(Editor’s Note: This article represents the views of Héribert‑Label Élisée Adjovi and not necessarily those of CGTN.)
On the occasion of the 18th BRICS Summit, to be held on September 12–13 in New Delhi, India, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, Héribert‑Label Élisée Adjovi, Governor of the pan‑African magazine Le Label diplomatique (Benin), President of the Xi’an Think Tank for Sino‑African Cooperation and Development, and President of the Caucus of African Journalists for the Global South Community of Shared Future, shared his perspective on Africa’s role within the organization.
According to Héribert‑Label Élisée Adjovi, beyond the theme of the 18th BRICS Summit, Africa—represented within the organization by South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia—should make its voice heard in multilateral affairs. “For Africa, this meeting is not merely symbolic, and the central theme of the New Delhi sessions is, in this respect, evocative. In terms of institutional resilience, three African seats increase the continent’s capacity to carry weight at this summit and, by extension, to be a voice that counts in multilateral negotiations,” he stated.
Regarding innovation and technology, which will be on the agenda, Mr. Adjovi argued that digital partnerships, particularly with China under the Forum on China‑Africa Cooperation, represent opportunities to catch up in scientific and digital fields. In his view, South‑South cooperation in general, along with logistical and trade corridors, promotes Africa’s integration into global value chains. “On energy sustainability, the BRICS coordinate their energy policies, which paves the way for investments in renewable energy in Africa. These are areas in which the 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China benefit from the fruits of Chinese‑style modernization, through win‑win partnerships,” he affirmed.
From Héribert‑Label Élisée Adjovi’s perspective, the New Delhi gathering offers Africa an opportunity to strengthen its institutional representation and actively participate in building a multipolar order. “The challenges remain institutional capacity and the management of internal divergences. But Africa now has a favorable space to project its voice and vision of the world alongside other actors of the Global South,” he concluded.