UN Calls for Uniform Global Fight Against Terrorism at BRICS Summit

Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reminded everyone that terrorism is a scourge that respects no borders – it’s a problem that simply can’t be solved by any one country acting alone.

"Terrorism is a scourge that knows no border. It is a scourge that needs to find global solutions," Dujarric told reporters, adding that the United Nations already runs a suite of agencies and programmes designed to help states tackle the menace. He stressed, almost as a refrain, that the UN’s stance has always been clear: there must be no double standards in the fight against terror.

The remarks came just after the BRICS bloc adopted the so‑called New Delhi Declaration 2026. The document bluntly condemned the April 22, 2025 attack in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 dead and many injured, and it pledged a zero‑tolerance approach to terrorism in all its forms – from cross‑border movement of fighters to financing and safe havens.

In a further push for coherence, the declaration urged the swift finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism under the UN framework, calling for coordinated action against every UN‑designated terrorist group or individual.

Beyond the terror fight, the declaration gave a nod to India’s and Brazil’s aspirations for a bigger seat at the United Nations, especially the Security Council. Both China and Russia, themselves permanent members, voiced support for a more democratic, representative and effective Council – a sentiment that dovetails with the UN Secretary‑General’s own reform agenda.

Dujarric also slipped in a comment on gender equality, noting that the Secretary‑General has been a champion of parity across the UN. “There is no reason any rational person can think of that a woman cannot be elected to any position, including Secretary‑General of the UN,” he said, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to equal representation at the highest levels.

On the economic side, the New Delhi Declaration warned that unilateral tariffs and non‑tariff measures are distorting trade, threatening supply chains and sowing uncertainty. It reaffirmed support for World Trade Organisation reform, a fair, transparent and rules‑based multilateral trading system, and called for the immediate restoration of a fully functioning WTO dispute‑settlement mechanism.

Finally, the BRICS leaders denounced unilateral economic and secondary sanctions, arguing that such steps run afoul of international law and jeopardise development, health and food security. In short, the message was clear: tackling terrorism, trade and governance alike requires genuine multilateralism, not fragmented, double‑standard policies.