Joint Declaration

by

The Special Secretariat of Productivity, Labor and Competitiveness on behalf of the Ministry of Economy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hereinafter referred to as Participants of the 2020 BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting (Participants of the Meeting) met virtually on August 24,

TAKING into account the agreements reached during the BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting in Magaliesburg, the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2018, and the decision to commence the full operationalization of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) and the set-up of an Advisory Group comprised of representatives of BRICS Ministries of Industry and related Ministries;

TAKING into account the role of the PartNIR Advisory group working to deepen BRICS cooperation in digitalization, industrialization, innovation, inclusiveness and investment, and work together to accelerate the shift from old economic driving forces to a New Industrial Revolution (NIR) that promotes economic transformation and upgrade;

UNDERSTANDING that BRICS cooperation plays an important role in solving emerging problems, reducing risks, creating new opportunities and assisting economic entities to strengthen their role as economic agents;

WILLING to reaffirm the ongoing BRICS cooperation in digitalization, industrialization, innovation, inclusiveness and investment as well as strengthen the multilateral system of economic and financial cooperation to promote industrial growth, trade and investment cooperation in the framework of PartNIR to be further strengthened particularly in the post-pandemic environment;

RECALLING the primary responsibility of UNIDO, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition as mandated by the Declarations approved during the Lima and Abu Dhabi UNIDO Summits.

NOW THEREFORE the Participants of the Meeting declare:

1. Their agreement in principle to encourage mutually-beneficial cooperation among BRICS Members and UNIDO on assessing the establishment of a Center for Industrial Competences through follow-up discussions as appropriate on the platform of the PartNIR Advisory Group.
2. Their intention to recognize that the shared tasks for BRICS countries, against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic in the field of economy, trade and industry by exchanging views of BRICS Member States’ on international policies to maintain macroeconomic stability, to lead to a sustainable and inclusive global economic recovery as well as to secure the strategic stability of supply chains as fundamental instrument for BRICS industrial competences.
3. Their intention to stress the need to ensure greater participation in global value chains, promote digital inclusion, assess the implications and encourage the progressive, safe, equitable and sustainable use of disruptive technologies and develop standardization policies for advancing inclusive growth.
4. Their intention to reiterate areas of cooperation including those outlined in the approved Work Plan of the PartNIR to foster collaboration among researchers, scientists, academic institutions, businesses and government bodies to encourage capacity building in cutting-edge technologies, identifying opportunities for collaboration on upskilling and reskilling programs related to the NIR and continue building the innovation ecosystem;
5. Their intention to encourage BRICS members to take initiatives to establish BRICS industrial and science parks, innovation centers, technology business incubators and enterprises networks and facilitate collaboration between advanced manufacturing clusters. Participants of the Meeting note the intention of China to introduce an initiative to establish a BRICS Innovation Center financed by China and open to BRICS members, and look forward for further detailed information for discussion under the auspices of the PartNIR Advisory group;
6. Their intention to support cooperation with the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), the members’ development banks, commercial banks, funds and investment companies in digital infrastructure development and digital industrial technologies application through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism, including BRICS Business Council and B2B consultations under the auspices of the PartNIR Advisory Group to implement relevant projects.
7. **Their intention to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development facilitating cooperation to advance sustainable industrial growth to ensure the benefits of the NIR are made available and distributed equitably in order to create  market, job and business opportunities for all groups and members of society, including women, youth and other vulnerable groups.**
8. Their intention to work towards BRICS folk and artistic crafts development, as a part of the NIR cooperation, by workshops, forums, round tables and other platforms to encourage creative industries and traditional crafts to exchange best practices.
9. Their intention to encourage opportunities for BRICS and BRICS-UNIDO cooperation in advanced technical skills and training workforce transformation as well as educational infrastructure facilities for advanced production technologies.

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This joint declaration outlines the commitment of BRICS countries and UNIDO to strengthen cooperation in the area of the New Industrial Revolution. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration in digitalization, industrialization, innovation, inclusiveness, and investment to promote economic growth and sustainable development. The declaration also highlights the role of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) Advisory Group in facilitating these efforts and the intention to establish various initiatives and centers to support this cooperation.