On the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, at the 11th IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission meeting, the participating countries highlighted the grouping’s strategic importance in championing the interests of the Global South on the world stage, particularly in multilateral and plurilateral forums.
Notably, the three countries (India, Brazil & South Africa) are slated to constitute the G20 “troika” in 2024, offering further opportunities for coordinated actions and cooperation across various domains.
The meeting brought together three distinguished Ministers: S. Jaishankar from India, Amb Mauro Vieira of Brazil, and Dr Grace Naledi Pandor of South Africa. Together, they agreed to convene a Standalone Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brazil during the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, the IBSA grouping entrusted its Sherpas with the task of formulating a proposal for the institutional development of IBSA.
And together they underscored the significance of IBSA’s principles, norms, and values, which encompass reformed multilateralism, participatory democracy, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, peaceful negotiation, diplomacy, freedom, the paramountcy of international law, and sustainable development.
The ministers reiterated the shared commitment of India, Brazil, and South Africa to pursue sustainable development, overcome developmental challenges, and uphold independent foreign policies. These values and principles serve as a bridge, fostering connections between developing and developed nations.
The joint statement issued at the end of the meeting stated that the ministers collectively resolved to fortify and expand the IBSA Fund, a globally recognized initiative for South-South cooperation, boasting 42 projects in 37 countries. To this end, they assigned the Sherpas the task of devising a proposal for enhancing the fund.
Expressing concern over the escalation of geopolitical tensions in different regions, the Ministers stressed the imperative need for dialogue and diplomacy as instruments for resolving conflicts peacefully. They called for the strengthening of global arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation efforts, including those conducted within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament.
Recalling previous joint statements on the reform of the multilateral system, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter. These principles encompass equal sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations, the promotion of democracy, and adherence to the rule of law in international relations. The Ministers advocated for a representative, responsive, and participatory international governance structure through mutually beneficial cooperation.
While acknowledging the comprehensive reform required within the United Nations system, the Ministers deemed the advancement of Security Council reform an urgent and paramount objective. They expressed frustration at the stagnation observed in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on UN Security Council reform, emphasizing the need for transparency and tangible progress. Urging a result-oriented approach, they called for text-based negotiations within a defined timeframe during the 78th UNGA to expedite comprehensive Security Council reform.
They reiterated their commitment to expanding Security Council membership to include representation from developing economies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, in both permanent and non-permanent categories. This expansion aims to achieve a reformed, equitable, and effective UN Security Council, reflective of contemporary global realities.
The Ministers endorsed the legitimate aspiration of African nations to secure permanent seats on the UNSC and supported Brazil’s and India’s endeavours to hold permanent seats. They acknowledged the contributions of India and Brazil as members of the UN Security Council for the respective terms of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
And they underscored the imperative need for a reformed, revitalized, and inclusive multilateralism, aligning with the 2030 Agenda to tackle 21st-century global challenges. According to the joint statement they called for a united front against ongoing terrorist attacks, unequivocally condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Recognizing terrorism as a global scourge, and vowed to combat it and eliminate terrorist safe havens worldwide.
The Ministers called upon the international community to establish a comprehensive international counter-terrorism framework and reaffirmed the responsibility of all nations to prevent and counter terrorism. And focussed on the importance of implementing multilateral environmental agreements guided by the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
They particularly welcomed the adoption of the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” during the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022. Stressing the need for resource accessibility, technology transfer, and contributions from developed nations for biodiversity conservation, the Ministers also highlighted the significance of indigenous peoples and local communities in this context. And the urgency of accelerating actions to address development and climate challenges and conserve biodiversity. They together commended Brazil’s presidency of the Likeminded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) group for 2023-2024 and emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination within this group and other multilateral environmental forums.
The Ministers stressed the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in all its dimensions—economic, social, and environmental—ensuring that no one is left behind. They highlighted the necessity of strengthening the means of implementation, including capacity building, technology transfer, grants, and concessional finance from developed countries. They urged developed nations to fulfill their Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments and provide new and additional financing to support the SDGs in developing countries.
They reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, fair, equitable, open, and inclusive multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core. And stressed the importance of restoring a fully functional dispute settlement system by 2024, as mandated in the MC12 outcome document. The Ministers commended the successful conclusion of MC12, highlighting the value of multilateralism. They encouraged the wider WTO membership to sustain momentum and achieve meaningful outcomes by MC13.
The Ministers reiterated the G20’s role as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, emphasizing the need for SDG implementation and sustainable development reaffirmed their commitment to reviewing the current architecture for scientific and technological cooperation within IBSA and exploring possibilities for its enhancement.