By: Anit Mukherjee and Caroline Arkalji
In September 2024, the IBSA Dialogue Forum — comprising India, Brazil, and South Africa — saw a meeting of foreign affairs ministers during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York. The ministers reaffirmed their dedication to revitalizing and maximizing the potential of IBSA, bringing together three continental leaders of the Global South. The IBSA grouping was founded in 2003 when the foreign ministers of India, Brazil, and South Africa met in Brasilia and issued the Brasilia Declaration, formally recognizing the IBSA Dialogue Forum as a trilateral initiative to promote social and economic progress through cooperation.
In the context of development cooperation, IBSA was a pioneer. In 2004, the IBSA Fund was established to provide financial support for South-owned, South-led, and demand-driven projects, prioritizing national ownership in the developing world. To date, the IBSA Fund has allocated $47 million and delivered $35 million across 45 projects in 38 countries, benefiting vulnerable and marginalized populations. The projects funded by IBSA addressed issues such as food security, HIV and AIDS, access to safe drinking water, quality education, and gender equality, all contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — issues relevant for the Global South and the G20.
However, the IBSA’s trajectory has been hindered by the rise of other initiatives such as BRICS and G20. The BRICS grouping, which initially included Brazil, Russia, India, and China with South Africa joining in 2011, represents over $30 trillion in GDP — approximately 29% of the global economy. It has further expanded in 2024 and now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, and Iran as its new members. This has raised concerns about IBSA's relevance, particularly due to overlapping memberships and objectives. The two groups have, however, coexisted albeit with IBSA's activities diminishing significantly in recent years. Between 2011 and 2024, the IBSA Forum held only six trilateral ministerial meetings, with no recent summits among heads of state. However, initiatives such as the IBSA Fellowship Programme and IBSA Fund continued to affirm the forum’s effort to promote the South-South cooperation.
The consecutive G20 presidencies of India, Brazil, and South Africa offer an unprecedented opportunity for IBSA to invigorate its performance and advance shared priorities on the global stage. This sequence of leadership allows for cohesive action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in areas like financing, technology, food security, and critical mineral access, while also setting the groundwork for a unified approach to COP30 in Belém in 2025.
At this year’s IBSA Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in New York, the ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to combating poverty and hunger, identifying these challenges as top priorities for the IBSA nations. They emphasized the importance of international collaboration in improving global food security and nutrition. Under Brazil's G20 presidency in 2024, critical concepts from the New Delhi Leader's Declaration, such as Mission LiFE, the Green Climate Pact, and Digital Public Infrastructure, have gained momentum through forward-thinking initiatives focused on combating hunger and inequality, advancing energy transition and climate action, and promoting inclusive digitalization. Also, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023, Brazilian President Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the creation of a "Task Force for a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty," signaling a proactive approach to addressing these critical issues worldwide.
In the context of the G20, the consecutive presidencies of India, Brazil, and South Africa mark a unique period for the group. The three countries have worked together to refocus the G20 agenda to address critical challenges of the Global South. Brazil and India have made joint efforts to sustain policy continuity over their presidencies, paving the way for South Africa's presidency in 2025. This provides an opportunity for the IBSA troika to collaborate within the G20 and beyond to further the focus on Agenda 2030 development priorities, including poverty reduction, tackling inequality, ensuring food and health security, promoting macroeconomic stability, improving global governance, advancing climate action, and driving digital transformation. Notably, for the first time, the IBSA Summit in Rio de Janeiro will include an external engagement session with countries that share IBSA's principles and values, serving as a bridge for cooperation and dialogue across countries of the Global South, thereby enhancing the forum's relevance and influence on the global stage.
The official launch of the "Task Force for a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty" is scheduled to coincide with the Rio G20 Summit in November. The IBSA ministers have welcomed the initiative and see it as a cornerstone of Brazil's G20 presidency. The Task Force aims to advance IBSA's key priorities — such as mobilizing resources and sharing knowledge to implement effective public policies and social technologies for reducing hunger and poverty — and foster collaboration among G20 members and other interested countries. The Task Force seeks to create a unified front in the global fight against poverty and hunger by addressing these urgent global challenges.
The upcoming Rio G20 Summit offers a significant platform for the IBSA grouping to push for essential reforms in the international financial architecture of global governance. As Brazil prepares to host COP30 in Belém in 2025, IBSA has a unique chance to lead the Global South in tackling critical issues such as poverty, hunger, climate change, and driving digital transformation. By advocating for increased resources and accountability, IBSA can enhance its influence and ensure that the voices of the Global South are heard and prioritized — both within the G20 and beyond.
Anit Mukherjee is Senior Fellow for the Global Economics & Development program at ORF America and Caroline Arkalji is a Research Assistant for the Global Economics and Development and Energy and Climate Policy programs at ORF America.