The IBSA Fund – A Partnership for Sustainable Development, 17 July 2025

• When: Thursday, 17 July 2025, 13:15 – 14:30 PM
• Where: UN HQ, New York, CR 8
• How to Join: Click here to register

Background:

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2025 convenes at a critical point in the journey toward achieving the 2030 Agenda. With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) off-track and global inequalities widening, the need for inclusive, equitable, and resilient development cooperation is more urgent than ever – yet support for financing SDG investments has experienced significant decreases. In this context, South-South cooperation remains a powerful tool to amplify proven development solutions and foster solidarity among countries of the Global South.

Among the most prominent examples of South-South cooperation is the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger, a joint initiative operational since 2006. The IBSA Fund has supported 48 projects across 39 countries, translating solidarity into action through scalable, country-owned solutions aligned with national development priorities and the SDGs.

This side event, co-organized by the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), with the support of IBSA and partner countries, will spotlight the catalytic impact of the IBSA Fund in advancing SDGs under review at HLPF 2025:

• SDG 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages;
• SDG 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;
• SDG 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all;
• SDG 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development;
• SDG 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize global partnerships for sustainable development.

Objectives:

Through a roundtable format that fosters open and inclusive dialogue, the Ministerial-level event will bring together high-level representatives from IBSA countries, partner governments, the UN system, and civil society to:

• Raise awareness of the IBSA Fund as a model for effective, inclusive South-South partnerships;
• Showcase innovative, replicable projects aligned with SDGs under review;
• Highlight the role of partner country leadership and ownership in development cooperation;
• Review the application of South-South Cooperation principles in practice;
• Share lessons learned from nearly two decades of IBSA Fund practical support across diverse sectors and regions;
• Foster dialogue around future priorities and opportunities for the Fund.

Rationale:

The global development landscape continues to grapple with persistent inequalities, climate challenges, and a slow recovery from overlapping crises, threatening the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. As the midpoint review of the SDGs reveals wide gaps between ambition and progress, there is an urgent need to accelerate and scale up cooperative solutions that are inclusive, effective, and sustainable.

The IBSA Fund offers a compelling case of development cooperation that is deeply rooted in solidarity, mutual respect, and shared development experiences among countries of the Global South. The Fund has proven its capacity to deliver concrete, impactful solutions that are demand-driven, country-owned, and scalable. Having provided over $54 million in funding, the IBSA Fund has created replicable models in health, education, livelihoods, gender equality, and environmental protection. It has become a recognized good practice for South-South cooperation in multilateral settings, including ECOSOC and the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation of the UN General Assembly.

As HLPF 2025 emphasizes advancing inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions, this event underscores the transformational role of South-South cooperation – and particularly the IBSA Fund – in enabling vulnerable countries to accelerate their development pathways. The event will illustrate how strategic partnerships under the IBSA model can catalyze systemic change, support progress on key SDGs, and offer valuable lessons for future global cooperation models.

High-level Roundtable Discussion (1h15 mins):

MC: Ines Tofalo, Trust Funds and Programme Management Specialist

Participants:

• UN Member State representatives, especially those that have partnered or are interested in partnering with the IBSA Fund, with an emphasis on Least Developed Countries, SIDS, and LLDCs
• Representatives of UN agencies and multilateral institutions
• Civil society, development practitioners and scholars

Contact:

For further information, please contact Ines Tofalo (ines.tofalo@unossc.org) +1 917 209 9395 or Hurchele Saaiman-Mhella (Saaiman-MhellaH@dirco.gov.za).