Forum stresses cooperation between BRICS countries

During a recent Shanghai Forum roundtable panelists stressed the need for growing post-pandemic cooperation among BRICS nations, to achieve improved global governance, reduction of disparities, and sustainable development.

Participants from home and abroad expressed their views online on Friday, at the roundtable titled "BRICS Cooperation in a Post-pandemic Era: New Opportunities, New Impetus and New Challenges," as part of the Shanghai Forum 2021 (October 29-31), an annual event.

The forum this year is themed on "Recovery and Resilience: Asia's Role in a Sustainable Future."

The roundtable on BRICS cooperation was organized by Fudan University and hosted jointly by the Center for BRICS Studies, Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University and Institute of Economy, University of Campinas, Brazil.

During the panel discussion a number of think tanks and scholars at home and abroad explored opportunities for cooperation, and challenges facing BRICS countries in post-pandemic era, seeking effective strategy to turn the crisis into opportunities, so as to chart a course of cooperation among BRICS countries.

According to Bruno De Conti, professor at Institute of Economy, University of Campinas in Brazil, the breakout of the pandemic poses serious challenges to global governance. Meanwhile, it also means great opportunities for BRICS to improve the global governance regime, by constructing new global financial framework so as to reduce disparities and foster sustainable development.

Shen Yi, director of the Center for BRICS Studies, Fudan University, agreed with Conti, adding that one of the historical missions of the BRICS countries is to act as staunch champion of true multilateralism. Shen suggested that BRICS should, in light of multilateralism, achieve effective partnership through truly multilateral platforms such as the UN, seeking new engine of growth and development mode, to contribute to global governance and human prosperity.

Dong Yan, director at the Center of African Studies, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, citing common aspirations between BRICS and RCEP, stressed the need for further cooperation between the two organizations in infrastructural development, digital economy and education, in order to give fuller play to the role of emerging economies in global governance.

David Monyae, director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, after analyzing the experiences and lessons for BRICS countries in tackling the pandemic, said that in the post-pandemic era, BRICS should seek further cooperation in public health, climate changes, and digital economy to facilitate common development.