The 4th Session of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group comprising of Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and India was held on August 12, 2020.
Salient Features
The Indian delegation was led by Shri Rakesh Asthana, Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau.
This year’s session, held over video conference on August 12, 2020, was chaired by Russia.
The common points emerged during the discussions include need for real time information sharing among the member states and need to curb increased drug trafficking through maritime routes.
Misuse of darknet and other advanced technologies for drug trafficking was one of the key focal areas of the meeting.
What is BRICS?
BRICS is an informal group of states comprising the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa.
The acronym BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs in 2001 to indicate the emerging powers that would be, alongside the United States, the five largest economies of the world in the 21st century.
In 2006, BRIC countries started their dialogue, which since 2009 takes place at annual meetings of heads of state and government.
In 2011, with South Africa joining the group, the BRICS reached its final composition, incorporating a country from the African continent.
At the Fortaleza Summit (2014), in Brazil, important institutions were created: the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).
