External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India, Shri S. Jaishankar, chaired the customary meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers through video conferencing on 16th September, 2020. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Ms. Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor and the Secretary (Vice-Minister) for National Sovereignty and Citizenship of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Ambassador Fabio Marzano, led their respective delegations.
The Ministers exchanged views on furthering IBSA cooperation. The Ministers also exchanged views on various issues of global significance including peace, security, countering terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, multilateral trading system, disarmament, non-proliferation issues and South-South Cooperation. Further, the Ministers shared their experience on COVID-19 pandemic situation and appreciated the work done by the IBSA Fund for Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger.
On this occasion, they adopted and released the IBSA Joint Ministerial Statement on the Reform of the UN Security Council, as a common endeavour of the Global South. The Ministers emphasized the need for the international community to redouble efforts and bolster commitment to achieve tangible progress for accelerated and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council and renewed commitment towards expansion of Security Council membership by including representation from emerging and developing countries, in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, for achieving a representative, inclusive, equitable, responsive and effective UN Security Council.