Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, Vice Rector at HSE University, and Sherpa of Russia in W20, outlined the history of the Civil BRICS Track:
The engagement of civil society within such intergovernmental formats has a discernible historical trajectory. Russia pioneered this format in the G7/G8, with a key precedent set in 2006 when Russian NGOs met with all national sherpas.
This legacy led to the first BRICS Civil Forum in 2015, which brought together civil society representatives to discuss priorities and urge governments to address public needs. While governmental support was later secured, the format has faced some challenges, such as its suspension in 2019.
A pivotal achievement came in 2023 with the official launch of the Civil BRICS Council, a permanent mechanism endorsed in the Kazan Declaration. Its legitimacy was cemented in 2024 when a representative addressed BRICS leaders directly.
According to Dr Panova, Civil BRICS is distinctively bottom-up and people-centric, ensuring the group remains a society-driven platform, not a closed diplomatic club. Future priorities must focus on implementation, requiring sustainable projects with tangible impact and robust financing. Expanding engagement to partner countries is also crucial for strengthening the BRICS community.
The roundtable also featured:
Raymond Matlala, Founder and Executive Chairman of the South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA)
Fabiano Mielniczuk, Professor of Political Science at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and Research Member of NEBRICS
Ivan Kryazhev, Deputy Director for International Affairs at the “Knowledge Diplomacy” Consulting Centre for NPOs and NGOs at the Russian State University for the Humanities
📎 Follow this link to watch the session video
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