BRICS Level of Compliance with Fortaleza Summit Commitments Estimated at 70%
BRICS Level of Compliance with Fortaleza Summit Commitments Estimated at 70%
The 2014 Fortaleza BRICS summit average compliance performance score is on a par with the four-year average (70%), according to the monitoring report prepared by BRICS Research Group.
The report presents the results of the monitoring study focused on BRICS countries’ compliance with 8 priority commitments selected out of the total number of 68 commitments from the 2014 summit’s documents. The highest level of compliance was registered for the commitment to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (100%). During the monitoring period all BRICS members took concrete actions aimed at protecting endangered species, and adopted complex measures addressing economic and social aspects of environmental agenda.
Almost all BRICS countries managed to comply with the commitment to attain the education-related Millennium Development Goals (90%), moving towards universal primary education and taking steps to uproot gender inequality in this field.
The same level of compliance was registered for the commitment to strengthen international anti-corruption cooperation, including law enforcement cooperation, in accordance with the UN Convention Against Corruption
Most of the BRICS countries took active measures to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (80%) in all four priority areas outlined in this document.
The average level of compliance with the commitment to ensure sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for allwas estimated at 80%. Brazil, Russia and South Africa fully complied with the commitment, making efforts to ensure reproductive health of their citizens, as well as supporting reproductive rights, which was manifested, inter alia, in maintaining no restrictions on the number of children in a family.
In accordance with the commitment to enhance cooperation on addressing tax base erosion and information exchange for tax purposes, BRICS members have actively collaborated with the OECD, and started to incorporate the norms provided for in the Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting into national legislation. Most of them have also indicated the dates for launching the automatic exchange of tax information in accordance with the OECD standards (60%).
The average compliance score for the commitment to support Afghanistan’s stabilization amounted to 60%. Almost all BRICS members provided assistance to this county in ensuring security, socio-economic development and effective governance.
The only commitment, on which BRICS countries failed to produce any tangible progress, was the one on the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding reform. Despite the group’s long-standing support to the multilateral trading system goals and the WTO primacy therein, the members failed to promote the discussion and advance negotiations on the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) reform during the monitoring period.
The results of the compliance assessment carried out by the BRICS Research Group confirm the importance of enhancing “the efficiency of BRICS by improving the reporting process for previous commitments assumed by member countries”, as emphasized in the Concept of the Russian Federation’s Presidency in BRICS in 2015-2016.
2014 BRICS Fortaleza Summit Compliance Scores, %
|
|
Brazil |
Russia |
India |
China |
South Africa |
Average |
|
Trade: WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Regional Security: Afghanistan |
0 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
60 |
|
Environment |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
Development: Education-Related MDGs |
50 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
90 |
|
Financial Regulation: BEPS |
50 |
50 |
50 |
100 |
50 |
60 |
|
Human Rights |
100 |
100 |
50 |
50 |
100 |
80 |
|
Terrorism |
50 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
50 |
80 |
|
Crime and Corruption |
100 |
100 |
50 |
100 |
100 |
90 |
|
Average |
56 |
81 |
69 |
81 |
63 |
70 |
2014 BRICS Fortaleza Summit Priority Commitments
|
Priority Area |
Commitment |
|
Trade: WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding |
We strongly support the WTO dispute settlement system as a cornerstone of the security and predictability of the multilateral trading system and we will enhance our ongoing dialogue on substantive and practical matters relating to it, including in the ongoing negotiations on WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding reform. |
|
Regional Security: Afghanistan |
We also reaffirm our commitment to support Afghanistan's emergence as a peaceful, stable and democratic state, free of terrorism and extremism, and underscore the need for more effective regional and international cooperation for the stabilization of Afghanistan, including by combating terrorism. |
|
Environment |
We reiterate our commitment to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, with special attention to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets. |
|
Development:Education-RelatedMDGs |
[We reaffirm our commitment to accelerating progress in attaining the] education-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015. |
|
Financial Regulation: BEPS |
[We, therefore, affirm our commitment to] enhance cooperation in the international forums targeting tax base erosion and information exchange for tax purposes. |
|
Human Rights |
we reaffirm our determination to ensure sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all |
|
Terrorism |
[We believe that the UN has a central role in coordinating international action against terrorism, which must be conducted in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter, and with respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms.] In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. |
|
Crime and Corruption |
[We are committed to combat domestic and foreign bribery, and] strengthen international cooperation, including law enforcement cooperation, in accordance with multilaterally established principles and norms, especially the UN Convention Against Corruption |
More details on the methodology, scoring system and countries’ actions to implement the agreed decisions are presented in the full version of the compliance report in English and the expanded press-release in Russian.
The BRICS Research Group aims to serve as a leading independent source of information and analysis on the BRICS institutions and underlying interactions. It has produced reports on the BRICS members’ progress in implementing the collective commitments since 2011 Sanya Summit. International Organizations Research Institute at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE IORI) is the Russian co-founder of the BRICS Research Group. Official documentation from the BRICS and relevant studies and reports are published on HSE IORI web site at www.iori.hse.ru/en/bric.
To make its compliance assessments, the BRICS Research Group relies on publicly available information, documentation and media reports. To ensure accuracy, comprehensiveness and integrity, we encourage comments from various stakeholders. Scores are subject to recalibration in case new material becomes available. All feedback remains anonymous. Feedback should be sent to iori@hse.ru. Responsibility for this report’s contents lies exclusively with the authors and analysts of the BRICS Research Group.