News Analysis India

Tag: BRICS

  • BRICS countries agree to Innovation Cooperation Action Plan proposed by India

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: All BRICS countries have agreed to the STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) proposed by India during the 12th meeting of the BRICS S&T Steering Committee, the Department of Science and Technology said.

    India had proposed the plan to facilitate sharing of experiences of each other’s innovation ecosystem and networking of innovators and entrepreneurs.

    The details of the action plan will be worked out by the BRICS Science, Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship Partnership (STIEP) working group, it said.

    “It was agreed that the proposal may be forwarded to BRICS STIEP working group through the respective country’s STI focal point,” the DST said.

    The DST hosted the 12th meeting of the BRICS S&T Steering Committee on July 8.

    Scientific ministries and agencies of all BRICS countries participated in it.

    BRICS officials discussed in detail about the thematic areas for this year’s call for proposals at the meeting and unanimously agreed for collaboration in 10 thematic areas.

    These are Transient Astronomical Events and Deep Survey Science, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment, Simulation and Big Data Analytics for Advanced Precision Medicine and Public Healthcare, HPC and Big Data for Sustainable Development: Solving Large Scale Ecological, Climate and Pollution Problems, Innovation and Entrepreneurship on Photonic, Nanophotonics, and Metamaterials for Addressing Bio-medicine, Agriculture, Food Industry and Energy Harvesting Issues, Materials Science and Nanotechnology for Addressing Environmental, Climate Change, Agricultural, Food, and Energy Issues, Renewable Energy including Smart Grid Integration, Ocean and Polar Science and Technology Water Treatment Technology Research in Aeronautics and Aerospace.

    These areas have been recommended by different thematic working groups.

    All countries also agreed to thematic areas proposed by India for the sixth edition of the BRICS Young Scientist Conclave which will be held in Bengaluru during September 13-16.

    The three themes to be discussed at the conclave include healthcare, energy solutions and cyber-physical system (CPS), and their applications.

    India’s new proposal regarding inviting BRICS partnership in India’s Technology Summit, which got positive support from all countries, was suggested to be sent through the BRICS Sherpa office for suggestions from all stakeholders, it added.

  • BRICS Foreign Ministers agree on Covid-19 vaccine IPR waiver

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: BRICS leaders on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to equitable access to Covid vaccines and agreed to support the proposal for IPR waiver on the vaccines at the WTO. 

    “The ministers reaffirmed the need to use all relevant measures during the pandemic, including supporting ongoing consideration in WTO on a Covid-19 vaccine Intellectual Property Rights waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS agreement and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health,” a joint statement from the leaders after the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting noted.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who chaired the meeting, said the principles guiding this grouping remain consistent. “We strive for a fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international system,” he added.

    Sources confirmed all BRICS countries called for supporting the consideration in WTO on a Covid-19 vaccine IPR waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS agreement and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.

    “They also reiterated the need for sharing of vaccine doses, transfer of technology, development of local production capacities and supply chains for medical products, promotion of price transparency and called for exercise of due restraint in the implementation of measures that could hinder the flow of vaccines, health products and essential inputs,” said the statement.

    Discussions also revolved around the reforms in the global multilateral system and the leaders adopted and released the ‘BRICS Joint Ministerial Statement on Strengthening and Reforming of the Multilateral System’.

    Sources said for the first time, BRICS foreign ministers have agreed on a common, standalone joint statement on reforming the multilateral system. 

    ​“They have also agreed that such reform has to cover all key multilateral institutions, including the UN and its principal organs (UN Security Council, General Assembly, ECOSOC, the Secretariat, etc), international financial architecture (IMF, World Bank), multilateral trading system (WTO, UNCTAD) and the global health governance system with the WHO at its core. In particular, BRICS FMs agreed to instill new life in the discussions on reform of UN Security Council,” they added.

    According to the statement, the ministers acknowledged that global economic governance in an increasingly interconnected world is of critical importance for every member.

  • BRICS supports proposal by India, South Africa to temporarily waive patents on Covid vaccines

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In a significant move, the five-nation grouping BRICS on Tuesday supported a proposal by India and South Africa to temporarily waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines and called for their equitable access and distribution while ensuring transparency on prices.

