IBSA nations push for UN reforms, stronger Global South voice amid geopolitical tensions
New York, Sep 29. India, Brazil and South Africa have called for sweeping reforms of global governance institutions, including an expansion of the UN Security Council, while reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the voice of the Global South amid growing geopolitical, economic and technological challenges.
The call was made at the 14th IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira participated in the meeting.
According to a joint statement issued following the meeting and released on September 28, the three countries reaffirmed the strategic importance of IBSA as a platform bringing together three major democracies from Asia, Africa and South America to coordinate on global issues and advance South-South cooperation. They reiterated their commitment to political coordination, trilateral cooperation and development assistance through the IBSA Fund for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation.
The ministers expressed concern over what they described as growing attacks on multilateralism and violations of the UN Charter and international law. They rejected the use or threat of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states and opposed unilateral coercive measures that they said were contrary to international law and had negative socio-economic consequences.
They said developing countries needed to intensify dialogue and consultations to promote more equitable global governance and mutually beneficial international relations. The ministers also viewed the emerging multipolar order as creating opportunities for emerging markets and developing countries, while stressing the importance of the Global South in responding to geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, technological change, protectionism, migration and climate change.
Push for Security Council reform
A major focus of the meeting was reform of the UN and, in particular, the Security Council.
India, Brazil and South Africa called for comprehensive reform of global governance institutions to increase the meaningful participation of developing and least-developed countries in international decision-making. They advocated an ambitious reform of the UN Security Council to make it more reflective of contemporary geopolitical realities and better equipped to address emerging global challenges.
The three countries backed greater representation of developing nations from Africa, Asia and Latin America in both permanent and non-permanent categories of Security Council membership. They reiterated support for African countries’ demand for permanent representation and for India’s and Brazil’s aspirations for permanent seats on the Council.
The ministers also criticised the lack of progress in the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform and urged member states to move towards formal, text-based negotiations during the current UNGA session.
They called for the UN General Assembly to be given a stronger role as the organisation’s principal deliberative, policy-making and representative body, particularly to ensure that inaction by the Security Council does not prevent the UN from responding to international peace and security challenges.
The IBSA ministers also pointed to the ongoing selection process for the next UN Secretary-General, noting the absence of a woman among those who have previously held the position and the limited representation of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia in the office.
Concern over Middle East escalation
The three countries expressed concern over continuing tensions in the Middle East and warned that actions outside established frameworks of dialogue, diplomacy and international law could further undermine regional stability.
They called for restraint, greater diplomatic efforts and protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with international law. The ministers also stressed the importance of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in the region.
They highlighted the wider impact of Middle East conflicts on developing countries, particularly through disruptions to energy and food security and resulting inflationary and fiscal pressures. They called for uninterrupted global trade and supply chains, the security of seafarers and merchant vessels, freedom of navigation and protection of critical maritime routes.
On Gaza, the ministers called for implementation of relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, continuation of the ceasefire and full humanitarian access. They expressed concern over continued violence despite the October 2025 ceasefire and opposed forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
They reaffirmed support for UNRWA and its mandate to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees. The three countries also reiterated their support for a two-state solution, with an independent and viable Palestine living alongside Israel within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. They backed Palestine’s admission as a UN member.
IBSA condemns Pahalgam terror attack
The ministers strongly condemned the killing of civilians in the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and reiterated their rejection of terrorism in all its forms.
They called for zero tolerance towards terrorism and opposed double standards in counter-terrorism efforts. They also stressed that counter-terrorism measures must comply with international law and called for an early conclusion of the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
The statement also called for coordinated action against UN-listed terrorist organisations and their facilitators, stronger measures against terrorist financing and enhanced intelligence and capacity-building cooperation. The ministers highlighted growing concerns over online terrorist propaganda and recruitment, while stressing the need to protect privacy and fundamental rights.
Trade and financial architecture
The three countries called for a fairer and more inclusive global trading system and reaffirmed their support for a rules-based multilateral trade regime centred on the World Trade Organisation.
