BRICS Member Countries Stress Collective Efforts to Tackle Global Drug Menace

BRICS member countries on Monday underscored the importance of collectively tackling the drug menace, describing it as a transnational threat that requires enhanced cooperation and sharing of best practices among nations.

Participating in the two-day meeting of heads of anti-drug agencies from BRICS countries that began here, representatives also highlighted the grouping’s tradition of cooperation and the need to strengthen it further.

The meeting will focus on three priority areas -- combating synthetic drugs and precursor diversion, strengthening intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and enhancing capacity building and institutional cooperation.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, Ethiopian Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi Nebiyu Tedla said the menace of drugs has become an international issue and platforms like BRICS provide opportunities for collaboration, exchange of information and coordinated efforts to address it.

"Ours, like any other country, has challenges in this aspect. We will showcase our experience in the fight against drugs and its effect on socio-economic conditions. We will also learn from the other countries and hope the sessions will bring out the best practices," he said.

"We believe that the exchanges here will help us reach the collective goals," Tedla added, while appreciating India’s chairship in creating a consensus environment among the member countries.

Russia's anti-drug department chief Ivan Gorbunov also stressed the importance of sharing experiences to deal with the menace.

"We will share our experiences and tell about the situation of drugs in our country. We will also listen to the experiences of other countries," he said.

"We have a common aim and also significant experience in the anti-drug field. This meeting will be useful for us and our partners," Gorbunov added.

Lucas Barbosa of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored the need for collective action to address the transnational challenge.

"BRICS has a long tradition of cooperation, and we intend to enhance that in law enforcement and intelligence sharing because drugs are a transnational threat that needs to be dealt with through cooperation by all members," he said.

"We have positive expectations from this meeting," he added.

While representatives from most of the member countries were present at the meeting, the others joined virtually.

The BRICS, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

It has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.