United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 welcomed the declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, calling its 'strong commitment to multilateralism' reassuring and significant for global governance. The New Delhi Declaration 2026, adopted on 12 September, brought together major emerging economies in a unified reaffirmation of the United Nations-centred world order.

What Guterres Said

Speaking at a news conference, Guterres described it as 'important' that the summit had produced 'a common declaration with a strong commitment of all of them to multilateralism and by all of them to the United Nations.' He added: 'From that point of view, it is reassuring that a large number of the important powers that exist in the world believe that multilateralism is the way to address crises, and that the UN must be at the centre.'

Guterres, who attended the summit himself, noted that not all members of the UN Security Council were present, but underlined that the attendance of 'important powers' carried considerable weight.

Key Leaders at the Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — both permanent members of the UN Security Council — were present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the summit, while Brazil was represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Notably, India and Brazil are among the countries that aspire to permanent Security Council membership and reportedly command wide support among UN member states for it.

The United States, France, and Britain were absent from the summit. BRICS is broadly seen as representing emerging economies that seek a greater say in international institutions they argue are disproportionately shaped by Western nations.

The US Factor and Multilateralism Under Pressure

The summit declaration carries particular significance given the current geopolitical climate. The US under President Donald Trump has, according to observers, pursued a markedly unilateralist posture — seeking to reduce the role of the UN and allied multilateral institutions. Critics argue that Trump has viewed BRICS as a challenge to a US-led unipolar global order. Against this backdrop, the collective BRICS endorsement of multilateralism is being read as a pointed counter-signal.

Health Cooperation and the Declaration's Scope

Beyond geopolitics, the New Delhi Declaration 2026 also deepened commitments in global health. The declaration welcomed expanded cooperation in health initiatives and reaffirmed the bloc's commitment to 'universal health coverage through resilient, inclusive, and people-centred approaches.'

The document stated: 'We recognise the significance of continued cooperation among the BRICS members and the necessity of sharing valuable experiences, innovations and best practices for improving health outcomes across the BRICS countries. We reiterate our shared conviction that multilateral cooperation in health must be preserved and reinforced, emphasising the vital coordinating role of the World Health Organisation.'

What Comes Next

The New Delhi Declaration now forms the diplomatic baseline for BRICS engagement through the next summit cycle. With global institutions under pressure from rising nationalism and geopolitical fracture, whether the bloc's multilateralism pledge translates into coordinated action — on health, trade, and security — will be closely watched in the months ahead.