IBSA an important platform connecting three continents, says PM Modi in IBSA Leaders' Meeting in Johannesburg
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in the IBSA Leaders' Meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting was hosted by the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and attended by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Describing the meeting as timely, PM Modi noted that it coincided with the first G20 Summit on African soil and marked the culmination of four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South countries, out of which the last three were by the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa Dialogue Forum) members. This, he noted, has resulted in several important initiatives focussed on human-centric development, multilateral reform and sustainable growth.
An important platform connecting three continents
PM Modi emphasized that IBSA is not just a group of three countries but an important platform connecting three continents, three major democratic nations, and three major economies.
Reform of institutions of global governance is an imperative
Prime Minister stressed that global governance institutions are far removed from 21st century realities. He called on IBSA to send a strong message that reform of institutions of global governance, in particular the UN Security Council, is now not an option, but an imperative.
On counter-terrorism, Prime Minister emphasized the need for close coordination and that there should be no room for double standards while fighting terrorism.
IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance
Highlighting technology's crucial role in ensuring human-centric development, PM Modi proposed establishing an 'IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance' to facilitate sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI, health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks and women-led tech initiatives among the three countries.
IBSA leaders invited to the AI Impact Summit to be held in India
Prime Minister also emphasized IBSA's potential to contribute to the development of safe, trustworthy and human-centric AI norms. He invited IBSA leaders to the AI Impact Summit to be held in India next year.
IBSA can complement each other's development
PM stated that IBSA can complement each other's development and become an example for sustainable growth. He highlighted cooperation opportunities in areas such as millets, natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicines and health security.
IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture
Appreciating the IBSA Fund's work in supporting projects across forty countries in sectors like education, health, women empowerment and solar energy, Prime Minister proposed IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to further advance South-South cooperation. Prime Minister's full speech can be found [here].