PIB Summary- 22th February, 2024 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

IBSA Forum

Context
Recently, India has contributed USD 1 million to a fund established by India, Brazil and South Africa.

IBSA Forum

• The IBSA Forum is a trilateral development initiative between India, Brazil, and South Africa that aims to promote cooperation and solidarity among these three countries. Here is a breakdown of the different aspects of the IBSA Forum:
• The IBSA Forum was established in 2003 as a response to the need for closer cooperation among emerging market countries to promote development, reduce poverty, and address issues of global governance.
• The name IBSA comes from the first letter of each country’s name.

Objectives:
The main objectives of the IBSA Forum are to strengthen the South-South cooperation and promote the interests of developing countries in the global arena. Some of the specific objectives include:

• Enhancing cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, science and technology, and information and communication technology.
• Promoting cooperation in multilateral fora such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the G20.
• Sharing experiences and best practices in areas such as poverty reduction, health, education, and social welfare.
• Supporting peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts in different parts of the world.
• Promoting cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

IBSA Fund

• Development projects are executed with IBSA funding in fellow developing countries through the IBSA Fund (India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation).
• Established in 2004, IBSA Fund is managed by the United Nations (UN) Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). Each IBSA member country is required to contribute $1 million per annum to the fund.
• Over the years, the fund has contributed $39 million and partnered in 19 countries from global South to implement 26 projects.
• Projects have been funded in countries such as Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Burundi, Cambodia, Haiti, Palestine, Vietnam and others.
• The fund has also been recognised for its good work in the field and has received UN South-South Partnership award 2006, UN MDG (Millenium Development Goals) award 2010, and the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Champions award in 2012.

Raisina Dialogue

Context
The ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue will be held from February 21 to 23rd in New Delhi.

Raisina Dialogue Overview:

• Started in 2016.
• Hosted in New Delhi.

Purpose:

• Addresses challenging global issues in geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Participants:

• Involves individuals from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds.
• Structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion.

Organizers:

• Conducted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Theme 2024:

• “Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create.”

Thematic Pillars:

• Divided into six thematic pillars for discussion during the three-day conference:
  • Tech Frontiers: Regulations & Realities
  • Peace with the Planet: Invest & Innovate
  • War & Peace: Armouries & Asymmetries
  • Decolonising Multilateralism: Institutions & Inclusion
  • The Post 2030 Agenda: People & Progress
  • Defending Democracy: Society & Sovereignty.