New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the BRICS grouping, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, has reached its "coming of age" moment and now must work towards a new and ambitious agenda for the next two decades.  In his welcome remarks at the opening BRICS session on 'Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism' in New Delhi on Saturday, PM Modi extended a warm welcome to BRICS leaders and said that India's BRICS chairship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach."Resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability have been our priorities. Alongside these priorities, we have placed special emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the common people. With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams to approximately 30 cities," highlighted PM Modi.He emphasised that BRICS has established a distinct identity on the global stage and said that the bloc is not against anyone and must work to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along. He called for the establishment of a 'BRICS Continuity and Implementation' mechanism.

"This year’s BRICS summit marks a historic milestone. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of BRICS. In human life, the age of 20 marks the beginning of a new phase of maturity and responsibility. It is a stage where dreams are joined by duties and capabilities find a new direction. Today, BRICS too has arrived at its 'coming of age' moment. Over the past 20 years, BRICS has established a distinct identity on the global stage. We respect each other's perspectives and move forward through consensus. We are not against anyone; rather, we strive to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along."The time has now come to translate our unity and consensus within BRICS into tangible outcomes on the global stage. For the next 20 years, we must work toward a new and ambitious agenda. We must begin this within our own working systems. Since the BRICS presidency rotates every year, our institutional momentum should not be disrupted because of it. Therefore, I propose the establishment of a 'BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism'. This would enable the follow-up of all initiatives and outcomes through the 'Troika' arrangement," stated PM Modi.

He noted that the Global South remains in the front row of global crisis but in the back row when it comes to decision-making. He urged BRICS nations to jointly formulate 10 proposals for a global governance reform."While strengthening BRICS, we must also chart a course for global reform. The current structure of global governance resembles a pyramid: power and decision-making are concentrated at the top, while the lower tiers consist of nations that are affected by these decisions yet unable to shape them."Today, the Global South stands in the front row of global crisis but in the back row of decision-making. We must transform this 'pyramid of privilege' into a 'platform of partnership'—one where every nation has a voice, every member has a stake, and the development of humanity lies at the heart of every endeavour. To this end, I propose that we jointly formulate 10 proposals for global governance reform, aiming to shape them into a BRICS reform roadmap by the time of the next Summit," PM Modi told the gathering of BRICS leaders.

/ IANS