No place for any double standards in fight against terrorism, says PM Modi at IBSA meet

Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasised the need for close coordination between India, South Africa and Brazil in the fight against terrorism and said that there is no place for double standards while fighting terrorism.

He proposed the institutionalisation of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) National Security Advisor (NSA) level meeting.

In his remarks at the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting in Johannesburg on Sunday, PM Modi said, “All three of our countries agree that global institutions are far removed from the realities of the 21st century. None of our countries is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This clearly demonstrates that global institutions do not represent today’s world. Therefore, IBSA must unanimously send a message to the entire world that institutional reform is no longer an option, but a necessity.”

“Similarly, in the fight against terrorism, we must move forward in close coordination. There is no place for any double standards on such a serious issue. For global peace and prosperity, we must take united action on this issue. In 2021, the first meeting of the NSAs of the three countries was held under India’s IBSA chairmanship. To strengthen security cooperation, we can institutionalise it,” he added.

He noted that technology plays a crucial role in ensuring human-centric development. He stated that IBSA can play a key role in emerging technologies, especially in the context of DPI and Artificial Intelligence.

PM Modi proposed establishing an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance’, where digital public infrastructure like UPI, health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks, and women-led tech initiatives can be shared among the three nations.

He further said, “This will accelerate the growth of our digital economies and create scalable solutions for the Global South. Together, we can contribute to the creation of safe, reliable, and human-centred AI norms. This could be launched at the AI ​​Impact Summit to be held in India next year.”

Calling IBSA an “important platform” connecting three continents, he stated, “IBSA is not just a group of three countries; it is an important platform connecting three continents, three major democratic powers, three major economies. It is also a deep and intimate bond, characterised by diversity, shared values, and shared aspirations.”

“Today’s IBSA Leaders’ Meeting is both historic and timely. This first G20 Summit on the African island is the last of four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South countries. The three IBSA countries have held G20 presidency alternately over the past three years. In these three summits, we have taken several important initiatives on shared priorities such as human-centric development, multilateral reform, and sustainable growth. Now, it is our responsibility to strengthen these initiatives. To achieve this, I would like to offer some suggestions regarding our cooperation,” he added.

South Africa is the current IBSA Chair. IBSA is a unique Forum which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents, facing similar challenges, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The grouping was formalised and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum when the Foreign Ministers of the three countries met in Brasilia on June 6, 2023.

IANS