17:30 - 18:00
18:30 - 19:30
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the shifting dynamics in international relations. A new imperative emerged for global governance which saw all nations reconfigure their priorities and partnerships. Some developments are for the short-term, others for the long-term. What are the characteristics of the post-pandemic world order? What kind of challenges and opportunities does it offer to BRICS? This session will examine the transformations in geopolitics and geoeconomics and explore what BRICS can do to shape the emerging world order.
13:00 - 14:00
As the clamour for Net-Zero emissions gains steam, it is clear that the road to COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, will be one where political considerations override any firm commitment to climate action. The panel will explore the global progress on the Paris Agreement and will take stock of how the developed and developing nations have fared in their commitments. The session will look to outline a BRICS proposition on climate negotiations, targets and partnerships, which can ensure climate action in conjunction with developmental goals.
14:00 - 15:00
17:00 - 18:00
The need to balance limited natural resources with consumption-led growth is the biggest challenge facing the 2030 Development Agenda. As countries move up the developmental ladder, increased urbanisation and demand for goods and services is likely to increase manifold. This panel will explore how the BRICS grouping can reimagine consumption patterns and align them with the SDGs. The session will discuss how the BRICS grouping can shape global discourse and policy formulation on sustainable lifestyles.
18:00 - 18:30
18:30 - 19:30
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of reviewing the global healthcare agenda. There is a need to review pandemic preparedness, international cooperation, vaccine development processes, global healthcare regulations, pharmaceutical supply chains, citizen awareness and local capacities. Which elements of healthcare should the governments prioritise? How can international cooperation be improved to ensure the world is better prepared for the next pandemic? How can governments, business and civil society work together to deliver healthcare to the citizens? This panel will review the lessons from Covid19 and explore measures that BRICS can take to improve healthcare delivery.
11:30 - 12:30
The COVID-19 Pandemic highlighted the deficiencies in existing global trading arrangements and supply chain networks. As the world grappled to secure essential supplies, many nations chose a nation first approach. This panel will explore how the BRICS grouping can formulate a 21st century international trading framework, which can serve the needs of the developing and emerging nations. The session will look to put forth a BRICS-led international trading regime that reduces disruptions and streamlines regulations to promote greater flow in goods and services.
12:30 - 13:00
13:00 - 14:00
Five years since the New Development Bank became operational, the BRICS-led NDB has made significant investments in sustainable infrastructure and contributed to the global pool of climate finance. This session will take stock of the progress of the NDB and provide an outline for its investments going forward. The session will lay particular emphasis on how the NDB can catalyse finance from other sources, including sovereign funds, philanthropic ventures, and commercial banks. The panel will discuss how the Bank can become more effective in financing SDGs, particularly in a post-pandemic world where emerging and developing nations face capacity constraints, economic downturn, and societal upheaval.
14:00 - 15:15
15:15 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:30
16:30 - 17:30
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of digital solutions as a means to respond to global challenges swiftly. It is clear that a new generation of Digital Public Goods are emerging to serve the healthcare, education and financial services needs of the citizens. How can digital public goods be supported? What is the role of government, business and civil society in ensuring the efficacy and integrity of digital public goods? The panel will examine developments in the field of digital public goods and explore measures that BRICS can take to support their deployment.
17:30 - 18:00
18:00 - 19:00
The pandemic has served a devastating blow to the global economy. The multilateral financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank have initiated programs to help economies that are most in need of assistance. Governments have infused more than $10 trillion, in aggregate, of financial support in their respective jurisdictions to support their economies. How effective has the economic response been? Has assistance reached the nations, firms and people most in need? What economic governance do we need to take to ensure revival of the global economy in the long-term? This panel will examine the success of current efforts and explore measures that BRICS can take to revive their respective nations and the global economy.
15:30 - 16:30
The COVID-19 Pandemic has catalysed the transformational shifts already underway in the nature of work, jobs, and livelihoods. Increasing digitalisation and technology adoption have disrupted the 20th century playbook on social security, education and skilling, and employment relations. In light of these rapid changes, particularly post-pandemic, this session will discuss how social safety and protection can be ensured even as the nature of work increasingly takes on more informal characteristics. The panel will explore the new models of education and skilling that are required to equip the present and future workforces and look to best practices among the BRICS nations that can be further adapted and adopted. The session will also lay emphasis on how the future of work can be made more inclusive, ensuring 20th century inequities are not replicated in the 21st century.
16:30 - 17:00
17:00 - 18:00
The debilitating socio-economic effects of the pandemic were asymmetrically faced by women. For recovery to be equitable and inclusive, it must be women-led and women-centered. How can we reduce the economic, social and political inequities faced by women to ensure that women have their rightful place in the world as drivers of economic growth and sustainable development? How is the changing global economy changing the opportunities available to women? Are there specific measures that can be taken to improve female labour force participation, women-led financial inclusion and women-led enterprises? This panel will examine the post-pandemic policy, business and socio-economic landscape for women and explore how BRICS can support women-led economic growth.
18:00 - 18:30
18:30 - 19:30
The BRICS countries have shown their commitment to reforming multilateralism. What the world needs today is a reinvigorated and ‘reformed multilateralism’ to effectively address the diverse challenges of our time. What specific measures do we need to reform the UN and its principal organs, as well as other multilateral institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, WHO and WTO? How can we make the multilateral system more resilient, efficient, effective, transparent and representative? This panel will examine the current state of reforms for multilateral institutions and explore how BRICS can build a truly effective representative multilateralism for successful global governance.
19:30 - 20:00
20:00 - 20:30