TEHRAN – The secretariat of the BRICS Award “Best City Experience and Research” was established in the country with the aim of sharing experiences, increasing cooperation between cities and promoting city diplomacy.
According to a report by Mehr News Agency, one of the secretariat’s main goals is to hold the first conference on sustainable urban management in Shiraz city with the participation of 50 mayors from BRICS member countries.
Arseniy Karyakin, Secretary-General of the BRICS Association of Cities and Local Governments, spoke at the opening ceremony and said that the Secretariat will play an important role in expanding scientific and administrative cooperation and sharing experiences among cities of member countries. The official stressed that Iran has a high capacity to strengthen relations between BRICS countries.
Mohammad Mojabi, a Tehran city official, said the main objective of this international award is to identify, support and share successful experiences and impactful research. The Central Secretariat is responsible for organizing strategic annual courses, he added.
The first international conference will soon be held in Shiraz. Five mayors from each member state will be invited to participate in the meeting, he added.
Initially, BRICS consisted of four member states: Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006, and South Africa joined in 2011. From 2024 to 2025, six new members – Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – became BRICS+.
Today, the 11 member countries account for more than 40 percent of the world’s population, 40 percent of world oil production and exports, and 40 percent of world trade. For participating countries, BRICS expansion means larger markets, additional resources, including energy, and huge investment potential.
BRICS+ Urban Local Government Association
The BRICS+ Urban Local Government Association is a voluntary association of local governments, national local government associations, cities and other bodies from the BRICS+ countries.
It aims to strengthen local autonomy, coordinate the efforts of its members in municipal management, and defend the interests of local governments on the international stage.
The BRICS+ Urban Local Government Association fosters the development of decentralized cooperation, knowledge sharing and partnerships among local governments to promote sustainable development and good governance. The association was founded in 2024 in Kazan, Russia.
MT/MG