In 2007, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP) together with think tanks from Brazil, India and South Africa launched a strategic »GIBSA Quadrilogue«. The forum is supposed to facilitate exchanges of ideas between these countries with regard to their respective perceptions and analyses of international relations, as well as regional issues. Its ultimate goal is to encourage cooperation through the identification of common positions, ideas and mutual interests.
The subjects discussed in the GIBSA Quadrilogue cover a wide range of issues, such as matters of international security, climate and energy policy, as well as international financial and trade policy.
Our partners in this project are the Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (CEBRI) in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies (IPCS) in New Delhi (India) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria (South Africa).
These four think tanks did not team up for a strategic dialogue at random. In fact, all four countries – Brazil, Germany, India and South Africa – have repeatedly been described as regional powers, anchor countries or agenda setters within their respective region. Moreover, in 2003 the three partner countries Brazil, India and South Africa already established a South-South initiative named »IBSA«. Since then, the trilateral forum has played an important role in communicating the interests of emerging and developing countries in international negotiations, for instance in the WTO's trade rounds or in the Human Rights Council. The G8 »Heiligendamm-Process«, initiated amongst others by the German government in 2007, was one of the first attempts to reflect the changing international political landscape, culminating in the establishment of the G20 as an agenda setting institution. While the »old« powers have not lost their importance, the multitude of global problems, ranging from climate change to cyber attacks, from debt crises to natural disasters, cannot be tackled without the participation of the new emerging powers.
The Quadrilogue of the four GIBSA partner institutes has been hosted once a year in one of the member countries since its inception. The next international conference of the partners and selected experts from science, business and politics will take place in Rio der Janeiro in October 2023.
GIBSA 2011 in Berlin was sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office.
Since 2012, the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung supports the GIBSA Quadrilogue as a project partner.
Networking against Transnational Crime and Terrorism
Report on the GIBSA Roundtable Meeting Held in Pretoria
GIBSA Policy Report, August 2013, 23 pages
Energy Security in a Sustainable World
An Outlook from GIBSA countries
GIBSA Policy Report, Juni 2012, 15 pages
Hannah Petersen / Sonja Thielges
The 2011 GIBSA Conference on the United Nations Security Council - Positions, Demands, Shared Interests
GIBSA Policy Report, Juli 2011, 10 pages
Meeting reports as of 2013 are for internal circulation only.