During the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated for a unified global approach to counter-terrorism, unequivocally stating that “double standards have no place” in this critical endeavor. He proposed formalizing the India-Brazil-South Africa National Security Advisor (NSA) meetings to enhance collaborative security efforts. Modi pointed out the disconnect between current global institutions and the contemporary world, citing the absence of IBSA nations as permanent members of the UN Security Council as evidence. He urged for immediate institutional reforms, asserting they are a necessity, not a choice. The Prime Minister also underscored technology’s pivotal role in fostering human-centric progress. He suggested that IBSA could spearhead advancements in digital public infrastructure (DPI) and Artificial Intelligence. To this end, he put forward the idea of an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance,’ a collaborative framework for sharing digital solutions like UPI and CoWIN, as well as cybersecurity best practices. This initiative aims to accelerate digital economic growth and develop ethical AI standards for the Global South. Modi characterized the IBSA forum as a powerful confluence of three continents, democracies, and economies, emphasizing its role in addressing shared challenges and aspirations.
