Members keen to revitalize India-Brazil-SA forum

New Delhi: The trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa forum is likely to receive increased diplomatic focus, according to persons aware of the matter. The IBSA forum, which was established in the early 2000s as a means to strengthen cooperation among three key emerging economies, is seen to have become dormant in recent years.

Between 2011 and 2022, the forum has held only four trilateral ministerial commission meetings. The latest took place in September 2022, when senior ministers of the three countries met in New York. India was represented by external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

However, a meeting of their heads of state or government has not taken place since 2011. The IBSAMAR military exercise, which brings together the navies of the three countries, was held in October 2022 after a gap of over four years. A novel format, bringing together the national security advisers of the three countries, has only seen one meeting, in 2021.

Queries to the foreign ministries of India, Brazil and South Africa remained unanswered at press time.

The persons cited above stated that members, particularly Brazil, saw the grouping as dormant and will push for its revival as a key diplomatic priority. Brazil holds the rotating chair of the grouping, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.

“The Brazilian presidency will seek to strengthen IBSA in its three pillars: political coordination, trilateral cooperation and cooperation with other developing countries, through the IBSA Fund,” according to the IBSA forum website.

The matter was raised during Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira’s bilateral meeting with Jaishankar during the G20 foreign ministers meeting in March.

According to the persons cited above, New Delhi responded positively to Brazil’s overtures. IBSA—essentially BRICS minus Russia and China—has helped amplify developing country views on climate change, global health and multilateral reforms, and disbursed $44 million in development funding for 34 countries.