They expressed concern over unilateral tariffs and other protectionist measures, arguing that such policies could undermine the multilateral trading system, destabilise markets and increase global economic fragmentation. They called for WTO reform that addresses existing imbalances and provides developing countries with adequate policy space for their development priorities.
India, Brazil and South Africa also called for reform of the Bretton Woods institutions to make them more representative, accountable, effective and responsive to developing countries. They sought greater participation of developing economies in global economic decision-making and financial governance.
The ministers underscored the importance of multilateral development banks in reducing poverty and supporting economic development and welcomed efforts to improve their lending capacity through reforms such as the Capital Adequacy Framework.
They also reaffirmed the G20’s role as the principal forum for international economic cooperation and agreed to work together to preserve the legacy of the successive IBSA presidencies of the G20 held by India, Brazil and South Africa between 2023 and 2025.
The three countries highlighted the increased role of the Global South in the G20 following the African Union’s accession during India’s presidency and the engagement of the New Development Bank during the Brazilian and South African presidencies.
Poverty, food security remain IBSA priorities
Poverty eradication, hunger and food security continued to figure prominently in the IBSA agenda.
The ministers agreed to strengthen the IBSA Fund, which has supported 53 projects in 43 countries over the past two decades. They also backed closer alignment between the fund and the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, with the objective of supporting initiatives led by developing countries and tailored to their national priorities.
They also welcomed food-security initiatives undertaken during South Africa’s G20 presidency and agreed to maintain momentum on poverty eradication, food security and nutrition.
AI and digital public infrastructure
The IBSA ministers recognised the transformative potential of digital technologies and artificial intelligence but also expressed concern over the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other forms of online harm.
They called for greater transparency and responsibility from digital platforms and stressed the importance of information integrity.
At the same time, they advocated universal and meaningful digital connectivity and greater deployment of secure, inclusive and interoperable digital public infrastructure.
On artificial intelligence, the ministers called for international cooperation to make AI more accessible while ensuring its safety, security, reliability and inclusiveness. They also supported greater cooperation on AI science, innovation and applications for economic development and social good in the Global South.
The ministers congratulated India on hosting the AI Impact Summit in February 2026 and agreed to advance cooperation on AI among developing countries.
Climate action and energy transition
Climate change and sustainable development also featured prominently in the discussions.
The ministers welcomed the Tropical Forest Forever Facility launched at COP30 and encouraged contributions towards its capitalisation and operationalisation. They also commended Brazil for hosting COP30 in Belém and for its role in advancing the priorities of developing countries in global climate negotiations.
India, Brazil and South Africa, which also cooperate through the BASIC grouping, agreed to continue coordinating ahead of COP31 on climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, capacity building and technology transfer. They highlighted the need to ensure that the proposed Just Transition Mechanism takes into account the development needs and circumstances of developing countries.
The ministers backed efforts to expand renewable energy capacity in the Global South, improve energy efficiency and increase the use of sustainable fuels such as biofuels, biogas and low-emission hydrogen. They stressed the need for greater investment and affordable financing to help developing countries undertake energy transitions.
Critical minerals gain prominence
The growing importance of critical minerals to the global energy transition, digitalisation and industrial development was another area of common concern.
The ministers noted that developing countries with critical-mineral resources continue to face challenges including inadequate investment, limited value addition, lack of technology and environmental and socio-economic pressures.
They backed greater exploration of critical minerals, diversification of supply chains and processing locations, and increased value retention and beneficiation in resource-rich developing countries.
They also took note of India’s proposal for a Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative within the G20, aimed at promoting recycling, urban mining and second-life use of batteries.
Support for India’s BRICS chairship
The ministers also reviewed cooperation within IBSA and welcomed India’s hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13.
Brazil and South Africa extended their support to India for the remainder of its BRICS chairship this year. The three countries also agreed to continue coordinating on the work of various IBSA working groups.
The 14th IBSA ministerial meeting thus reinforced the three countries’ effort to coordinate their positions on global governance, international security, trade, development, climate change and emerging technologies, while seeking a greater role for developing countries in shaping the international system.
