-Iweala's participation would 'advance the dialogue on inclusive trade and development, and on ensuring that the global trading system delivers for all.'
India's BRICS Chairship: Theme and Scale
India's chairship of BRICS this year is anchored to the theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — framed around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of 'Humanity First.'
According to the MEA, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been conducted across 25 cities in India throughout the chairship year. These span the bloc's three core pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
What the Summit Signals
The 18th BRICS Summit brings together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries alongside outreach invitees, making it one of the largest multilateral gatherings hosted by India in recent years. The scale of delegations — spanning multilateral institution heads, heads of state, and foreign ministers — underscores India's effort to position itself as a central node in the evolving Global South architecture. How concrete outcomes on health, trade, and geopolitical coordination are framed in the summit declaration will determine whether India's chairship year translates into durable institutional gains.
Point of View
The process has been extensive, but the test is whether the New Delhi declaration delivers language with teeth on health cooperation and trade equity, or settles for the familiar diplomatic vagueness. India's Global South credibility, carefully cultivated through the G20 presidency, is partly staked on this summit's deliverables.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 18th BRICS Summit and where is it being held?
The 18th BRICS Summit is a major multilateral gathering hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026. It brings together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees including heads of international organisations such as the WHO and WTO.
Why did WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attend the BRICS Summit?
Ghebreyesus attended as part of India's effort to embed global health cooperation within the BRICS agenda. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that his visit 'underscores the importance of global cooperation in health-related matters for shared progress and prosperity.'
What is India's theme for its BRICS chairship in 2026?
India's BRICS chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' It reflects PM Narendra Modi's people-centric vision anchored in the spirit of 'Humanity First,' according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Which world leaders and officials arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit?
Among those who arrived are WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (as ASEAN chair), Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.
How significant has India's BRICS chairship been in terms of preparatory work?
India's chairship has been notably expansive, with more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements held across over 25 cities in India. These have spanned the bloc's three pillars: political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
