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Global governance institutions far from 21st century realities, need reforms: PM
PM Modi urged global governance reform at the IBSA meeting, emphasizing counter-terrorism, tech collaboration, and sustainable growth among member nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched for reforms of global governance institutions at the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting, saying they were far removed from the realities of 21st century and did not represent today’s world.
“We all agree that global institutions do not reflect the realities of the 21st century. None of us is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This clearly demonstrates that global institutions no longer represent today’s world. IBSA must send a unified message to the world—institutional reform is not an option but an imperative,” he said at the IBSA meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
These institutions include the UN, World Trade Organisation, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Modi also emphasised the need for close coordination on counter-terrorism and that there should be no room for double standards while fighting the scourge. “United and decisive action is essential for global peace and prosperity,” he said, days after the November 10 Red Fort blast in Delhi.
The PM put the spotlight on technology’s crucial role in ensuring human-centric development and proposed establishing an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance to facilitate sharing of digital public infrastructure such as UPI, health platforms like CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network), cybersecurity frameworks and women-led tech initiatives among the three countries.
“IBSA can assume a leading role in emerging technologies, particularly in the areas of digital public infrastructure and artificial intelligence…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-centric AI norms,” Modi said.
The alliance, he said, could be launched at the AI Impact Summit in India next year.
Describing the IBSA meeting as timely, the PM noted that it coincided with the first G20 Summit on African soil and marked the culmination of four consecutive G20 presidencies by Global South countries, out of which the last three were by the IBSA members. Various countries that are developing or are less developed are collectively referred to as the Global South.
“Across these three summits, we have advanced several important initiatives on shared priorities, including human-centric development, multilateral reform, and sustainable growth. It is now our collective responsibility to strengthen these initiatives and enhance their impact.”
IBSA can complement each other’s development and become an example for sustainable growth, Modi said, highlighting cooperation opportunities in areas such as millets, natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicines and health security.
Hailing the IBSA Fund’s work in supporting projects across forty countries in sectors like education, health, women empowerment and solar energy, the PM proposed IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to further advance South-South cooperation.
The IBSA meeting was hosted by the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
