- We, the Ministers for Communications of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, met in BrasÃlia, Brazil, on 14 August, 2019, for the 5th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting.
- Guided by the theme of Brazil's Chair-ship of BRICS in 2019: "BRICS: economic growth for an innovative future" of which one of the priorities is the "enhancement of cooperation on digital economy", we will continue to strengthen joint activities among BRICS countries, create new cooperation opportunities and expand and intensify partnerships already in progress.
- We are committed to improving continuous exchange of ideas and coordination between BRICS members in international organizations and multilateral forums. In this sense, we recognize the effort put by BRICS to participate in the ICT activities of the United Nations, G20 and International Telecommunications Union (ITU), among others. Particularly in context of ITU, we welcome the cooperation of BRICS countries in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), to be held in Egypt, from 28 October to 22 November.
- We congratulate the outcomes of the G20 Trade Ministers and Digital Economy Ministers meeting, held on 8 and 9 June 2019 in Tsukuba, Japan, in particular the emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); global connectivity and human-centered future society. BRICS countries reaffirm their commitment to the outcomes of the G20 Ministerial Statement on Trade and Digital Economy.
- We encourage increased participation of business, academia and other relevant stakeholders for ICT development among BRICS countries. In this context, we welcome the fruitful discussions held during the 5th Business to Business (B2B) Engagement on the topics: "rural connectivity and IoT solutions for agriculture in BRICS countries", "5G in BRICS countries", "expansion of broadband internet access in BRICS countries", "digital transformation strategy in BRICS countries". We acknowledge the central role to be played by research institutions of BRICS countries in these fields.
- We acknowledge the role of digital technologies in the development of the digital economy, providing the tools for modernizing and increasing efficiency in public administration, in raising competitiveness and productivity in the private sector, in leveraging empowerment, digital inclusion for socio-economic development, and we are committed to work together in the following areas:
6.1. Digital connectivity: increasing connectivity and broadband access to digital technologies, as key enablers of the digital economy, inclusive growth and sustainable development;
6.2. Digital innovation: promoting the development and application of new and emerging technologies and services through the implementation of scientific and technological projects, and creating an enabling environment for innovation;
6.3. Security in the digital economy: enhancing robust security frameworks in digital economy to ensure that the benefits arising from it are widely shared;
6.4. Human capacity development: leveraging digital technologies in education, promoting digital literacy in society, and preparing for employment opportunities of the future and emerging technologies by providing new skills;
6.5. Digital transformation: digital transformation should be underpinned by promoting integration of innovative technologies throughout all sectors of economy, including the traditional industry. Furthermore, create an opportunity for innovation across all industries, digitalization and building intelligence into processes that enables manufacturers to become more efficient and data-driven;
6.6. Digital inclusion: digital technologies should be deployed to ensure the inclusion of uncovered areas and digitally deprived segments of society such as youth, women and persons with disabilities;
6.7. Digital governance: share experiences and best practices in digital governance such as unique digital identification systems, systems for big data management and smart cities and communities, and pursue common projects among BRICS countries.
- Recalling the Declaration of the 4th BRICS Communication Ministers Meeting, we reaffirm our support for the commencement of the full operationalization of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) and recommit ourselves to participating in the work of the PartNIR.
- We look forward to the 2nd PartNIR Advisory Group Meeting to be held in Brasilia in September to achieve positive outcomes in finalizing the Terms of Reference and Work Plan of the PartNIR.
- Taking note of the discussion on the implementation of the paragraph 1 of the Declaration of the 4th BRICS Communication Ministers Meeting to establish the Digital BRICS Task Force (DBTF), we direct the ICT Working Group to take the necessary steps for early setting up of the DBTF to address issues from the ICT perspective on PartNIR.
- We noted discussions about the establishment of a BRICS ICT Regulators Forum and urge the ICT Working Group to invite the regulatory agencies to discuss its Terms of Reference.
- We note with appreciation the outcome of the first meeting of the BIFN Council, which discussed extensively on the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the BIFN, and resulted in a framework on the key elements of the ToR. We urge the Council to finalize the ToR at the earliest opportunity. We reiterate our full support to the actions to be developed by the BIFN in the next year, in order to promote cooperation on research and innovation in emerging and new technologies.
- We welcome the holding of the 4th Meeting of Working Group on ICT Cooperation, the 5th BRICS Business to Business (B2B) Engagement and the 1st Meeting of the Council of BIFN on 12th and 13th August 2019, in BrasÃlia. In particular, we recognize the role that has been played by the Working Group on ICT cooperation in assisting the implementation of the decisions of the Ministers.
- Russia, India, China and South Africa extend their warm appreciation to Brazil for hosting the 5th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting.
- Brazil, India, China and South Africa convey their appreciation to the Russian Federation for its offer to host the 6th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting, the 5th Meeting of Working Group on ICT Cooperation and related Business to Business (B2B) activities in 2020 and extend their full support to that end.
