The BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group met in Hyderabad under India's presidency. Delegates stressed the need for international cooperation and tech integration to combat cross-border corruption, asset recovery, and fugitive offenders.
The second meeting of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group and BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery began in Hyderabad, Telangana today. The two-day meeting is being held under India's BRICS Presidency theme, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', with participation from member countries, policymakers, experts and law enforcement agencies.
India's Strategy and Collaborative Approach
Following the meeting, senior officials and delegates from BRICS member nations emphasised the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation, technological integration, and joint action against cross-border corruption and fugitive offenders. Addressing India's strategy and the significance of the summit, Rachana Shah, Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, highlighted the country's combination of institutional strengthening, legislative reforms, and digital initiatives. "India has taken a number of initiatives to strengthen good governance, to bring in more accountability, and to fight corruption... Best practices--for instance, the Government e-Marketplace and the Direct Benefit Transfer. In fact, recently we've also further strengthened the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act. The focus is really on prevention as well as punitive action wherever there are malpractices," she told ANI.
Shah stressed that as corrupt practices evolve over time, multilateral platforms like BRICS provide a critical framework for sharing best practices and establishing collaborative mechanisms for cross-border enforcement. "Working continuously on anti-corruption is very important. As we see, corrupt practices are also evolving with time. So we also need to use technology and increase mutual cooperation, increase international cooperation, and face this together... I hope there's a significant agenda today and tomorrow to discuss through informal and formal channels, like asset recovery or the menace of fugitive offenders and how to tackle them," she added.
Russian Delegation Welcomes Practical Measures
Additionally, delegates from the Russian Federation welcomed the in-person summit in India, noting that regional and platform-specific initiatives add distinct practical value alongside broader international mechanisms like the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Alexey Muratov, a delegate representing Russia, commended India's chairship and leadership in steering actionable anti-corruption frameworks: "This is a very important meeting because it's a good opportunity to meet here in India in person... First, we consider this issue at the platform of the United Nations. It's the convention that is the main mechanism for prevention in that sphere... India this year, as you know, chairs that initiative and anti-corruption measures, and they managed to reach very good results for creating practical measures," Muratov said.
Echoing the necessity of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, Russian delegate Olga Mokhova emphasised that member states share common anti-corruption challenges across societal sectors. "These discussions are dedicated to issues of countering corruption in BRICS countries, because we all have the same problems. Corruption affects any sphere of social life... I think we all have the same problems and we all have similar experiences, but we can exchange our knowledge to make it more complete," the delegate said.
Future Agenda and Tech-Driven Governance
The Hyderabad meeting builds upon the outcomes of the First BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting, held virtually on 2-3 June 2026. BRICS members will deliberate on strengthening international cooperation for asset recovery, combating cross-border corruption, and enhancing transparency and accountability in governance.
A dedicated side event titled "Ethical Governance through Innovation and Tech-Driven Systems" will also be organised on 5 August 2026. The side event will provide a platform for BRICS members to exchange experiences on technology-enabled governance, including digital public procurement, citizen engagement, transparency, accountability and innovative approaches to strengthening integrity in public administration, according to an official release. (ANI)
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