Published September 13, 2026 - New Delhi, India. BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration on September 12, 2026, a 140-paragraph joint statement announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after negotiations that ran until 4 a.m. The statement survived sharp differences between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict because India led prolonged, multi-level talks to forge consensus (Times of India, September 2026).
Declaration data last verified September 13, 2026 from Times of India, India Today, Al Jazeera, WION, and Reuters reporting on the New Delhi summit.
Quick Answer
The BRICS Summit 2026 New Delhi Declaration is a 140-paragraph joint statement adopted unanimously at the two-day summit hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam. It expresses serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, calls for maximum restraint in West Asia, strongly condemns the Pahalgam terrorist attack, backs a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and calls for comprehensive UN reform including the Security Council. It names no country and omits the Ukraine war entirely (Times of India, India Today, September 2026).
How the Declaration Came Together
Consensus was in doubt until the final hours. A BRICS foreign ministers meeting in May 2026 had ended without a joint statement after sharp exchanges between the Iranian and UAE delegations, and every previous summit had ended with a declaration, putting pressure on the host. Talks ran until 4 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, and closed with a rare leader-level meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Abu Dhabi crown prince, held in the middle of the war that began on February 28 (Times of India, September 2026).
The opening session brought Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pezeshkian, the Abu Dhabi crown prince, and other bloc leaders onto one stage under a security blanket of more than 15,000 police personnel and 200 paramilitary companies deployed across New Delhi (WION, September 2026).
The compromise language addressed both sides. Iran wanted criticism of attacks on its territory; the Gulf side wanted restraint language. The declaration expressed serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards, in violation of international law and relevant IAEA resolutions, without naming the United States or Israel. Pezeshkian told the summit that BRICS must fight the normalization of attacks on civilian, vital infrastructure, and that the same applies to peaceful nuclear infrastructure (Times of India, September 2026).
What the Declaration Says on West Asia and Nuclear Safety
The declaration expressed deep concern over continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East and West Asia and called for exercising maximum restraint. On nuclear safety it flagged growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict, and urged stronger efforts on disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation. It reaffirmed support for nuclear-weapon-free zones and associated assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (India Today, September 2026).
The statement also stressed the need to maintain the smooth, unhindered flow of global trade, supply chains, and energy markets, in accordance with applicable international law. Officials noted the declaration landed days before Iran meets Gulf counterparts on the Strait of Hormuz situation, giving the restraint language immediate real-world stakes (Times of India, September 2026).
Terrorism, Pahalgam, and Palestine
The declaration strongly condemned any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever, and by whomsoever committed, and specifically reiterated condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. It reaffirmed commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing, and safe havens (Times of India, September 2026).
On Palestine, BRICS countries including India expressed deep concern over continued violence in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement of October 2025. The declaration called for halting any policies aimed at forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and expressed concern regarding arrangements that may prejudice the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people or legitimize or prolong occupation (Times of India, WION, September 2026).
UN Reform and What Was Left Out
China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, reiterated their support for Brazil and India to play a greater role at the UN, including the Security Council. The declaration backed comprehensive reform of the world body to make it more democratic, representative, effective, and efficient, with increased representation for developing countries in the Council's membership (Times of India, September 2026).
Two omissions stand out. The declaration did not mention the Ukraine war at all this year, and it avoided naming any country in its West Asia language. Modi framed the summit's larger message as the Global South transitioning from rule-takers to rule-shapers, saying the technology of the future and the construction of its rules should be equal for the Global South (WION, The News Minute, September 2026).
New Delhi Declaration Key Points Table
| Topic | What the declaration says |
|---|---|
| West Asia | Deep concern over continued escalation; call for maximum restraint; no countries named |
| Nuclear facilities | Serious concern over deliberate attacks on IAEA-safeguarded civilian and nuclear sites, in violation of international law |
| Terrorism | Condemns all acts as criminal and unjustifiable; reiterates condemnation of the Pahalgam attack |
| Palestine | Concern over Gaza violence despite the October 2025 ceasefire; opposes forced displacement; two-state solution backed |
| UN reform | Comprehensive reform including the Security Council; more developing-country representation; China and Russia back Brazil and India |
| Trade and energy | Smooth flow of global trade, supply chains, and energy stressed under international law |
| Ukraine | Not mentioned in the 2026 declaration |
What Comes Next
Iran meets Gulf counterparts on the Strait of Hormuz situation on September 14 in Oman, the first test of whether the restraint language holds. China takes the BRICS chairship in 2027, and the bloc's finance track continues to prioritize reducing reliance on the US dollar after the New Delhi sessions. For students following current affairs, the declaration's consensus formula of strong language with zero names mirrors the technique India used at the 2023 G20 Delhi declaration, which called upon all states to refrain from the use of force for territorial acquisition without naming Russia (Times of India, Al Jazeera, September 2026).
Written by
Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practi… Read more
Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practical side of building an ed-tech startup.
