Not An Option, But A Necessity: PM Modi Pushes For UNSC Reforms At IBSA Meet

Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, while attending the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) leaders' meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, made a strong pitch for reforms of the UN Security Council. PM Modi asserted that the India-Brazil-South Africa troika should send a clear message that changes to institutions of global governance, in- particular the UN Security Council, were no longer an option, but a necessity.

PM Modi joined Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa for discussions on trilateral cooperation and global priorities. PM Modi, while addressing the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) leaders summit, said at a time when the world appears fragmented and divided, IBSA can provide a message of unity, cooperation, and humanity, as per news agency ANI.

PM MODI ON IBSA

PM Modi 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, as per a Ministry of External Affairs statement. In a bid to strengthen security cooperation among the three countries, PM Modi proposed institutionalising the IBSA NSA-level meeting.

PM Modi added that nations must move forward in close coordination in the fight against terrorism and "there should be no room for double standards while fighting terrorism."

PM Modi Meeting With Ramaphosa

Furthermore, to facilitate the sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI, health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks and women-led tech initiatives among the three countries, the Prime Minister also proposed establishing an 'IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance'.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with President Ramaphosa, described by officials as “warm” and “productive”. Modi congratulated South Africa for its successful G20 presidency, acknowledging Ramaphosa's leadership in steering consensus on key global issues. According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the two leaders discussed strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, Digital Public Infrastructure, skill development and food security. They also explored the possibility of launching youth delegation exchanges to deepen ties in technology and people-to-people engagement.

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