Preamble
The President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, H E Dr Manmohan Singh, and the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H E Ms Dilma Rousseff (hereinafter referred to as “the Leaders”) met at the Presidential Guest House, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, on 18 October 2011 for the fifth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum.
1. The Leaders noted that the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum brings together three large pluralistic, multi-cultural and multi-racial societies from three continents, i.e. Asia, South America and Africa, as a purely South-South grouping of like-minded countries committed to inclusive sustainable development, in pursuit of well-being for their peoples.
The Leaders underscored the importance of the principles, norms and values underpinning the IBSA Dialogue Forum, i.e. participatory democracy, respect for human rights, and the Rule of Law.
2. This Summit took place at a critical time globally, when the world economy is faced with serious challenges and where democracy is being sought after in areas such as the Middle East and North Africa. The Leaders highlighted that the basic pillar of IBSA is the shared vision of the three countries that democracy and development are mutually reinforcing and key to sustainable peace and stability.
The Leaders posited that the entrenched democratic values shared by the three countries to the good of their peoples and are willing to share, if requested, the democratic and inclusive development model of their societies with countries in transition to democracy.
3. The Leaders acknowledged the importance of the IBSA Dialogue Forum as an instrument to promote coordination on global issues, pertinently during the historic occasion of 2011 when all IBSA Member States serve as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
4. Recalling the Declarations and Communiqués issued during the previous Summits, they took the opportunity to deliberate upon the topics hereunder.
Coordination in multilateral organisations
5. The leaders recalled their joint collaboration in the UN Security Council and other relevant international fora such as the United Nations Specialised Agencies and groupings such as the G20, G24, World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), BASIC, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), and G77 + China.
Global governance reform
6. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to increase the participation of developing countries in the decision-making bodies of multilateral institutions. They underscored the need for urgent reform of the United Nations (UN) to render it more democratic and consistent with the current geopolitical reality. They particularly emphasised that no reform of the United Nations will be complete without a reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC), including an expansion in both the permanent and non permanent categories of its membership, with increased participation of developing countries in both. Such reform is of the utmost importance for the UNSC to reflect the representativeness and legitimacy it needs to face contemporary challenges.
7. They reiterated that the current international system has to be more reflective of the needs and priorities of developing countries. IBSA, as like-minded countries, will continue to strive to contribute to a new world order whose political, economic and financial architecture is more inclusive, representative and legitimate.
8. They underscored the need for urgent reform of the UN Security Council, including an expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership, with increased participation of developing countries in both. They discussed the G4 initiative of a draft resolution on expansion of the Security Council in both categories and improvement of its working methods.
The initiative has been supported by a wide coalition of Member States, from all regional groups of the United Nations. Therefore, they expressed the view that such strong support should be considered as the basis for further discussion in the on-going intergovernmental negotiations on the UNSC reform.
The need for greater progress in the intergovernmental negotiations was identified as critical to ensure the required impetus to achieve change. They committed themselves to maintain close cooperation and coordination in order to achieve tangible results during the 66th session of the General Assembly.
9. They expressed their satisfaction with the positive role that the three IBSA countries have been playing in the maintenance of international peace and security during their current tenure on the Security Council. They committed themselves to continued close cooperation in order to bring their perspectives into the work and decision-making processes of the UNSC.
They reaffirmed their willingness and capacity to take on major responsibilities in the maintenance of international peace and security. In this context, the IBSA countries declared support for each other’s aspirations for permanent seats in a reformed United Nations Security Council.
10. The leaders encouraged coalitions of developing countries, devoted to the process of UNSC reform to actively participate in expediting the on-going intergovernmental negotiations. The Leaders recalled the critical role of the regional organisations in resolving conflicts. The urged the UNSC to work closely with them.
11. The Leaders committed themselves to continue to work together in relevant multilateral fora to enhance macro-economic policy coordination for sustainable recovery and continued growth. As members of the G20, IBSA Countries reaffirmed their support for the Group as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
The Leaders stressed the importance of sustaining long-term capital flows to developing countries to stimulate investment, especially in infrastructure and called upon Multilateral Development Banks and Regional Development Banks to mobilise more resources and to find ways to expand their lending capacity to developing countries.
12. The Leaders emphasised the importance of the G20 development agenda, with its focus on the contribution to sustainable growth in developing countries, especially in low income countries. They committed themselves to work together for the continued mainstreaming of the development agenda of the G20 in the future, with the emphasis on infrastructure, food security and trade
13. The Leaders called for the early implementation of the targets for the reform of the International Monetary Fund relating to the mandate, representation, scope, governance, responsibility, responsiveness and development orientation of the Fund, in order to ensure that the Fund is democratic, responsive and accountable.
The Leaders reiterated that the governing structure of the Fund should reflect the changed realities of the global economy in the 21st Century, through the increased voice and representation of emerging economies and developing countries. The Leaders emphasised that reform of the international financial institutions should be carried out in accordance with G20 commitments, with the objective of achieving an equitable distribution of voting power between developed and developing countries consistent with their participation in the world economy.
14. The Leaders agreed that the Heads and senior leadership of all international institutions should be appointed through an open, transparent and merit-based process beginning with the selection of the next President of the World Bank in 2012. The Leaders underscored the importance of strictly adhering to the commitments already agreed in other fora, such as in the G20, including the development agenda.
Peace Building Commission (PBC)
15. Recalling the interdependence between security and development, the leaders reiterated their view that peacekeeping operations have a contribution to make in early peace building activities and in providing an environment conducive to the implementation of development strategies, as a means to bring immediate peace dividends to afflicted areas and to contribute to a cooperative atmosphere for UN missions.
The leaders noted that when considering the deployment of a mission or in evaluating and renewing the mandate of current missions, the UN Security Council should work in close cooperation with the Peace Building Commission, with a view to developing a stronger synergy between the two organs.
Global financial and economic crisis
16. The Leaders expressed concern at the on-going deterioration of the global economic scenario, which presents particular challenges for the economic policy and growth prospects of developing and low-income countries. Downside risks have increased substantially in recent weeks.
They stressed the importance of the implementation of a credible plan of macro-economic and financial policies and structural reforms by the Eurozone countries, as a necessary step to prevent further negative shocks to the world economy.
They also highlighted the importance of complementary measures by other key developed economies to boost recovery and help the global economy as a whole. They emphasised that domestic policy responses and structural reforms alone remain insufficient to restore growth in many developed and developing countries.
17. The Leaders emphasised the need to increase policy coordination amongst G20 nations, with a view to avert a new recession and to promote a robust recovery in order to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the global economy in the medium term. This requires carefully calibrated fiscal consolidation in countries with high debt levels and measures to strengthen domestic demand in countries with large surpluses. The Leaders believe that Brazil, India and South Africa are doing their part to promote growth while containing inflationary pressures and ensuring fiscal discipline.
18. The Leaders stressed the importance of implementing the current international commitments of financial regulatory reform, with a view to improving oversight and supervision, towards a more resilient financial system. They also renewed their commitment to the timely implementation of the Basel III agreement.
19. The Leaders emphasised the importance of a more stable and resilient International Monetary System and coherent management of capital flows. They highlighted the special responsibility of reserve currency issuers in the field, in the sense that their policies can have a disproportionate impact on global liquidity and capital flows.
The social dimensions of global governance
20. The Leaders reaffirmed that people must come first and should participate in the formulation and implementation of public policies, allowing for fair, equitable and sustainable development. They stressed the need to strengthen social policies and to fight poverty, unemployment and hunger.
They considered this a relevant priority in the context of an increasingly globalised world, as well as in the restructuring the international financial architecture, which directly affects the welfare of people, particularly of older persons, the youth, the family and persons with disabilities. They reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. They highlighted the role of the IBSA Facility for the Alleviation of Hunger and Poverty in the implementation of South-South cooperation projects.
Achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs)
21. The Leaders noted that 2015 remains a fundamental target date, by which MDGs must be met. The leaders reaffirmed that with just four years to go for the target year, global efforts for attaining the MDGs by 2015 must see accelerated action. In this regard they called upon developed countries to urgently meet their ODA commitments and to take steps to strengthen global partnership as envisaged in MDG 8 including technology transfer.
They further noted that the tepid pace of recovery of the global economy must not lead to lowering of ambition on the MDGs. The Leaders reaffirmed their efforts to strengthening the global partnership for development, but reiterate the necessity of the expeditious delivery of commitments already made by developed countries in the context of the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development.
22. The Leaders acknowledged the centrality of the objectives and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and its pursuit for the advancement of the agenda for sustainable development. In this regard, the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the Millennium Summit on 8 September 2000, which reaffirms the objective of making the Right to Development a reality for everyone, remains complementary to the overall spirit of the Charter of the United Nations.
23. The Leaders acknowledged that the successful achievement of the MDGs; as encapsulated in the Millennium Declaration, the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document and 2010 High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly; requires strong political will and commitment; adequate funding at the national, regional and international levels; and strengthened international cooperation.
24. The Leaders noted that Sub-Saharan Africa faces peculiar challenges, with respect toward the achievement of the MDGs and has seen less improvement than other developing regions of the world. The African situation remains highly worrisome, particularly in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) who are faced with severe poverty and underdevelopment. There is therefore an imperative need for enhanced international cooperation and solidarity, especially under MDG 8, in order to ensure results.
International trade (World Trade Organisation Doha Development Round)
25. The Doha Development Round negotiations were launched on the basis of a mandate that sought to put the interests of developing countries at the centre of the work programme. The current impasse in the negotiations is therefore a source of serious concern.
The distortions caused by the high levels of protection and subsidies in agriculture in the developed countries continue to undermine the development prospect of many developing countries, especially the least developed countries.
26. The Leaders reiterated their view that the demands of the current negotiations in the Doha Development Round reflect an imbalance in the sense that there is too much accommodation of the sensitivities of developed countries in agriculture, alongside unjust demands on developing countries to open their markets in the services and industrial sectors.
The Leaders expressed concern at initiatives, such as a standstill on tariffs that remove WTO consistent policy space previously negotiated by developing countries.
Developmental agenda remains central to the Doha Round
27. To overcome the current impasse and to bring the Round to a successful conclusion, the Leaders reiterated the need to re-affirm the integrity of the mandate that launched the Round, and to build on the convergence already achieved. The Leaders urged the members of the WTO to reach an agreement on measures of interest to LDCs such as DFQF, Cotton, and services waiver and not to make it conditional to reaching an agreement on market access issues."
Sustainable development
28. The Leaders of India and South Africa pledged their support for Brazil’s hosting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro (“Rio+20 Summit”) to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development; to assess progress towards internationally agreed commitments on sustainable development and to address new and emerging challenges.
The Leaders acknowledged the relevance of the main themes for the Summit namely the Green Economy in the context of Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development and the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development in implementing the Sustainable Development agenda.
The Leaders recognised that this conference represents a key opportunity for the international community to examine and reinforce long term commitments established since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg.
29. The Leaders agreed that Rio+20 should renew political commitment to accelerate the implementation of the sustainable development agenda as defined by the Rio Principles and taken forward through the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPoI) in pursuit of global sustainable development.
Recognising that the green economy is a means to sustainable development and poverty eradication, the Leaders stressed the significance of this conference in addressing the emerging sustainable development challenges associated with the multiple global issues such as food price volatility and food security, energy scarcity and energy access, unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, challenges of rapid urbanisation, land degradation and climate change.
Therefore, they stressed that there is no “one-size-fits-all” strategy for sustainable development and that the conference should reinvigorate political commitment towards the implementation of the global sustainable development agenda and work towards assisting developing countries through additional and new financing, technology transfer and capacity building in their efforts to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Furthermore, the Leaders emphasised the importance of reaching an agreement on an effective multilateral institutional framework to coordinate, support and enable sustainable development efforts by the international community and relevant stakeholders in a coherent and integrated manner.
