The 2012 BRICS summit was the
fourth annual
BRICS
BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising ten countriesBrazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The idea of a BRICS-like group can be traced back to Russian foreign ...
summit, an international relations conference attended by the heads of state or heads of government of the five member states
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. The summit was held at Taj Hotel in New Delhi, India on 29 March 2012
and began at 10:00
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time (IST), sometimes also called India Standard Time, is the time zone observed throughout the Republic of India, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments. I ...
. This is the first time that India has hosted a BRICS summit.
The theme of the summit was "BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity".
Preparations
Logo
Preparations for the summit began with the announcement from the
Ministry of External Affairs, India
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian mi ...
about a competition to choose the official logo for the meeting. The logo was expected to "bring out the essence of this grouping of countries, which has received unprecedented global attention in recent years and now occupies a prominent space in the global political and economic landscape." A specially-constituted jury announced the winning design on 10 February 2012 as the submission of Sonesh Jain, an architecture student of the
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT- Roorkee or IIT-R) is a technical university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. It is the oldest engineering institution in India. It was founded as the College of Civil Engineering in 1847 d ...
. The logo is a symbolic representation of a
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
with "colours suggesting resurgence and renewal". Officials also commented that the BRICS logo drew inspiration from the
lotus in addition to the peacock.
The logo caused controversy regarding its similarity to that of the
National Broadcasting Company
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
. The Ministry of External Affairs said that there should have been a more careful selection process, but defended the logo by saying that there were more differences than similarities.
Security
Hosting the summit involved elaborate security arrangements in the city. 2,000 police personnel and
National Security Guard
The National Security Guard (NSG) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is the primary counter-terrorism force of the Government of India. It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue ...
commandos were deployed throughout the city's arterial areas, with special emphasis on the summit venue. The venue's security involved a three-tier arrangement handled by the
Delhi Police
The Delhi Police (DP) is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Police falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. In 2024, the sanctioned strength of Delhi Police w ...
and the embassy officials of the visiting nations, and involved body checks and metal detectors. To ensure the security of the attending delegates, the floors above and below the rooms to be occupied were left vacant.
In addition, the entire hotel was occupied by the BRICS summit, and guests were re-directed to other hotels. Security personnel were posted even on the rooftops of the venue.
Pre-summit events
During 4–6 March 2012, the Delhi-based public policy organisation
Observer Research Foundation
Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is an independent global think tank based in Delhi, India. The foundation has three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. ORF provides potentially viable inputs for policy and decision-makers in the Indian ...
conducted the 4th BRICS Academic Forum, which involved the participation of approximately 60 scholars from all five states. The forum was held to generate ideas and proposals, which would be put forward to the attending state heads for further consideration. At the end of the forum, 18 recommendations were put forward for increasing the effectiveness of the group.
A BRICS business forum, organised by the
Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Confederation of Indian Industry
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a Non-governmental organization, non-governmental business and industry organisation and advocacy group headquartered in New Delhi, India, founded in 1895.
CII is a membership-based organisation. ...
and
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India,
took place the day before the leaders official summit.
Participants
Hu arrived in New Delhi on 28 March 2012 along with a delegation of senior ministers which included Foreign Minister
Yang Jiechi, State Councillor
Dai Bingguo as well as business executives. Zuma's delegation included the Minister of Trade and Industry,
Rob Davies and business executives. All five trade ministers were present as well.
The
heads of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of state
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
/
heads of government
In the executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
of the five countries participated in the summit.
Gallery of participating leaders
File:Dilma Rousseff - foto oficial 2011-01-09.jpg , Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the only woman to have held the ...
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil (), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil () or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the ...
File:Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.jpg , Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and Prime Mini ...
President of Russia
The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...
File:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in WEF ,2009.jpg , Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
Prime Minister of India
The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
(Host)
File:Hu Jintao Cannes2011.jpg , Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese retired politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the president of China from 2003 to 2013, and chairman of the Central Military Comm ...
