Interview: BRICS mechanism boosts global governance reform, British scholar says

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS mechanism is emerging as a powerful force driving reform of the global governance system, British scholar Martin Jacques said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

While existing global institutions "greatly privilege the West," Jacques noted, "The aim of BRICS is not to replace them but to reform the system -- the way it operates, the forms of representation, and so on."

Jacques described the grouping's expansion over recent years as "a very important development," noting that it now "represents the great majority of the world's population who live in the developing world." Therefore, its role as a platform for Global South exchanges and cooperation is becoming more pronounced, he said.

Yet, Jacques acknowledged, this broader base also introduces new complexities.

"How does BRICS -- which is newly expanded, therefore it's changed a lot, its dynamics are different -- give shape and force to the BRICS view of the reforms that are necessary?" he said.

"It's got to find forms of representation and channels in which it can exert its influence," he added.

Looking further ahead, Jacques said BRICS's long-term goal is to empower developing nations to play a more central role in shaping global governance.

"Let's say the ultimate objective is that the Global South becomes the majoritarian element in global governance," he said.

Jacques also emphasized China's role in shaping and sustaining the BRICS mechanism, crediting Beijing with playing a crucial part in guiding its development, particularly before the bloc's expansion.

"China's role has been decisive. It wouldn't and couldn't have happened without China," the British scholar commented. "I can't see how, without China, it would have been possible to get to this stage."

"China's weight -- its economic weight -- is crucial," he said. "But also China's strategic concept. Because of its strength and because of its independence, China has a very independent mentality."

A guest speaker for the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum held this week, Jacques noted the importance of fostering a deeper and more inclusive understanding of the BRICS mechanism.

Intellectual and media engagement can play a critical role in shaping its evolving identity, he stressed.

"I think that we need to understand BRICS better. We need to listen to people from different countries and so on -- how they see it and what they bring to it," he said. "This is how to develop a culture of an organization."

Like any meaningful international institution, BRICS needs to undergo a continual process of reflection and self-definition, he added.

"An organization needs to have a kind of self-realization -- a constant renewal of understanding of what it's about," the British scholar said. "Bringing together journalists and reporters and editors and intellectuals and so on -- it's a very good idea for this. I think it's essential."