Meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers

On September 16, 2020, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, chaired the customary meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers through video conferencing. The ministers adopted the IBSA Joint Ministerial Statement on the Reform of the UN Security Council which will be a common endeavour of the Global South.

Key Facts

• The ministers during the meet agreed,

1. On issues including the peace, security, terrorism, climate change, disarmament, multilateral trade agreements, non-proliferation issues and South-South Cooperation.
2. To renew their commitment towards United Nations Security Council.
3. To cooperate with international organizations including the African Union Peace and Security Council, United Nations, etc.
4. To extend their support to Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

About IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa)

• IBSA is a Forum that brings together India, Brazil and South Africa which are the three large democracies and major economies from three different continents. The trio is also facing similar challenges.
• IBSA was established in June 2003.
• IBSA does not have any headquarters or permanent executive secretariat. It counts on the Summits of Heads of State and Government at the highest level.
• Following summits have been held by the head of the states,

1. 1st IBSA Summit – 13 September 2006 – Brasilia, Brazil
2. 2nd IBSA Summit – 17 October, 2007 – Tshwane, South Africa
3. 3rd IBSA Summit – 15 October 2008, New Delhi, India
4. 4th IBSA Summit – 15 April 2010 – Brasilia, Brazil
5. 5th IBSA Summit – 18 October 2011 – Tshwane, South Africa

• Also, the Foreign Ministers meet about once a year. Following meeting have been held:

1. 1st: March 5th, 2004, in New Delhi;
2. 2nd: March 3rd, 2005, in Cape Town;
3. 3rd: March 30th, 2006, in Rio de Janeiro;
4. 4th: July 16th and 17th, 2007, in New Delhi;
5. 5th: May 11th, 2008, in Somerset West;
6. 6th: August 31st to September 1st, 2009, in Brasília;
7. 7th: March 8th, 2011, in New Delhi
8. 8th: October 17th, 2017, in Durban
9. 9th: September 27th, 2018, in New York

Ezulwini Consensus

The consensus, which was agreed by African Unions, calls for having a representative and democratic security council where Africa shall be represented just like other regions of the world.

Sirte Declaration

The Sirte Declaration was made with an objective to establish African Union and to create African Court of Justice, African Central Bank, African Economic Community and Pan-African Parliament.

African Union

The African union was founded in 2001 in Addis Ababa. It comprises 55 member states. The union aims to achieve greater unity among the African countries and to promote and defend social economic integration.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2020