BRICS Outreach has been tradition since the eThekwini Summit in 2013.
South Africa initiated an outreach between African and BRICS Leaders, termed the BRICS-African Leaders Dialogue Forum Retreat, which was attended by 12 African Leaders, representing the AU, NEPAD and the eight AU Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The Retreat strengthened cooperation between BRICS and African Leaders and this summit completed the first cycle of BRICS summits.
BRICS Leaders held a working session with 11 Heads of State and/or Government of South America in Brasilia, on the margins of the Fortaleza Summit, on 16 July 2014. The dialogue between BRICS Leaders and their South American counterparts reflected the priority accorded to developing countries in the BRICS outreach strategy.
In July 2015 the Russian city of Ufa was the venue for the 7th BRICS Summit and the 15th SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Summit. This included SCO member states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Ufa Summit also saw the expansion of the SCO into South Asia.
India hosted the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit, a deliberation between BRICS leaders and BIMSTEC countries of which Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are a part. This took place on the side-lines of the BRICS Goa Summit in 2016.
China held the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the building of broad partnerships for development under the theme of "Strengthening Mutually-Beneficial Cooperation for Common Development" in promotion of BRICS Plus cooperation. The “Outreach” Dialogue was attended by the Presidents of Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and the Prime Minister of Thailand.
It is proposed that the Outreach Dialogue be held again in 2018 with selected African leadership (Chairs of the AU, NEPAD, RECs) to continue the work begun at the Outreach Dialogue in 2013. Coupled with this, the possibility of continuing with the BRICS Plus approach, perhaps in the form of an Africa Plus, is being considered.
Furthermore, consideration is being given to the possibility of hosting a Special Retreat (attended only by the BRICS Leaders) on the margins of the 10th BRICS Summit. Given the decadal Summit, it is deemed opportune for the Leaders to exchange views on the current global situation, as well as to provide strategic guidance for BRICS endeavours over the next decade of cooperation