‘No Double Standards in Fight Against Terrorism’: PM Modi at IBSA Leaders’ Meet

Johannesburg — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for stronger coordination between India, South Africa, and Brazil in combating terrorism, stressing that there can be no room for double standards in dealing with such a grave threat.

Speaking at the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting in Johannesburg, PM Modi proposed the institutionalisation of a National Security Advisor (NSA)-level meeting among the three nations to deepen security cooperation.

Highlighting the need for global institutional reform, he said:
“None of our countries is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This clearly shows that today’s global institutions do not represent 21st-century realities. IBSA must send a unified message that institutional reform is not optional — it is essential.”

On terrorism, PM Modi emphasised:
“We must move forward in close coordination. There is no place for any double standards. For global peace and prosperity, united action is necessary. The first NSAs’ meeting took place in 2021 under India’s IBSA chairmanship, and we can now formalise it.”

Modi also underlined the importance of technology in shaping human-centric development. He suggested that IBSA can play a major role in areas like digital public infrastructure (DPI) and artificial intelligence.

He proposed the creation of an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance’, which would allow the three nations to share platforms such as UPI, CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks, and women-led tech solutions.
“This will boost our digital economies and help create scalable solutions for the Global South,” he said.
He added that the alliance could be launched at the AI Impact Summit scheduled in India next year.

Calling IBSA more than just a partnership, PM Modi said:
“IBSA connects three continents, three major democracies, and three major economies. It is a deep bond built on diversity, shared values, and shared aspirations.”

He noted that this IBSA Meeting is both historic and timely — being held during the first-ever G20 Summit on the African Island and after three consecutive G20 presidencies held by Global South countries. He urged the grouping to strengthen initiatives on human-centric development, sustainable growth, and multilateral reforms.

South Africa currently chairs IBSA. The forum, which unites three major democracies from Asia, Africa, and South America, was formalised as the IBSA Dialogue Forum during a meeting of their foreign ministers in Brasilia on June 6, 2023.

With inputs from IANS