IndiaPosted at: Oct 26 2026 12:52PM


Om Birla urges BRICS Parliaments to turn shared commitments into concrete action

New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday called on BRICS member countries to translate their shared commitments into concrete policies and practical cooperation, stressing that parliamentary diplomacy, sustained dialogue and collective action were essential to tackling global conflicts, economic instability, terrorism, trade tensions and climate change.
Inaugurating the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi, Birla said the grouping, which is completing two decades of its establishment, had emerged as an increasingly influential platform for the Global South and could play a significant role in shaping a fairer, more inclusive and equitable multilateral world order.
The two-day forum, hosted by the Parliament of India on October 26 and 27, has brought together parliamentary delegations from BRICS member countries, representatives of partner nations, union ministers, presiding officers of state legislatures and Members of Parliament.
Welcoming the delegates on behalf of India's 1.4 billion people, Birla said their participation reflected a shared commitment to parliamentary cooperation, mutual respect, dialogue and democratic values. He noted that BRICS countries represented nearly half of the world's population, covered approximately one-third of its land area and accounted for a substantial share of the global economy and international trade, giving the grouping both considerable collective strength and a responsibility towards the international community.
Although BRICS nations differed in their geographical circumstances, cultures, languages and social structures, Birla said their shared democratic aspirations and commitment to humanity provided common ground for cooperation. He referred to the BRICS summit held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described the unanimous adoption of the joint statement by participating leaders as an important achievement.
Expressing appreciation for the member countries' efforts to reach a common understanding, Birla said the priority now was to convert political commitments into measurable outcomes. Parliaments, he observed, could play a crucial role in this process through legislation, budgetary decisions, deliberations and oversight of government policies.
Against the backdrop of continuing regional conflicts, wars, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, terrorism and climate-related challenges, the Lok Sabha Speaker emphasised that the consequences of global crises frequently extended beyond national boundaries. Sustained diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation were therefore indispensable, while parliamentary institutions had an important responsibility to build mutual understanding, strengthen trust between nations and help reduce international tensions.
He stressed that parliaments must move beyond exchanging views and work towards practical solutions to common problems. As representative institutions, they could bring diverse perspectives together, encourage peaceful engagement and create conditions conducive to greater international cooperation. He also called for global governance to become more inclusive, equitable and accountable, with international institutions responding more effectively to the needs and aspirations of people across the world.
Describing India as the “Mother of Democracy”, Birla said the country's democratic tradition was rooted in dialogue, ideological diversity and mutual respect, even when differences of opinion persisted. India's democratic institutions, he said, had supported the country's development by providing a legislative framework for policies aimed at multidimensional progress.
The strength of democracy, he maintained, lay not in the absence of disagreement but in the ability to accommodate differing views through discussion and respect. This principle, he suggested, was equally relevant to international cooperation, where nations with different perspectives could work towards common objectives without compromising their individual identities.
The theme of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development”, was particularly significant in this context. The delegates are deliberating over two days on four key areas—resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability—with the objective of strengthening parliamentary institutions and making them more responsive to citizens' needs.
Birla said legislatures must remain resilient and effective in the face of emerging challenges while ensuring continuity in lawmaking, democratic oversight and accountability. As living institutions, parliaments needed to adapt to changing public expectations, adopt innovative working methods and strengthen transparency, public participation and constructive deliberation.
Innovation in parliamentary functioning, he explained, should involve developing new ideas and practices that make democratic institutions more effective, transparent, participatory and people-oriented. He called for greater exchange of legislative experiences and best practices among BRICS countries, urging their parliaments to use the forum not merely to share information but to identify practical solutions that could improve the lives of their citizens.
The ultimate measure of parliamentary cooperation, he said, would be its ability to deliver tangible benefits and contribute to a more just, inclusive and peaceful world. The discussions, therefore, needed to result in initiatives that addressed common challenges and responded to the expectations of ordinary people.
Highlighting the aspirations of young people, Birla said the present generation had access to quality education and technological knowledge and needed opportunities commensurate with its abilities, along with the means to lead dignified lives. Parliaments had a responsibility to understand their expectations, ensure adequate representation of their voices, and connect their talent and aspirations with nation-building.
He also underscored the importance of balancing economic development with environmental protection, arguing that the two should be treated as complementary rather than competing priorities. Sustainable development, he indicated, required policies that promoted prosperity while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Birla said parliamentary diplomacy could help countries respect one another's sovereignty while bringing democratic perspectives into international relations. By converting shared experiences into joint action, mutual understanding into trust and dialogue into concrete cooperation, BRICS legislatures could strengthen their collective contribution to global affairs.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi's call to develop BRICS into an “ecosystem of solutions”, Birla said the grouping's success should not be measured merely by the discussions it held but by the practical outcomes it produced.
“The real strength of BRICS lies in our diversity and our ability to transform that diversity into a shared purpose,” he said, calling for a common agenda that would strengthen trust among member countries and make international institutions more responsive to humanity's needs.
Acknowledging that participating nations had different national circumstances and perspectives, Birla said their aspirations for peace, security, mutual respect, equal opportunities and better lives for their citizens remained common. These shared objectives, he said, offered a foundation for deeper parliamentary engagement and more effective international cooperation.
Expressing confidence that the forum would provide fresh direction to parliamentary cooperation and reinforce the commitment to people-centric development, Birla said closer collaboration could open new avenues for peace, prosperity and sustainable development.
He urged the delegates to ensure that their deliberations translated into practical initiatives capable of addressing common challenges and advancing the interests of their people. The forum, he said, should ultimately contribute to building a more inclusive, equitable, and peaceful international order in which the collective strength of BRICS countries is harnessed to deliver meaningful results for citizens.
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