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| BRICS Sherpas | |
|---|---|
| Name | BRICS Sherpas |
| Formation | 2006 |
| Type | Diplomatic advisory group |
| Purpose | Preparatory coordination for BRICS summits |
| Headquarters | Rotating member capitals |
| Region served | Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa |
| Parent organization | BRICS |
BRICS Sherpas are senior personal representatives who prepare summit agendas and coordinate preparatory work for BRICS leaders. They operate alongside diplomatic envoys from G20 members, United Nations officials, and regional blocs such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, shaping outcomes for summits hosted by BRICS members. Sherpas liaise with finance, foreign and trade ministries in capitals like Brasília, Moscow, New Delhi, Beijing, and Pretoria.
Sherpas emerged from summit diplomacy traditions exemplified by the G7 Sherpa process, the Non-Aligned Movement coordination, and practices in the United Nations General Assembly where personal representatives prepare leaders’ communiqués. The role evolved as BRICS expanded cooperative mechanisms including the New Development Bank, the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement, and the IBSA Dialogue Forum, requiring technical preparation of joint statements, agendas, and ministerial coordination. Sherpas serve as the nexus between national delegations represented at forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and intergovernmental initiatives like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Each member nominates a senior official—often a deputy foreign minister, special envoy, or presidential adviser—drawn from institutions like the Ministry of External Affairs (India), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (South Africa), and the Ministry of External Relations (Brazil). Appointments sometimes involve officials from the Treasury (Brazil), the Ministry of Finance (India), the Central Bank of Russia, the People's Bank of China, or the National Treasury of South Africa when financial architecture is on the agenda. Sherpas coordinate with representatives to bodies such as the New Development Bank board, BRICS Business Council, and national delegations to the United Nations Security Council when security issues arise.
Sherpas draft summit declarations, negotiate language for joint communiqués, and coordinate with thematic working groups on topics ranging from counter-terrorism to climate change frameworks linked to the Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC). They liaise with officials from the World Health Organization and World Trade Organization on health and trade items, engage with the International Energy Agency and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries when energy agendas are prominent, and consult think tanks such as the Observer Research Foundation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Brookings Institution for expert input. Sherpas also synchronize positions for ministerial meetings including BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting, BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, and sectoral ministers’ retreats.
Sherpa-level coordination occurs through bilateral consultations among member Sherpas, rotating chairship meetings hosted by capitals like Xiamen or Johannesburg, and multilateral preparatory clusters aligned with summit cycles. Meetings are often timed with international gatherings such as the United Nations General Assembly, G20 Summit, and ASEAN Summit to leverage converging diplomatic traffic. Sherpas convene working groups on finance, security, health, and digital governance that interact with institutions like the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization and produce concept papers, draft action plans, and monitoring matrices for leader-level endorsement.
Sherpas report directly to heads of state including presidents and prime ministers, and maintain working relationships with ministers such as foreign, finance, and trade ministers — for example, interactions analogous to those between the President of Brazil’s office and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia). They translate strategic directives from leaders into operative agendas and brief ministers ahead of meetings like the BRICS Summit and sectoral ministerial conferences. Sherpas often coordinate with national delegations to multilateral banks including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and engage with parliamentary committees in capitals such as Brasília National Congress, State Duma, and the National People's Congress.
Notable Sherpas have included senior diplomats and advisers from offices tied to figures like former presidents and prime ministers, who shepherded initiatives such as the creation of the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement. Sherpa-led initiatives have encompassed infrastructure cooperation linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, health cooperation referencing the World Health Organization during pandemics, and finance architecture reforms discussed with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Collaborative projects have engaged the BRICS Business Council, the BRICS Academic Forum, and regional development banks such as the African Development Bank.
Sherpa-level diplomacy has attracted critique from commentators at institutions like the Council on Foreign Relations, the Chatham House, and the International Crisis Group for opaque decision-making and limited parliamentary oversight in capitals such as Brasília and New Delhi. Controversies have included debates over mandate scope when interfacing with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund reform efforts, disputes during summit negotiations echoing geopolitical tensions among members tied to events like the Crimean crisis and bilateral standoffs, and concerns raised by civil society networks including Transparency International and Amnesty International about human rights and transparency in project implementation.