A Fresh Wind from the South

The research paper examines the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) trilateral coalition, highlighting its shift from purely political goals, such as UN Security Council reform, toward pragmatic economic and social cooperation. While the coalition seeks to enhance south-south trade and technology exchange, the author notes that these countries remain heavily dependent on northern markets and investment.

• The IBSA coalition was initially driven by a shared political position and the goal of securing permanent seats on an expanded UN Security Council, but it is expanding its agenda to include tangible benefits and pragmatic exchanges in biotechnology, information technology, renewable energy, and direct transport links.
• An IBSA development fund was established with $1.5 million in start-up capital, contributed equally by India, Brazil, and South Africa, to support social upliftment projects backed by the UN Development Programme. However, the fund has faced operational difficulties in Laos and Guinea Bissau and lacks significant financial leverage.
• Trilateral trade between India, Brazil, and South Africa grew by 600% over ten years, reaching $3 billion last year. Despite this growth and a general increase in south-south trade (from 6.5% of global trade in 1991 to 10.7% at the time of writing), these countries still rely primarily on the purchasing power and foreign investment of the north.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). A Fresh Wind from the South. https://saiia.org.za/research/a-fresh-wind-from-the-south/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. A Fresh Wind from the South. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/a-fresh-wind-from-the-south/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=A Fresh Wind from the South |date=30 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/a-fresh-wind-from-the-south/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008fresh, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{A Fresh Wind from the South}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/a-fresh-wind-from-the-south/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }