PM Modi participates in IBSA leaders’ meeting in Johannesburg

Johannesburg, Nov 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today participated in the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he highlighted the urgent need for global unity against terrorism and called for reform of international governance institutions, including the UN Security Council. The meeting was hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Describing the gathering as timely, Prime Minister Modi noted that it coincided with the first G20 Summit held on African soil and marked the completion of four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South countries, with the last three led by IBSA members.

PM Modi said this sequence had delivered significant outcomes on human-centric development, multilateral reform, and sustainable growth. Calling IBSA an important bridge across Asia, Africa and South America, the Prime Minister said it connected three major democracies and key emerging economies, strengthening the voice of the Global South. A key focus of his address was counter terrorism, where he called for strict coordination and zero tolerance. “There should be no room for double standards in the fight against terrorism,” he stressed, urging IBSA to take a clear and united position against all forms of extremism.

He also reiterated that existing global governance structures are outdated and must be reformed to reflect 21st-century realities, adding that reform of the UN Security Council is no longer optional but imperative. The Prime Minister proposed the creation of an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance to foster collaboration in digital public infrastructure, including UPI, health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity systems, and women-led technology initiatives. He further highlighted IBSA’s potential role in shaping safe and human-centric AI standards, inviting the leaders to the AI Impact Summit to be held in India next year.

Prime Minister Modi outlined areas of mutual cooperation, including natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, millets, traditional medicines and health security as ways IBSA could become a model for sustainable development. He commended the IBSA Fund, which has supported projects in over 40 countries across education, health, women empowerment and solar energy, and proposed the establishment of an IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to strengthen South-South cooperation further.