Lucknow: The BRICS Child Futures Forum called for a stronger, integrated focus on children and adolescents within BRICS human capital cooperation, linking investment in the early childhood years, effective last-mile delivery, youth skills and innovation, gender parity and sustainable financing.
Convened by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with UNICEF India, under India's BRICS Presidency 2026, the Forum was held on Sunday under the theme 'Investing in Children, Securing the Future: Human Capital for the Next BRICS Decade,' a press release noted. It brought together senior government officials, policy experts, researchers, development partners and youth representatives from India and other BRICS countries.
The discussions emphasised that BRICS cooperation already spans health, nutrition, education, social protection, youth development, innovation and financing, according to the press release. Participants explored how these areas could be connected through a more coherent, life-cycle approach that places children and adolescents at the centre of human capital development, economic resilience and inclusive growth.
Uttar Pradesh Women's Welfare, Child Development and Nutrition Minister Baby Rani Maurya emphasised that while countries may differ, there is a shared aspiration to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive. She noted that this shared commitment lies at the heart of the BRICS Child Futures Forum's discussions, which are focused on advancing the well-being, development and future of children.
"BRICS is home to more than a billion children, nearly half of the world's children. Their health, learning, skills and agency will shape the future strength of BRICS economies and societies," said Jesper Moller, UNICEF India Representative.
"The evidence is clear: investing early in children produces benefits across education, health, economic participation and social well-being. The priority now is to translate evidence into country plans, financing decisions, stronger delivery systems and practical cooperation across BRICS," he added.
The Forum focused on three priorities for future cooperation: protecting and strengthening investments across the life cycle, beginning with maternal health, nutrition and early childhood development and continuing through learning, skills and the transition to productive adulthood; improving implementation through integrated, equitable and accountable delivery systems that reach children and families at the last mile, particularly those facing multiple deprivations; and creating practical mechanisms for BRICS countries to exchange evidence, policy models and implementation experience on child-centred human capital development, the press release stated.
The discussion also highlighted that finance alone is insufficient. Effective results for children require collaborative governance across sectors and levels of government, stronger local institutions, meaningful participation, and women's agency in the design and delivery of programmes, the press release added.
"BRICS countries have much to learn from one another about converting policy intent into results at the last mile. Collaborative governance, decentralised delivery and women's agency are central to transforming social and human capital," said Amarjeet Sinha, former Secretary to the Government of India and former Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Senior Fellow, CSEP.
Across the Forum's two roundtables, speakers examined the returns to investing in children, the governance and financing reforms needed to improve outcomes, and the role of young people, digital systems, innovation and partnerships in building future-ready human capital.
The Forum concluded with a call to move from dialogue to action by connecting child and adolescent priorities across relevant BRICS policy processes and by strengthening sustained knowledge exchange among governments, think tanks, academic institutions, civil society, young people and development partners.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.