"Gone down in history": Belarus Speaker Vadim Ipatov hails 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum for human-centric progress and sovereign equality

Reflecting on the overarching impact and historical significance of the assembly hosted in New Delhi, Ipatov noted, "First of all, I would like to thank our colleagues, the Parliament of India, for organising such a magnificent forum. The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum has gone down in history. At the same time, it will remain in our memory. It will remain in our memory through powerful addresses demonstrating that weboth BRICS member states and partner nationsare striving toward building a new world order. A world order where there is a place for mutual respect, good neighbourliness, and cooperation; where there is no place for dictating to other sovereign states how their peoples should live."

Emphasising the role of parliamentary diplomacy in reinforcing traditional interstate dialogue, Ipatov underscored the bilateral engagements and shared legislative work conducted alongside official diplomatic channels.

"There were wonderful speeches and exchanges of opinions. There were opportunities to hold bilateral meetings with our colleagues and discuss matters of cooperation, both in socio-economic development and humanitarian spheres. These contacts will enable us to broaden our knowledge of one another and, within our parliamentary work, naturally complement official diplomacy. Official diplomatsyes, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs do their work, but elected representatives of the people bring to other countries, above all, the best insights about their own nations and are eager to learn from the best practices established in the parliaments of other countries. This also includes the development of legislation, because we operate within our own legal systems and under our laws, which must stay attuned to modern times," he added.

Turning to key technological priorities and the core theme guiding the deliberations in New Delhi, the Belarus speaker highlighted the centrality of placing human welfare at the core of technological and economic advancements.

"In particular, the BRICS Parliamentary Forum discussed topics including artificial intelligence and the digitalisation of the economy. The central takeaway was that all of this must be carried out under the core motto of this forum: 'People above all.' Human-centricity was indeed the defining idea of this forum," he noted.

Looking forward to the next iteration of the forum, he expressed confidence in China's upcoming host duties following India's exemplary leadership:

"The next forum will take place in China. China is a BRICS member nation, and I am confident the forum there will be held at the same high standard; India has set a very fine example here," he added.

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla yesterday, concluded on Tuesday with the adoption of a Joint Declaration.

According to a press release, the declaration formally reiterates member nations' dedication to the principles of the United Nations Charter, sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Demonstrating Indias growing diplomatic footprint under its ongoing chairship, the Joint Declaration seamlessly aligned with New Delhis core strategic priorities. Reaffirming the consensus of the New Delhi Declaration (NDD), member parliaments issued an explicit endorsement of UN Security Council reformreferencing NDD Paragraph 13to make global governance more representative of the Global South.

Indias firm stance on national security scored a major victory through robust, uncompromised counter-terrorism language; building on NDD Paragraph 40, the declaration condemned cross-border terrorism, terror financing, and safe havens while demanding zero tolerance and an end to double standards.

As per the release, the final text also strongly embedded India-led developmental and climate agendas, including the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) repositories, ethical Artificial Intelligence governance, adherence to Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR-RC), and unanimous support for Indias BRICS Chairship.

As the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum successfully concluded, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla extended warm congratulations and best wishes to China, which assumes the BRICS chair for the year 2027, expressing full confidence that cooperation will continue to flourish under its leadership.

The forum concluded with a resounding call to action for Parliaments worldwide to serve as powerful voices for peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity. (ANI)