Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is not an option anymore, but an imperative. Participating in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting in South Africa's Johannesburg, he also said there is a need for close coordination on counter-terrorism, asserting that there is no room for double standards while fighting terrorism.
The prime minister also proposed setting the 'IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance' for sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI, health platforms like CoWIN. He emphasised 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".
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi stressed that global governance institutions are far removed from 21st century realities. He also emphasised that IBSA's "potential to contribute to the development of safe, trustworthy and human-centric AI norms".
"Prime Minister stated that IBSA can complement each other's development and become an example for sustainable growth," the MEA said in a release. "He highlighted cooperation opportunities in areas such as millets, natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicines and health security."
"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," the MEA said.
PM Modi had arrived in Johannesburg on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit. Upon his arrival, he had thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for the warm welcome and for organising this important Summit. This is PM Modi's fourth official visit to South Africa, following his bilateral visit in 2016 and later for the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
South Africa is hosting the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. The African Union became a member of the G20 during India's presidency in 2023.