Climate Change
30. South Africa as the host of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol, which will be taking place in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011, appreciates the support of India and Brazil towards a successful outcome in Durban.
The outcome of Durban should be comprehensive, balanced and ambitious, within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and in accordance with the provisions and principles of the Convention, in particular the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
31. The Leaders recalled the two-track Bali Road Map decisions and that the Durban Climate Change Conference is the last opportunity to reach an agreement before the end of the first commitment period for developed country mitigation commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
They therefore, called for an agreement on the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol as well as the early operationalisation of all the institutions agreed to at Conference of the Parties (COP16)/CMP6 in Cancun last year, the Adaptation Committee; the Technology Executive Committee, the Technology Centre and Network; the Standing Committee on Finance and the Green Climate Fund, which must provide significant means of implementation for immediate action to tackle climate change. In this regard, an appropriate assessment of the Green Climate Fund should be undertaken during COP17/CMP7, in order to ensure its adequate structure, with a view to timely disbursements to developing countries.
Furthermore, there is a need to ensure that accounting of finance by all developed countries is consistent, complete, comparable, transparent and accurate, and should include detailed and comprehensive information on fast start financial flows provided by developed countries.
32. The Leaders emphasised the centrality of adaptation and means of implementation as part of a balanced and comprehensive outcome towards the completion of the Bali Road Map. In addition, it is recognised that the extent to which developing countries can implement their actions is dependent on the extent to which developed countries fulfil their commitment to provide sufficient financing, technological and capacity building support to enable both mitigation and adaptation action.
Biodiversity
33. The Leaders, also as members of the Group of Like-Minded Mega-diverse Countries appreciated the initiative of India to host in October 2012, the eleventh Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP11 of CBD) and the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 6) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
COP11 of CBD will consider among other, the status of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their utilisation, the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011 to 2020 and its progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the agreed process to adopt indicators and targets for the Resource Mobilisation Strategy.
Global food security
34. The Leaders expressed their concern about the continuing challenges that developing countries are facing regarding food and nutritional security, such as negative consequences of food inflation and food price volatility. They also expressed concern at how the rising cost of inputs may have regressive impacts on agriculture production and highlighted the need to ensure an increase in agricultural production and productivity, and regulation of commodity markets to meet a growing demand.
Regarding the on-going famine in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia, the Leaders renewed their appeal for countries to deliver on commitments made to provide funding to address issues of food and nutrition security, especially in support of domestic and regional programmes, where they exist.
35. It remains imperative that international collaboration improves to ensure that agricultural productivity be augmented, together with an increase in emergency aid, where needed.
The Leaders emphasised the need to support small scale and subsistence agriculture and greater market access for their products. Simultaneously, the need for increased sharing of intellectual property with developing countries that could increase resilience in addressing agricultural development and sufficient nutritional feeding remains critical.
36. The Leaders expressed their support for the UN food based institutions in Rome, and other regional organisations that could increase the capacity of developing countries to deal with the issues of increased agricultural production, food security and nutritional feeding to ensure that they eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and attain the Millennium Development Goal 1.
In this regard the Leaders welcomed the election of Dr JosèGraziano da Silva of Brazil as the first Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from the Latin America region The Leaders expressed optimism that under the able leadership of Dr Silva, FAO would continue to grow in strength, particularly looking at its regional programmes, when addressing the specific problems of agriculture development and food security.
South-South cooperation
37. The Leaders undertook to continue to advance the agreed principles underlying South-South cooperation. The Leaders recalled that South-South cooperation is a common endeavour of peoples and countries of the South, a partnership among equals, and must be guided by the principles of respect for national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, non-conditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs and mutual benefit.