President of China
The president of China, officially the president of the People's Republic of China, is the List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China, state representative of the China, People's Republic of China. On its own, it is a Fig ...
File:Jacob Zuma, 2009 World Economic Forum on Africa-4.jpg , Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...
President of South Africa
The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence F ...
Common issues
Development bank

The main agenda for the summit was the creation of a
new development bank
The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). According to the agreement, "the bank shal ...
. The idea for setting up such a bank was put forward by India, as a sign of firming the power of the group and increasing its influence in global decision-making; Sudhir Vyas, a senior Indian official, said that the idea for a BRICS bank had been "in the air for some time."
The aims of the bank would include: funding development and infrastructure projects in developing and least developed countries; lending, in the long term, during global financial crises such as the
Eurozone crisis
The euro area crisis, often also referred to as the eurozone crisis, European debt crisis, or European sovereign debt crisis, was a multi-year debt crisis and financial crisis in the European Union (EU) from 2009 until, in Greece, 2018. The ...
; and issuing
convertible debt
In finance, a convertible bond, convertible note, or convertible debt (or a convertible debenture if it has a maturity of greater than 10 years) is a type of bond that the holder can convert into a specified number of shares of common stock in ...
, which could be bought by the central banks of all the member states and hence act as a vessel for risk-sharing.
Economic experts predicted several beneficent effects of such a bank. Such a bank would allow successful implementation of regional development projects, with increased efficiency and transparency.
Brazilian Trade Minister
Fernando Pimentel said that the bank "would be a very powerful financial tool to improve trade opportunities, and may be a major step to support the EU to overcome its financial crisis."
In the Delhi Declaration at the end of the summit, the BRICS announced the setting up of the bank, described as a "BRICS-led
South-South development bank
Development finance institution (DFI), also known as a Development bank, is a financial institution that provides risk capital for economic development projects on a non-commercial basis.
DFIs are often established and owned by governments or ...
." The finance ministers of the member states were directed to conduct feasibility studies of the initiative and to submit their reports at the
next BRICS summit.
[BRICS to set up joint bank, call for dialogue on Iran & Syria – The Times of India](_blank)
Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (29 March 2012). Retrieved on 30 March 2012. Pimentel said that the proposed bank was not meant as a sign of abandonment of existing global financial institutions, but that it was a response to current economic necessities. Vyas commented that the BRICS would determine the capital structure and that the initiative would take some time to get started.
Other issues
Zuma's office said that South Africa would seek to advance African interests in seeking support for infrastructure projects and industrialisation initiatives, as well as call for reform in multilateral institutions.
Conclusions
Multilateral financial institutions
All five countries called for an urgent need to implement the 2010 Governance and Quota Reform before the 2012
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...
– World Bank Annual Meeting. The countries also want the comprehensive review of the quota formula to reflect economic weights and enhance the voice and representation of emerging market and developing countries by January 2013.
All five countries also called for candidatures from developing world for the position of the President of the World Bank reiterating that the heads of IMF and the World Bank should be selected through an open and merit-based process.
The call came weeks before the
World Bank's presidential election which would, for the first time, feature non-United States candidates. China's Hu said: "We are committed to stepping up exchanges with other countries on global economic governance reforms and increasing representation of developing countries." Manmohan Singh added that "while some progress has been made in international financial institutions, there is lack of movement on the political side. BRICS should speak with one voice on important issues such as the reform of the UN Security Council."
Trade and currency
To promote trade in local currencies, the BRICS countries signed the Master Agreement on Extending Credit Facility in Local Currency and the Multilateral Letter of Credit Confirmation Facility Agreement to replace the United States dollar as the main unit of trade between them.
The trade ministers also said that tightening intra-BRICS trade would help as an antidote to the
European sovereign debt crisis.
