BRICS cooperation began with the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held during the United Nations General Assembly in 2006. In 2009, it was upgraded to a leader meeting mechanism, held once a year, and a total of 15 leader meetings have been held so far.

In June 2009, the leaders of the BRICS countries held their first meeting in Yekaterinburg, Russia, covering topics such as the international situation, global financial issues, G20 affairs, BRICS cooperation, food security, energy security, climate change, and development assistance. After the meeting, a joint statement was issued calling for increasing the voice and representation of emerging market countries and developing countries in international financial institutions, and the BRICS joint statement on global food security was approved.

In April 2010, the leaders of the BRICS countries held their second meeting in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The topics included the international situation, international and regional hotspot issues, international financial crisis, BRICS cooperation, G20 affairs, climate change, United Nations reform, and more. After the meeting, a joint statement was issued, agreeing on specific measures to promote cooperation and coordination among the BRICS countries, marking the initial formation of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. During this period, supporting activities such as the Four Nation Entrepreneurs Forum, Bank Consortium, Cooperative Forum, and Think Tank Conference were also held.

In April 2011, BRICS leaders held their third meeting in Sanya, China, with South Africa participating for the first time. The theme is "Looking Forward to the Future, Sharing Prosperity", and the topics include international situation, international economy and finance, development issues, BRICS cooperation, etc. During this period, supporting activities such as the BRICS Think Tank Conference, the BRICS Bank Cooperation Mechanism Annual Meeting and Financial Forum, the BRICS Business Forum, and the BRICS Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting were also held. After the meeting, the Sanya Declaration was issued.

In March 2012, BRICS leaders held their fourth meeting in New Delhi, India, with the theme of "BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security, and Prosperity", covering topics such as global governance and sustainable development. After the meeting, the Delhi Declaration was issued to introduce the progress of BRICS cooperation and support BRICS countries in playing a core role in the world economy in the post international financial crisis era.

In March 2013, the leaders of the BRICS countries held their fifth meeting in Durban, South Africa, with the theme of "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development Integration and Industrialization". After the meeting, the Durban Declaration and Action Plan were issued, deciding to establish the BRICS New Development Bank and emergency reserve arrangements, and announcing the establishment of the BRICS Business Council and Think Tank Council. During the meeting, a dialogue meeting between BRICS leaders and African leaders was also held.

In July 2014, BRICS leaders held their sixth meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil, with the theme of "Sustainable solutions to achieve inclusive growth". The topics included political coordination, sustainable development, and inclusive growth. After the meeting, the Fortaleza Declaration was issued, witnessing the signing of the agreement on the establishment of the New Development Bank and the treaty on the establishment of emergency reserve arrangements. During the meeting, a dialogue meeting between leaders of the BRICS and South American countries was also held.

In July 2015, BRICS leaders held their seventh meeting in Ufa, Russia, with the theme of "BRICS partnership - a powerful factor for global development". The topics included international political and economic issues and BRICS cooperation. After the meeting, the Ufa Declaration and Action Plan were issued, witnessing the signing of the BRICS Intergovernmental Cultural Cooperation Agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Bank Cooperation Mechanism and the New Development Bank, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing a BRICS Joint Website. During the meeting, a dialogue meeting was also held between the leaders of the BRICS countries, member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, observer states, and invited countries.

In October 2016, BRICS leaders held their eighth meeting in Goa, India, with the theme of "Building Effective, Inclusive, and Common Solutions". The topics included the international political and economic situation, global governance, and BRICS cooperation. After the meeting, the Goa Declaration and Action Plan were issued, witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing a BRICS Agricultural Research Platform and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the BRICS Diplomatic Academy. During the meeting, a dialogue meeting was also held between the leaders of the BRICS countries and the member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multidisciplinary Economic and Technological Cooperation.

At the Xiamen meeting, the leaders of the five countries exchanged in-depth views on the global political and economic situation, BRICS cooperation, international and regional hotspot issues, and the theme of "deepening the BRICS partnership and opening up a brighter future". After the meeting, the Xiamen Declaration and Action Plan were issued. During the meeting, a dialogue meeting between emerging market countries and developing countries was also held, sending positive signals on strengthening the BRICS partnership, improving global governance, and promoting common development. It was decided to jointly build the second "Golden Decade" of BRICS cooperation.

In July 2018, BRICS leaders held their 10th meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the theme of "BRICS countries in Africa: working together for inclusive growth and common prosperity in the fourth industrial revolution". The topics include strategic cooperation among BRICS countries, addressing the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and so on. After the meeting, the Johannesburg Declaration and Action Plan were issued. During the meeting, informal meetings commemorating the 10th anniversary of the BRICS Leaders' Meeting and the "BRICS+" Leaders' Dialogue were also held.

In November 2019, BRICS leaders held their 11th meeting in the Brazilian capital Brasilia, with the theme of "Building an Innovative Future through Economic Growth". Topics include international and regional situations, BRICS cooperation, and global economic governance. After the meeting, the Brasilia Declaration was issued. During the meeting, the leaders of the five countries jointly attended the closing ceremony of the Business Forum, and also held closed door meetings, public meetings, and dialogue meetings with the Business Council and the New Development Bank.

In November 2020, the leaders of BRICS countries held their twelfth meeting through real-time video connection, with the theme of "Deepening BRICS Partnership, Promoting Global Stability, Common Security, and Innovative Growth". Topics include BRICS cooperation in combating the COVID-19, international and regional situations, and global economic governance. After the meeting, the Moscow Declaration was issued, and during the meeting, the leaders of the five countries also jointly listened to the work reports of the heads of cooperation mechanisms such as the New Development Bank.

In September 2021, the leaders of BRICS countries held their 13th meeting through real-time video connection, with the theme of "BRICS 15th Anniversary: Promoting BRICS Cooperation, Promoting Continuation, Consolidation, and Consensus". The topics include BRICS countries' joint response to the COVID-19 epidemic, promoting BRICS practical cooperation, and promoting the resolution of global and regional hotspot issues. The meeting passed the New Delhi Declaration of BRICS Leaders, summarizing the achievements of BRICS cooperation in various fields, and issuing a common BRICS voice on strengthening public health and vaccine cooperation, promoting world economic recovery, implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and maintaining world fairness and justice.

President Xi Jinping highly praised the BRICS partnership that has been mutually reinforcing and win-win cooperation over the past 16 years. Emphasize the need to work together towards the future, build a more comprehensive, close, pragmatic, and inclusive high-quality partnership, and jointly embark on a new journey of BRICS cooperation. Propose to accelerate the construction of the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partnership Xiamen Innovation Base, hold a series of activities such as the Industrial Internet and Digital Manufacturing Development Forum, and open up a new path for the five countries to strengthen industrial policy coordination. The meeting adopted and issued the Beijing Declaration of the 14th BRICS Leaders' Meeting, approved the BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework, the BRICS Trade, Investment and Sustainable Development Initiative, the BRICS Supply Chain Cooperation Initiative, and the BRICS Declaration on Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System and WTO Reform, achieving a series of results.

Practical cooperation in areas such as global governance. On August 24, 2023, the 15th BRICS Leaders' Meeting held a special press conference to announce the expansion of BRICS membership. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism. At the same time, the rotating presidency of South Africa also invited more than 70 leaders of African countries and "global southern" countries, as well as leaders of international and regional organizations, to attend the "BRICS Africa" Conference and the "BRICS+" Dialogue.