UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres To Attend BRICS Summit In New Delhi

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will participate in the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi later this month, adding a significant international dimension to India’s BRICS chairship. India will host the annual summit at Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13.

India assumed the BRICS chairship for 2026 on January 1. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the summit will bring together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, as well as outreach invitees.

Guterres’ participation was confirmed by his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a press briefing in New York on Tuesday. His attendance comes shortly after the UN chief travelled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held on August 31 and September 1.

The 2026 BRICS summit is being held under India’s theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” More than 350 meetings and high level engagements have already taken place across more than 25 Indian cities as part of the yearlong chairship.

India has previously chaired BRICS in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The 2026 chairship marks its fourth time leading the grouping, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Guterres previously visited New Delhi in February to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.

His BRICS visit will also come amid heightened regional tensions. During his recent SCO visit, Guterres met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and voiced concern over the humanitarian and economic consequences of the Iran conflict. He called for dialogue and negotiations while stressing respect for international law and navigational rights around the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to travel to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also widely expected to attend, before travelling to the United States later this month for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.