IBSA Plans Outreach Session With Selected Nations Similar To BRICS

During the IBSA Foreign Ministers meet on Friday in Brazil, it was decided that the next edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit will feature an outreach session with selected countries that share IBSA's vision for peace, global governance reform, sustainable development, and the fight against poverty and hunger. These countries can serve as a bridge for South-south and South-north dialogue and cooperation.

The Ministers also urged the international community to establish a broad international counter-terrorism framework that adheres to the principles of international law and supports the United Nations' central coordinating role in international counter-terrorism cooperation. They looked forward to strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation and reaffirmed the UN Security Council's sole authority for imposing sanctions. They called for the urgent reform of the working methods of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees to ensure their effectiveness, responsiveness, and transparency. The committee should avoid politicization and double standards in any of its proceedings, including listing proposals objectively based on evidence-based criteria.

The following text is a joint statement made by the Ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (IBSA) on various global issues:

The Ministers emphasised that all parties involved in armed conflicts must uphold humanitarian principles and ensure the safety and protection of civilians and civilian objects. They also condemned any actions that prevent humanitarian access or deprive civilians of essential goods during armed conflicts, as stated in UNSC Resolution 2573/2021.

The Ministers expressed concern over the increasing use of unilateral coercive measures and trade-distorting policies, such as carbon border taxes, which developed countries have implemented under the pretext of addressing climate change and environmental protection. They believe that these measures will negatively impact the sustainable development of developing countries and will undermine climate financing commitments made by developed countries. The Ministers have pledged to collaborate with like-minded countries to adopt appropriate responses or counter-measures, as per the joint statement issued after the IBSA Ministerial meet.

The Ministers highlighted the pressing issue of debt vulnerability experienced by low and middle-income countries, and underlined the importance of addressing this challenge urgently. They also affirmed the significance of preserving BRICS outcomes and agreed to maintain the Guiding Principles, Standards, Criteria and Procedures for BRICS membership expansion.