Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit and stressed that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needs urgent reform. He said global institutions must reflect today’s world and added that countries cannot show “double standards” while fighting terrorism.
PM Modi joined the meeting hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also present. Although all three nations have faced strained ties with the United States under President Donald Trump, diplomatic officials insisted the discussion was not aimed at countering Washington. They reminded that a full IBSA summit also took place during the 2024 G20 summit in Rio.
The United States boycotted the South Africa G20 summit, claiming that white Afrikaners were being mistreated. Against this backdrop, PM Modi argued that global governance structures need a reset. He said, “None of us is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This clearly demonstrates that global institutions no longer represent today’s world. Therefore, IBSA must send a unified message to the world: institutional reform is not an option but imperative.”
Modi urges coordinated fight against terrorism
PM Modi also warned against selective approaches to terrorism. He said, “Similarly, we must work in close coordination in the fight against terrorism. On an issue of such gravity, there can be no room for double standards. For the sake of global peace and prosperity, united and decisive action is essential.”
He proposed regular NSA-level meetings to boost security cooperation among India, Brazil and South Africa.
IBSA as a driver of development, technology and climate action
PM Modi called the meeting timely. It coincided with the first G20 summit held on African soil and followed four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South nations, including three led by IBSA members. He said this sequence enabled several initiatives focused on multilateral reform, inclusive development and sustainable progress.
He described IBSA as a bridge between three continents, three major democracies and three major economies. He highlighted the central role of technology in human-centric development and proposed creating an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance. This platform would allow the three countries to share digital public infrastructure such as UPI, health systems like CoWIN, cybersecurity tools and women-led digital projects.
PM Modi also said IBSA can help shape global norms for safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence. He invited the leaders to participate in next year’s AI summit.
Strengthening development assistance
He praised the IBSA Fund for supporting projects in around forty countries, particularly in education, healthcare, women’s empowerment and solar energy. To expand these efforts, PM Modi suggested the creation of an IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture, which would deepen South-South cooperation and support vulnerable farming communities.