"So far, BRICS has become an important driving force for South-South cooperation by establishing such a cooperation mechanism in advancing economic development and political security," Manoilo said.

MOSCOW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) enable the Global South countries to participate in global governance as equal partners rather than peripheral players, a Russian scholar has said.

Andrei Manoilo, a professor at the Faculty of Political Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Xinhua in an interview that the rising number of countries engaging with BRICS and the SCO over the past years reflects their growing appeal among the Global South.

"So far, BRICS has become an important driving force for South-South cooperation by establishing such a cooperation mechanism in advancing economic development and political security," Manoilo said.

BRICS offers Global South countries a platform to claim their due share of participation in global affairs, said the professor.

For those countries, he added, participation in BRICS also provides a valuable opportunity to cooperate with the world's largest emerging economies, including China, Russia and India.

Manoilo also noted that the SCO is increasingly viewed by many countries as an equitable and pragmatic pathway for development.

Initially established in 2001 for security purposes, it has expanded its functions to political, economic and other areas.

Today, the SCO allows Global South countries to support each other's development and assume their responsibilities in global governance, he said.

With its expanding functions, the SCO is evolving into not only a stronger international organization, but also a promoter for global change, he said.

Manoilo concluded that the year 2025 marks a transition in which the Global South countries are increasingly aware of their strength and are taking steps to cooperate to achieve further development.■