President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday addressed the IBSA Leaders’ Dialogue during the final day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, outlining areas of cooperation for India, Brazil and South Africa as the countries prepared to advance joint positions on global reform and development.
The meeting on Sundsy at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg was attended by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. South Africa hosted the summit under the theme Solidarity Equality Sustainability.
Ramaphosa welcomed the two leaders and said the dialogue took place at a time of significant global change. “The world in which we live is changing rapidly and dramatically,” he said. “It is clear that the countries of IBSA are ready to be part of global change and to work for a better future.”
He said the IBSA partnership continued to demonstrate long standing cooperation. According to Ramaphosa, “India, Brazil and South Africa are not merely participating in global economic governance, but are working to shape the global agenda.”
The president said the grouping must support efforts to reform international institutions. “Together, we must champion ambitious reform of the global governance institutions,” he said.
He highlighted climate action, just energy transitions, food security, health security and equitable access to technology as areas where collaboration needed to deepen. Ramaphosa said the global economic system continued to face challenges. “The structural fault in the global economy – the growing gap between the rich and the poor and deepening poverty and underdevelopment – can only effectively be addressed through a new paradigm of inclusive economic growth,” he said.
Ramaphosa noted ongoing work through the IBSA Fund and said it demonstrated the practical value of the partnership. He confirmed that the three countries would sign a collaboration agreement on foundational learning. “I am therefore delighted that we will be signing a collaboration agreement on foundational learning,” he said.
As South Africa assumed the chair of IBSA, Ramaphosa said the country would continue to promote engagement among the three partners. “South Africa wishes that, as IBSA, we revitalise our interactions and renew our determination to advance our founding goals,” he said.
He added that IBSA planned to convene its next Leaders’ Summit once a date was agreed. Ramaphosa said past engagements had allowed the three countries to address key challenges. “We have always been proud of the frankness of our discussions, our appetite for reflection and our continuous quest for lasting solutions,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the G20 theme aligned with the aims of the dialogue, adding that IBSA would continue to play a role in shaping international cooperation. “IBSA is more than a forum for dialogue. IBSA is a catalyst for global transformation,” he said.
