BRICS leaders urged to endorse the Youth Council.
This was the address by National Youth Development chairperson Asanda Luwaca at the 15th Brics Summit on Wednesday, in Sandton.
Luwaca said they were calling on the 15th BRICS Summit to “endorse our proposal for the establishment of the BRICS youth council in its final declaration in ensuring positive change and innovation”.
Luwaca said the BRICS youth council would serve as a coordinating body for youth development within BRICS countries.
She said the council would bring positive change and innovation among young people in BRICS states and join developmental formations.
Brics countries are made up of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. The summit ends on Thursday 24.
Meanwhile, BRICS nations have adopted a document that sets out guidelines, principles and processes to consider for countries who want to join the stable, next year.
According to Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, the leaders agreed on the matter of expansion.
She said a more detailed announcement would be made by the BRICS leaders before the conclusion of the Summit on Thursday.
“The sessions have so far gone very well, including the briefings to the Heads of State and the innovative thinking of the new president of the New Development Bank (NDB),” Pandor said.
The former president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff is the new President of the NDB
Pandor said Rousseff had indicated some really exciting thinking about the future and the whole discourse around the use of local currencies.
“So this is a matter that is clearly on the agenda of the board of governors on the NDB, and we look forward to hearing more about that at the next summit in Russia,” she said.
Pandor expressed her positivity around discussions, saying that the establishment of the BRICS Women’s Alliance and the BRICS Youth Forum was extremely important.
For the first time, young leaders addressed the BRICS heads and set out the aspirations of young people in the BRICS countries and the role that BRICS would play in their development.
“What is interesting for me this year with BRICS is that everybody wants to be in. It looks like BRICS has become a concept that has taken root in popular discourse, and you are seeing growth in interested sectors. And all the governments are keen on ensuring that we see this greater collaboration.
“What is absolutely great is the momentum coming from stakeholders: civil society, business, women, youth, academics, and think tanks.
“So BRICS is becoming a sect of multi-faceted interactions between a whole range of institutions and stakeholders in the BRICS countries, and given their size, we are talking of thousands coming together, and I think this is absolutely incredible,” Pandor said.
On a lighter note, Pres Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa promised India that they will provide more “big cats” should the demand rise, having exported some this year.
Image (Asanda Luwaca NYDA chairperson who addressed the Brics Summit leaders on Wednesday in Sandton).