The trade ministers also called for collective action to fight the European and United States economic downturns. At the BRICS Business Forum, India's Commerce and Industry Minister
Anand Sharma said that the "adversity of financial crisis is being faced by all. There is a need to work together to overcome this problem." His Chinese counterpart Chen Deming added that both economic problems were affecting all states and decreased Chinese exports: "I am sure they will recover. There is a need to prevent the EU crisis quickly before it gets worse. There has been a decline in demand in the European markets. Despite this we have to sustain a high level of growth." Russian Minister for Economic Development and Trade
Elvira Nabioullina added that "the world has to stop accumulating risks. There is a need to work closer."
[Business / Economy : BRICS for collective action to deal with EU debt crisis](_blank)
The Hindu (28 March 2012). Retrieved on 30 March 2012.
In order to bring the economies of BRICS closer, all members agreed to launch a benchmark equity index derivative allowing investors in one BRICS country to bet on the performance of stock markets in the other four members without currency risk. The indices will be cross-listed in BRICS' flagship stock exchanges from 30 March.
Foreign policy issues
All five countries called for the international community to continue development projects in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
for 10 years after the
ISAF
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
withdraws most of its combat troops by the end of 2014.
They also condemned the Western world's pressure tactics on
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
to make other countries adhere to their restrictions on trade ties
and said dialogue alone could resolve the nuclear issues. The group added that the
Syrian uprising could also only be resolved through dialogue. They warned against any military intervention in Syria by the West or by Israel in Iran. They added that a war with Iran would have "disastrous consequences."
China's Trade Minister
Chen Deming
Chen Deming (; born 1949) is a Chinese former politician and President of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits of the People's Republic of China.
Early life
Chen was born in Shanghai in 1949. He went on to receive a Bachelor's De ...
said that the "rise
n the priceof crude oil has impacted all countries. The Iran issue has become an issue for all. We need to continue with normal relations with Iran, but, at the same time, we respect UN resolution. We hope that unilateral movement by one country will not affect other countries."
Bilateral initiatives
India and China launched the "India-China Friendship and Cooperation" year in the summit. Chinese President Hu Jintao that it was China's "unswerving policy" to develop bilateral ties as he put forward a five-point proposal in an effort to improve strategic ties between the two states. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said of Hu's reaction that he thought "there is a great cooperation potential and prospect of development for China-India relations. China hopes to work with India to seize development opportunities, step up development, jointly respond to challenges and make greater contribution to peace and prosperity of Asia and beyond." Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh responded by saying that "India hopes to maintain high-level exchange of visits with China, deepen strategic mutual trust, expand win-win cooperation and hope to make strategic economic dialogue between the two countries a success."
Both states agreed to initiate dialogue over issues in
West Asia
West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...
,
Central Asia
Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
and Africa as
confidence building measures towards enhancement of political interaction. They also discussed border disputes with a conclusion to maintain the status quo peace and stability. On the economic front, Hu stated that he would work towards facilitating Indian exports to China; Singh called for Chinese investments in the Indian manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
Controversies
Protests
On 26 March, a Tibetan activist named Jamphel Yeshi
set himself on fire at a rally in Delhi and subsequently died of his burns two days later. Yeshi was given a "martyr's funeral" by several Tibetan exile organisations; a rally was held in
Dharamshala in his memory. On 28 March, protesters attempted to storm into the hotel where Hu was staying, prompting an increase in security for the officials. Around ten Tibetan activists unfurled a
Tibetan flag near the hotel, and attempted to march towards the summit venue but were detained by the police. Protesters were also present at the United Nations office where the
Tibetan Youth Congress submitted memorandums to the embassies of the participating states. Similar protests were also held at
Khan Market and the
Jantar Mantar, prompting a heavy police presence in such areas.
Police camps were set up in certain colonies of Tibetan refugees in Delhi.
Almost 300 protesters were arrested for breaking laws during their anti-China protests.