38. The Leaders affirmed that South-South cooperation is complementary to, and not a substitute for, North-South Cooperation. It encompasses all the aspects of international relations beyond the traditional economic and technical areas. South-South Cooperation is an on-going process which helps developing countries to confront the common challenges they face in successfully promoting their own sustainable development, including through enhancing the capacities of the arrangements and the institutions that promote such cooperation. In this context, the Leaders reaffirmed the importance of South-South Cooperation being implemented jointly through the IBSA Trust Fund.
Human rights
39. The Leaders expressed the imperative need for the international community to recognise and reaffirm the centrality of the Human Rights Council. The Leaders welcomed the recently concluded Outcome of the review of the status, functioning and working methods of the United Nations Human Rights Council and in this regard reiterated their commitment to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language or religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The Leaders recognised that development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.
40. The Leaders recalled the political declaration signed by Head of States and Government on World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) + 10, held in New York, on 22 September 2011, and reaffirmed their commitment to implement the provisions of the outcomes of WCAR and called on all states to commit to the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as the most instructive United Nations document on the global efforts for the eradication of the scourges of racism and related intolerance.
41. The Leaders expressed the need for IBSA countries to continue to explore mechanisms to further deepen cooperation in international human rights bodies by developing common initiatives aimed at the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. They also reiterated their commitment to strengthening technical assistance and capacity building for the promotion and protection on human rights, based on their respective experiences and good practices.
Disarmament and non-proliferation
42. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the goal of the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe, in a comprehensive, universal, non-discriminatory, verifiable and irreversible manner.
They also renewed their support for efforts related to the disarmament and non-proliferation of other weapons of mass destruction, with a view to expediting their elimination. Brazil and South Africa welcomed India’s engagement with, and interest in, participation in the relevant international multilateral export control regimes and utilisation of their guidelines.
Terrorism
43. The Leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as it constitutes one of the most serious to international peace and security.
44. The Leaders regretted and condemned the recent attacks in India that resulted in loss of lives. The Leaders of Brazil and South Africa offered condolences to the government and people of India. The Leaders in the same vein reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and encouraged cooperation among States and regional organisations in the fight against terrorism.
In this regard they emphasised the urgent need to finalise the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) and called upon all UN member-States to cooperate in resolving outstanding issues with the objective of an expeditious conclusion of negotiations and adoption of this Convention. They reaffirmed the central role of the UN in coordinating the international action against terrorism within the framework of the UN Charter and in accordance with the international law.
Transnational organised crime
45. The Leaders welcomed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution A/RES/65/230 on the Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice which endorsed the Salvador Declaration on Comprehensive Strategies for Global Challenges: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Systems and Their Development in a Changing World.
The Leaders also acknowledged that organised crime in all its manifestations is an anathema that poses a great threat to social, economic and moral fiber of societies and has serious potential to undermine good governance. Organised crime further weakens efforts towards poverty eradication and sustainable development, and the way forward should be regional and international cooperation.
The Leaders recognised that women, along with children, are the main victims of human trafficking, particularly for forced labour and sexual exploitation. The Leaders emphasised the need to coordinate policies among countries and to create effective channels to combat this crime.
46. The Leaders welcomed the adoption of the 2010 United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons which will contribute to the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children, as well as enhance cooperation and better coordination of efforts in fighting trafficking in persons.
47. The Leaders invited Governments to take into consideration the Salvador Declaration when formulating legislation and policy directives and to make all efforts where appropriate to implement the principles contained therein, taking into account the economic, social, legal and cultural specificities of their respective States.
48. The Leaders called on Member States of IBSA to collaborate in their fight against the scourge of transnational organised crime, including cooperation in the area of extradition, mutual legal assistance and criminal justice.
Intellectual property rights
49. The Leaders emphasised the need for an equitable and balanced international system of rules governing intellectual property, allowing among others, for the protection of indigenous knowledge systems against abuse and for preventing the misappropriation of genetic resources, and associated traditional knowledge.
50. They emphasised, in this context, the need for a balanced international intellectual property system that contextualises Intellectual Property Rights in the larger framework of socio-economic development and views them, not as ends in themselves, but as a means of promoting innovation, growth and development in all countries through calibrated norm-setting, protection and enforcement, while facilitating the effective transfer of technology.
