‘Must send a message’: PM Modi calls for UNSC reform and stronger anti-terror fight

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting on the margins of the G20 summit, underlining that reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is imperative. He further emphasised that there should be no room for double standards in combating terrorism.

PM Modi joined the trilateral meeting hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and attended by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. While all three countries have experienced challenges in relations with the United States under President Donald Trump, diplomatic sources downplayed suggestions that the meeting was aimed at responding to the Americans, noting that a substantive IBSA summit was also held on the margins of the 2024 G20 summit in Rio.

The United States boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa, citing alleged mistreatment of white Afrikaners. PM Modi highlighted that global institutions do not reflect the realities of the twenty-first century. “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 This clearly demonstrates that global institutions no longer represent today’s world.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,” he said.

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He added, “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,” and proposed institutionalising NSA-level meetings among the three countries to strengthen security cooperation.

IBSA as a platform for development, technology and climate initiatives

Describing the meeting as timely, PM Modi noted it coincided with the first G20 summit held on African soil and marked the conclusion of four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South countries, of which the last three were held by IBSA members. He said this had led to several initiatives focused on human-centric development, multilateral reform, and sustainable growth.

PM Modi emphasised that IBSA is more than a group of three nations; it is a platform connecting three continents, three major democracies, and three major economies. Highlighting technology’s crucial role in human-centric development, he proposed an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance’ to facilitate the sharing of digital public infrastructure such as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks, and women-led technology initiatives. He also highlighted IBSA’s potential to contribute to the development of safe, trustworthy, and human-centric AI norms, inviting leaders to the next year’s AI summit.

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Appreciating the IBSA Fund’s work in supporting projects across forty countries in sectors such as education, health, women’s empowerment, and solar energy, PM Modi proposed establishing an IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to further advance South-South Cooperation.