    Ways to deal with the coronavirus pandemic including sharing of technology to boost production of vaccines and improving supply chains for medical products figured prominently at a virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) countries.

    The grouping underlined the urgency for expeditious development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, especially in developing countries, and called for further close cooperation between various stakeholders for a diversified vaccine portfolio.

    The meeting, hosted by India in its capacity as BRICS chair for 2021, was attended by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, minister of international relations of South Africa Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor and Brazilian foreign minister Carlos Alberto Franco.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired the meeting.

    “The ministers reaffirmed the need to use all relevant measures during the pandemic, including supporting ongoing consideration in WTO on a COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property rights waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement,” a joint statement said.

    It said the ministers recognised the role of extensive immunisation against COVID-19 as a global public good for health in preventing, containing, and stopping transmission to bring the pandemic to an end and foster a rapid, inclusive and resilient recovery.

    The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.

    “The ministers recognised that the current global challenges, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, are a powerful reminder of the imperative to strengthen cooperation amongst states.

    “While acknowledging the measures taken by the WHO, governments, non-profit organisations, academia, business and industry in combating the pandemic, they also expect the international community to reform and strengthen policy responses of WHO to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and other current and future health challenges,” it said.

    The statement said the ministers stressed the need to promote initiatives aimed at ensuring timely, affordable, and equitable access to vaccines as well as of diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines.

    “They also reiterated the need for sharing of vaccine doses, transfer of technology, development of local production capacities and supply chains for medical products, promotion of price transparency and called for the exercise of due restraint in the implementation of measures that could hinder the flow of vaccines, health products and essential inputs,” it said.

    The ministers also called for the timely establishment and effective operationalisation of the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre and stressed the need for further work on the proposal for BRICS integrated early warning system for preventing mass infectious diseases risks.

    They also noted that the COVID-19 crisis has posed many challenges for economic and financial stability.

    “They further emphasized the importance of delivering economic outcomes that reflect the needs and aspirations of BRICS in particular, and emerging markets and developing economies in general, especially the importance of BRICS in responding to the COVID-19 crisis through policy support and enhancing intra-BRICS and international coordination,” the statement said.

    In his comments, Wang said the BRICS now faces the profound and complex ramifications of the pandemic and changes unseen in a century.

    At the same time, he said opportunity may arise from the challenge.

    In her remarks, Pandor talked about the proposal at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) seeking patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines.

    The minister said there is a need to address the global gap of vaccine access to realise the ambition of “none of us are safe until all of us are safe” and leave behind the pandemic.

    In his comments, Lavrov also expressed Russia’s solidarity with India in its fight against the pandemic.

  • India hosts BRICS seminar on misuse of Internet by terrorists; global cooperation underlined

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The immense challenges posed by the misuse of the Internet by terrorists can be effectively tackled by international cooperation and sharing of good practices, delegates at a BRICS seminar hosted by India observed.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) organised the two-day online event of the BRICS nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa on April 13-14.

    The seminar on the topic of ‘Misuse of Internet for Terrorist Purposes and Role of Digital Forensics in Terrorist Investigations’ was inaugurated by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, the NIA said in a statement.

    The NIA organised the seminar as India is holding the BRICS chair for the year 2021, it said.

    “The delegates at the seminar appreciated the fact that in the current milieu of breakneck technological innovations and ever-evolving digital landscape, the challenges pertaining to prevention, control and prosecution of the terrorist misuse of Internet are immense,” a statement said.

    “It was emphasised that it is only through expedient international cooperation and seamless sharing of good practices in tackling this menace that we can create a safer and secure environment for citizens of BRICS member states as well as the whole world,” it said.

    A number of technical sessions were held during the seminar like ‘exploitation of social media as an arsenal ‘, ‘dark web and anonymisers’, ’emerging technologies and artificial intelligence’, ‘crypto currency and virtual assets: vulnerability of privacy and online stealth’, equipping law enforcement agencies: counter-terrorist investigations and digital forensics.

    Two panel discussions on engaging multiple stakeholders from both public and private sectors to tackle the misuse of the Internet and enhancing international cooperation to effectively tackle the exploitation of the Internet by terrorists for their nefarious activities were also held, the statement said.