To this end, they called for the full implementation of the Development Agenda of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in all areas of its work. In this context, they welcomed the progress being made towards evolving legally-binding international instrument(s) in WIPO for the effective protection of Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions and urged early adoption of these instruments within the 2012‘13 biennium.
Reaffirming the important role played by Exceptions, Exclusions and Limitations in bringing the necessary balance between Intellectual Property Rights and public interest, the Leaders took positive note of the on-going initiatives in WIPO. The leaders noted with appreciation that IBSA countries were already co-coordinating their positions on a number of issues within the framework of the Development Agenda Group (DAG).
51. The Leaders warned against attempts at developing new international rules on enforcement of intellectual property rights outside the multilateral fora that may give free rein to systematic abuses in the protection of rights, the building of barriers against free trade and undermining fundamental civil rights.
Internet governance
52. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together towards a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society and their agreement to continue to coordinate positions for the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) follow-up mechanisms, as well as in the other fora and organisations related to the Information Society and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
53. The Leaders expressed their satisfaction with the on-going work in this arena; recognised the role of the Internet as a catalyst for economic and social progress; and emphasised its potential to enhance IBSA’s profile as a key global player. The leaders reaffirmed the IBSA framework agreement for Cooperation on the Information Society adopted on 13 September 2006 and recalled the commitments made in the Geneva Declaration of Principles and the Tunis Agenda with regard to Enhanced Cooperation.
54. The Leaders highlighted the importance of building a wide political coalition at the international level for making the global internet governance regime as multilateral, democratic and transparent as provided by the WSIS. In this context, they reiterated the urgent need to operationalise the process of ‘Enhanced Cooperation’ mandated by the Tunis Agenda and recalled, with satisfaction, the fruitful coordination amongst IBSA countries in the deliberations on ‘Enhanced Cooperation’ in the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) and in the UN Secretary-General’s Open Consultations held in December 2010. The leaders took note of the recommendations of the IBSA Workshop on Global Internet Governance convened in Rio de Janeiro on 1 to 2 September 2011 and resolved to jointly undertake necessary follow-up action.
55. The Leaders emphasised Internet Governance as a key strategic area that requires close collaboration and concrete action. In this context, it recommended the establishment of an IBSA Internet Governance and Development Observatory that should be tasked to monitor developments on global Internet Governance and provide regular updates and analyses from the perspective of developing countries.
Energy
56. The Leaders acknowledged that each State has a right to define its national energy policy in accordance with its national circumstances and requirements and its relevant international obligations. They also recognised that a diverse portfolio of energy sources will be needed in future to sustain energy and electricity resources in all regions of the world.
In this regard, the availability of energy and access to it are vital to human development, and they recognised that renewable energy, as well as nuclear power play an important role in the energy mix of countries and also contributes to mitigate the risk of global climate change. The Leaders remain convinced of the importance of encouraging joint research and studies to promote cooperation and information exchange in the field of development of sustainable and alternative energy.
Health
57. The Leaders expressed their conviction that universal access to healthcare and affordable medicines is an indispensible step to achieve the ambitious goals adopted by the international community in the fight against communicable and non communicable diseases, as set forth by the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS of 2011 and by the Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases of 2011.
58. Furthermore, the Leaders recognised that the effective impact of intellectual property on health, access to drugs and prices can best be tackled by enabling developing nations to scale up production of generic medicines through the full use of the flexibilities provided by the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) agreement, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, and, with the support of the World Health Organisation, by the Global Strategy on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, (WHO).
59. The Leaders welcomed the convening of the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, to be held from 19 to 21 October 2011, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In this context, the leaders expressed the hope that the - Conference will be able to agree a common agenda for the implementation of a social determinants of health approach to reduce health inequities.
Gender
60. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women and the Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals, as well as important contributions made by IBSA in achieving women’s empowerment and gender equality.
