Guwahati Declaration: BRICS Anti-Drug Cooperation Pact
Why in the news
A two-day meeting of BRICS drug-agency chiefs in Assam ended with a joint declaration to tighten cooperation on narcotics and cross-border crime.
Key facts
- Outcome: Guwahati Declaration, adopted 7 July 2026.
- Nodal ministry: Home Affairs, under Amit Shah.
- India’s BRICS theme: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
- Attendees: Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia and the UAE; Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa were not listed.
Aims
- A quick, high-trust, borderless law enforcement network.
- Balance tech-led interdiction with evidence-based demand reduction.
- Tackle narcotics trade, organised syndicates and financial-tracking gaps that allow money laundering.
- Unify anti-narcotics work across the enlarged bloc.
BRICS background
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs coined BRIC |
| 2009 | First formal summit at Yekaterinburg, Russia |
| 2010 | South Africa joined |
| 2024 | Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia added (Saudi status unclear) |
| 2025 | Indonesia joined, the first Southeast Asian member |
- Members in 2026: 10 confirmed, or 11 counting Saudi Arabia.
- Chair rotation: Brazil 2025, India 2026.
Exam angle
- Declaration venue: Guwahati.
- First Southeast Asian member: Indonesia.