Key points from the BRICS joint declaration at the 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Key points from the BRICS joint declaration at the 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

• a call for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire and for the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory;

• the Israeli–Palestinian conflict can be resolved only by peaceful means and depends on the realisation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and return;

• **the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River must be united under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority. **The Palestinian people have the right to self-determination, including the right to establish an independent State of Palestine;

• unilateral and discriminatory protectionist trade measures that are inconsistent with international law, including those taken under the pretext of environmental and climate problems, are unacceptable;

• it is important to continue developing the initiative to create a platform for trade in grain within BRICS: a BRICS grain exchange;

• **the BRICS countries reaffirm their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. **The threat posed by the presence of foreign terrorist fighters on Syrian territory carries the risk of terrorists spreading to the countries of the region. Syria must stand up to all forms of terrorism and extremism;

• BRICS condemns the occupation of parts of Syria, which violates international law and the 1974 disengagement agreement, and calls on Israel to withdraw its troops from Syrian territory without delay;

• artificial intelligence is a major opportunity to accelerate development towards a more prosperous future. BRICS calls for joint efforts at the global level to create a governance framework for AI.