By Lisandra Paraguassu RIO DE JANEIRO -Leaders of the growing BRICS group of developing nations were set to gather in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, calling for reform of traditional Western institutions while presenting the bloc as a defender of multilateralism in an increasingly fractured world.

At the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, addressed the session on ‘Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance.’ Expressed my views on why the voice of the Global South is more important than ever before and why it’s essential that global institutions provide… pic.twitter.com/XNqG8v1BXk

BRICS leaders set to discuss key global political issues in Rio de Janeiro, but questions over the bloc’s cohesion arise as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin opt to skip the summit.