China responded strongly to the protests, and accused the exiles of pushing "extreme and radical views by glorifying and instigating extreme behavior." Chinese spokesperson
Luo Zhaohui termed the protests as "political" and "inconsistent with the teachings of
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
." Luo expressed regret over the loss of life and praised the Indian government's efforts to "
nsurethe safe and smooth holding" of the summit. The state-run ''
China Tibet Online'' made a number of statements against the Dalai Lama, claiming that he was "controlled by USA" and that his relatives worked for the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
. It pointed out "similarities" between the Dalai Lama's activities and the "uncontrolled and cruel
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
s" during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It also claimed that he wanted Tibet to become his "property" and Tibetans his "slaves", by dividing China and "restoring Tibetan serfdom." The report was subsequently relayed by ''
Xinhua
Xinhua News Agency (English pronunciation: ),J. C. Wells: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd ed., for both British and American English or New China News Agency, is the official State media, state news agency of the China, People's Republic ...
''. The
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating antisemitism, tolerance educati ...
criticised the comparison, calling it a "double slander", on the premise that the Dalai Lama's tactics are antithetical to the actions of the Nazi regime. The
government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
perceived the disruptions as a
loss of face and acted to detain protesters, cordon off areas with Tibetan populations, and provide police escorts.
However, despite warnings, the Tibetan Youth Congress announced that they would continue to protest in the city. During the
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...
's Zero Hour, the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
's
Balbir Punj condemned the arrests of protesters, labeling it a "violation of people's fundamental rights".
The day before the summit, the
Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration called on the other BRICS members to discuss the issue at the summit as they felt that the situation in Tibet continued to deteriorate amidst China's use of "brutal methods" against peaceful protests.
Traffic
A day prior to the summit, traffic restrictions were imposed in Sardar Patel Marg so as to allow proper movement of the visiting dignitaries. Such restrictions were expected to affect traffic at major city roads,
India Gate
The India Gate (formerly known as All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath (officially called Kartavya Path, Kartavya path) on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, India, New Delhi. It stands as a m ...
and
Rajiv Chowk. However, despite an earlier announcement stating that restrictions would be imposed in the evening, the restrictions were placed by the afternoon. As a result, commuters were left stranded due to traffic blocks. Despite advisories from the police, there was confusion on the roads. Some people reported that they were held up at the roads for several hours. The blocked roads were also used by commuters travelling from satellite towns into Delhi, thus forcing the people to find alternate options for traveling. The Delhi Police's advice of avoiding the blocked routes and finding alternate routes was met with criticism as such measures would add considerably to commuting time. Commuter displeasure was also expressed on social networking sites like Facebook. The traffic conditions in the city made many commuters use the
Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system that serves Delhi and the adjoining satellite cities of Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, Bahadurgarh, and Ballabhgarh in the National Capital Region (India), National Capital Region of India. The system cons ...
to reach their destinations.
Reactions
Mark Toner, a spokesman for the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
, said that it had "reviewed the leaders' Delhi declaration and believe that their efforts to engage in global multilateral institutions productively can only strengthen the international system", adding that its efforts to support the global economy and development in Afghanistan were welcomed. However, in regards to Iran, he said that U.S. President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
"has said that no option has been taken off the table, he's also been very clear that there's still... time for a diplomatic solution."
[US cautiously welcomes BRICS summit – The Economic Times](_blank)
Economictimes.indiatimes.com (30 March 2012). Retrieved on 30 March 2012.
References
External links
Official Fourth BRICS Summit Declaration: 2012 New DelhiThe Sino-Brazilian Principles in a Latin American and BRICS Context: The Case for Comparative Public Budgeting Legal Research''
Wisconsin International Law Journal'', 13 May 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:BRICS summit,04
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2012 conferences
2012 in India
2012 in international relations
21st-century diplomatic conferences
Diplomatic conferences in India
2010s in Delhi
March 2012 in India