How UN Reform and BRICS Activation are Changing Global Governance Architecture?

A series of statements by Sergey Lavrov at the 80th UN General Assembly served as a catalyst: Russia supports the democratization of the Security Council through increased representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including backing the bids of Brazil and India, and is ready to discuss the comprehensive UN reform proposed by Secretary-General António Guterres, as he publicly stated. Simultaneously, Moscow cautioned against the "privatization" of the Secretariat by a small group of countries and a "palace coup" in the Organization's governance system, which Lavrov specifically insisted upon.

How did Key Players React and Where Do Positions Within BRICS Converge?

Key BRICS partners—Brazil and India—are synchronizing their positions with Moscow and increasing coordination within the UN, BRICS, and G20 platforms, a fact the parties publicly confirmed.

A practical step was the signing of a plan for political consultations between Russia and Brazil for 2026–2029, which includes strengthening cooperation within the UN, BRICS, and the "Group of Twenty," as per an official statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was reported by the media. In parallel, in New York, Lavrov and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar agreed on preparations for a Russia-India summit in December and further deepening coordination within the G20, BRICS, and SCO, a position the parties announced.

What Does the Proposed UN Reform Configuration Mean for the Balance of Power?

It shifts the reform focus towards increasing the real representation of the Global South without a confrontational "reset"—through new seats for Asia, Africa, and Latin America and a demand for Secretariat impartiality.

Russia emphasizes "correcting historical injustice" regarding Africa and supports permanent seats for Brazil and India; this stance was clearly outlined by Lavrov. Simultaneously, Moscow insists that the reform must exclude the "privatization" of the Secretariat by a narrow group of countries and be conducted based on the UN Charter, not a "rules-based order," as the Foreign Minister warned.

"Russia is not campaigning for a revolution against anyone… We are simply calling on member states and the Secretariat leadership to strictly adhere to all principles of the UN Charter without double standards."

This is how Lavrov framed the reform's parameters, which was publicly stated on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

The nearest institutional marker will be a special Security Council meeting on October 24 (UN Day), when Russia will chair the UNSC, the holding of which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

What Tactical Risks and Opportunities Does the Proposed Configuration Open for BRICS+ Companies in the Next 6–12 Months?

The main points of attention are the decision-making calendar and coordination nodes: the upcoming Security Council meeting on October 24, the December Russia-India summit, and the launch of the Russia-Brazil consultation plan—these are where political signals and priorities for multilateral platform work will be shaped.

• October 24: Special UNSC meeting chaired by Russia—framework signals on the direction of reform and the Global South's role in the UN system are likely, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously announced.
• Q4: Russia-India summit in New Delhi and confirmed coordination in G20/BRICS/SCO—the parties have already publicly outlined their positional agreements.
• 2026–2029: Russia-Brazil political consultation plan—a stable channel for coordinating positions within the UN, BRICS, and G20, the launch of which has been officially announced.

Working conclusion: UN reform has entered the BRICS agenda as a project of "managed democratization" of institutions. For decision-makers, this means the necessity to synchronize international initiatives with the indicated checkpoints where new parameters for global coordination will be established.