1st IBSA Summit Meeting, September 13, 2006, Brasilia, Joint Press Communique

The Prime Minister of India, H.E. Manmohan Singh, the President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the President of South Africa, H.E. Thabo Mbeki, met in Brasília on 13 September 2006, for the historic 1st Summit Meeting of the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA). They expressed their deep appreciation with the consolidation of the IBSA Dialogue Forum.

2. The three leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion of peace, security and sustainable economic and social development in the world and in their respective regions. They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and the pre-eminent role of the United Nations. They also discussed the reform of the United Nations and of the United Nations Security Council and the successful conclusion of the Doha Round in the WTO, with the development dimension at the core of its outcome.

3. The Heads of State and Government reiterated their support for the comprehensive reform of the United Nations and welcomed the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. They reaffirmed the need for a decision regarding the expansion of the Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, so as to reflect contemporary realities and make it more democratic, legitimate, representative and responsive. They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to jointly pursue a decision on Security Council expansion on an urgent basis.

4. The Heads of State and Government unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They stressed that there can be no justification, whatsoever, for any act of terrorism. They shared the view that the international community must further intensify efforts and cooperation to fight this scourge. They called upon all member states to seriously work towards an expeditious finalization of the text for a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

5. The Presidents of Brazil and South Africa also expressed their outrage at the barbaric terrorist attacks, carried out on 11 July 2006 in Mumbai and other parts of India. They called upon the international community to undertake all necessary measures to bring to justice perpetrators, collaborators and sponsors of these and other acts of terrorism, as well as those who incite the perpetrators to commit them.

6. The Heads of State and Government reiterated their strong commitment to the Action Against Hunger and Poverty Initiative and, in particular, the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome. They noted with satisfaction the progress towards creating an International Drug Purchasing Facility to respond to the challenges of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

7. They also committed themselves to further enhancing trilateral cooperation in the field of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis and to explore the possibilities of concluding a trilateral instrument for collaboration among all three countries for research and development of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis diagnostic tools, drugs and vaccines. This would pool the significant capabilities that exist in the IBSA countries.

8. India, Brazil and South Africa, elected to the newly formed Human Rights Council, share common visions regarding the promotion and protection of human rights. The three countries share a common vision to reaffirm the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the realization and operationalization of the Right to Development and the special protection of rights of vulnerable groups.

9. India, Brazil and South Africa share similar views regarding the importance of achieving sustainable development, particularly through the eradication of poverty, the promotion of economic growth and the protection of the environment. They urge the donor countries to meet their Official Development Assistance targets and to mobilize new and additional financial resources.

10. The Prime Minister of India and the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa took stock of the global security situation concerning disarmament and non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The leaders reiterated their commitment to the goal of complete elimination of nuclear weapons. They emphasized the necessity to start negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons in a comprehensive, non-discriminatory and verifiable manner with a specified framework of time.

11. The Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the inalienable right of all States to the peaceful application of nuclear energy, consistent with their international legal obligations. They agreed to explore approaches to cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under appropriate IAEA safeguards. They further agreed that international civilian nuclear cooperation, under appropriate IAEA safeguards, amongst countries committed to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation objectives could be enhanced through acceptable forward-looking approaches, consistent with their respective national and international obligations.

12. The Heads of State and Government deeply regretted that the WTO's Doha Development Agenda negotiations have been suspended. Failure to conclude the negotiations in accordance with the mandate will deprive developing countries of fair and equitable conditions for fully realizing their Right to Development. Distortions affecting agricultural trade and production should be expeditiously eliminated and agriculture should be fully incorporated into the rules of the multilateral trading system. They called upon countries that have not yet done so to substantially and effectively reduce their expenditures on agricultural subsidies. India, Brazil and South Africa shall spare no effort to resume the suspended negotiations.

13. The Heads of State and Government reiterated their commitment towards a fairer global trading system, to the benefit of developing countries. In this respect, and taking into account the spirit of the Brasilia Declaration, they welcomed the progress achieved so far in the São Paulo Round of the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP).

14. The Prime Minister of India, the President of Brazil and the President of South Africa reviewed initiatives for trilateral sectoral cooperation. They expressed deep satisfaction with new, concrete results achieved during the 1st IBSA Summit in the areas of Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, Trade, Science and Technology and Information Society. They decided to further explore additional opportunities for trilateral cooperation.

15. The Heads of State and Government expressed their deep satisfaction with the signing, during the 1st IBSA Summit, of the IBSA Action Plan on Trade Facilitation for Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment.

16. They expressed their full support and commitment to the expeditious establishment of the Working Group to focus on the modalities for the envisaged India-Mercosur-SACU Trilateral Free Trade Area.

17. They reaffirmed, in parallel, the importance of ongoing India-Mercosur and Mercosur-SACU negotiations with a view to broadening and deepening existing Tariff Preference Agreements.

18. The three countries expressed their satisfaction with the presence of important and high level business delegations from India, Brazil and South Africa at the "India, Brazil and South Africa Business Summit", organized by the Brazilian Confederation of National Industry (CNI) with the support of ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI from India, and BUSA, from South Africa. Furthermore, the Heads of State and Government held a meeting with business delegations from the three countries and had a fruitful exchange of views on perspectives and challenges for the expansion of trade among the IBSA countries.

19. The Heads of State and Government expressed deep appreciation for the signature, during the IBSA Summit, of a Memorandum of Understanding on Biofuels, with the decision to create a Trilateral Task Force on Biofuels to work on concrete areas of common interest.

20. The Prime Minister of India and the President of South Africa praised the Ethanol international initiative launched by Brazil and agreed on the need to work together to promote and enhance the use of ethanol and biodiesel.

21. The Heads of State and Government agreed that the Memorandum of Understanding on Trilateral Cooperation in Agriculture and Allied Fields, signed during the IBSA Summit, will be an important instrument to promote socio-economic development and South-South cooperation.

22. The Heads of State and Government welcomed the signing of the IBSA Trilateral Agreement Concerning Merchant Shipping and Other Maritime Transport Related Matters.

23. They also emphasized the importance of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Civil Aviation as soon as possible, through the establishment of regular air services linking India, Brazil and South Africa. They encouraged airlines from the three countries to continue working towards this goal.

24. The Heads of State and Government expressed their satisfaction with the signing of an IBSA Framework of Cooperation on Information Society, which provides the basis for future trilateral work aiming at reducing the digital divide in their societies.

25. The Heads of State and Government emphasized the fact that the IBSA Facility Fund constitutes a pioneer and unique initiative of South-South cooperation. In this regard, they expressed their satisfaction with the initiatives in Guinea-Bissau and Haiti. The Prime Minister of India and the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa underscored their countries' commitment to allocate at least US$ 1 million a year to the IBSA Facility Fund. IBSA members encourage developing countries, particularly the Least Developing Countries, to submit projects to the IBSA Fund.

26. The Heads of State and Government expressed their satisfaction that the 4th Meeting of the Trilateral Commission would be hosted by India, in the first quarter of 2007. In addition, they considered the possibility of holding the 2nd Summit of the IBSA Dialogue Forum, in South Africa, on a date to be set through diplomatic channels.

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