THE BRICS & AFRICA RESEARCH BLOG

This Blog posts Articles and Videos that are of Interest to Researchers on current Developments of the BRICS nations. 

BRICS nations include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and dozens of allied nations from both Europe and the Global South.

• How it began:  The term was coined by economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 in his study, "Building Better Global Economic BRICs". O'Neill believed that these countries would become the world's dominant economic powers by 2050.

• The organization: The BRICS organization was established in 2009 with the first summit of the four original member countries. South Africa joined in 2011.

• Goals:  The organization's goals include increasing economic and geopolitical cooperation among member countries, and challenging the Western-dominated world order.

• Economic weight:  The BRICS countries are among the world's largest economies, and together account for 18% of international trade and 35.4% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

• Diversity:  The BRICS countries are diverse in terms of political ideology, demographic development, and access to resources.

• Currency:  The BRICS countries are critical of the dollar's predominance in world trade, and support using their national currencies more for trade.

• Expansion:  In 2024, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt were scheduled to join BRICS. However, Argentina withdrew its application, and Saudi Arabia is still considering joining.

• Demographics:  BRICS countries share 45% of the world's population.

The Wilberforce Law Centre invites all professionals to contribute to scholarship regarding international "Peace Studies" research papers, scholarly articles, law review notes, and symposiums regarding global, emerging  economies in the BRICS network of nations and their relations with the European Union, the United States, and other Western-allied nations.