The leaders’ meeting, which runs until Monday at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art, marks the pivotal point of Brazil’s BRICS presidency and will prioritize issues related to the climate crisis, such as financing mechanisms.

A proposal for international governance for artificial intelligence (AI) will also be discussed.

The group currently includes 11 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.

It also includes 10 partner nations: Cuba, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

According to Rio de Janeiro City Council, about 4,000 representatives from 37 countries, including active members, guests, and multilateral organizations, are expected to participate in the forum.

Organizers indicated that issues that will be highlighted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for November in Belem, capital of the northern Amazonian state of Para, will be presented in this event.

During preparatory meetings throughout the year, representatives from participating countries consolidated a document with recommendations on financial support for climate actions. Such a material should support the drafting of the summit’s final text.

The host president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, insists on demanding compliance with the commitments made by developed countries since COP15 in 2009, when they pledged annual resources to support developing regions.

Brazil proposes to include the Global South in the ongoing regulatory and strategic debates at the international level.

The BRICS group of countries accounts for almost half of the global population and nearly 40 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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