Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said at the Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro that the Pahalgam terrorist attack was a blow not only to India but to humanity and called upon the international community to sanction terror.
was a blow not only to India but to humanity and called upon the international community to sanction terror.“There should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists. For personal or political gain, giving silent consent, supporting terror or terrorists, should not be acceptable,” the PM said in his intervention at the Peace & Security session at the summit.
“Victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale. There should be no difference between words and actions regarding terrorism.”
The remarks came on a day when Brics leaders condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in the “strongest terms” in their joint declaration at the summit under Brazilian presidency and called for concerted action against all United Nations-designated terrorists and terrorist entities. The 11-member grouping of developing countries also pledged to strengthen its
counterterrorism cooperation.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens,” said the Rio de Janeiro declaration titled ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance’.
ET was the first to report that the 17th Brics summit, being held on July 6-7, would include references to the Pahalgam terrorist attack and put in place a robust formulation to counter terrorism globally.At the summit, Brics leaders urged the international community “to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism”.They also called for expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations framework. It welcomed the activities of the Brics Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five subgroups based on the Brics Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Brics Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and the CTWG position paper.
ET had reported on Sunday that intense negotiations in the run-up to the summit had led to the grouping—which includes South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia—agreeing to include most of India’s references to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in the leaders’ declaration. Deft diplomacy by India ensured backing from other members in this regard, according to people familiar with the matter.
On the first day of the summit, PM Modi also made interventions at the session on ‘Reform of Global Governance’ and said that the global south has long been subjected to double standards in development, resource access, climate finance and security. He criticised mere “token gestures” on issues such as clean technology and sustainability, urging major economies to do more.
“In this era of AI, where technology updates on a weekly basis, it is unacceptable that global institutions haven’t undergone an update even once in eighty years. 21st-century software can’t run on a 20th-century typewriter!” the PM said.
On UN Security Council (UNSC) reforms, Brics adopted the strongest language yet, according to people in the know, as the leaders’ declaration said, “We stress that the United Nations Security Council reform will lead to the amplified voice of the global south. We reiterate support to the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the United Nations, including its Security Council.”
“We reiterate our support for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Brics countries to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council,” Brics leaders said in the joint declaration, reflecting consensus on the issue of UNSC reforms reached after intense debate and negotiations.
Brics also recognised the legitimate aspirations of African countries, as reflected in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
The joint declaration condemned the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law and opposed such measures, in the form of unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions.
Brics members also condemned the military strikes against Iran since June 13, saying that they constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The bloc reiterated its grave concern over the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory, and said that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The leaders welcomed the Brics Interbank Cooperation Mechanism’s focus on facilitating and expanding innovative financial practices and approaches for projects and programmes, including finding acceptable mechanisms of financing in local currencies.
They also tasked the ministers of finance and central bank governors of member nations to continue the discussion on the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative and acknowledged the progress made by the Brics Payment Task Force in identifying possible pathways to support the continuation of discussions on the potential for greater interoperability of Brics payments systems.