Jaishankar meets Liberian delegation, reaffirms Global South partnership
Synopsis
India rolled out a two-minister welcome for a Liberian Parliamentary delegation on 11 August — EAM Jaishankar and Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi both held meetings in a single day. The visit, funded through the IBSA Fund and co-organised by UN Women, spotlights how New Delhi is using its welfare programme playbook — Jan-Dhan, Jal Jeevan Mission, SVAnidhi — as diplomatic currency across the Global South.
Key Takeaways
Jaishankar met a Liberian Parliamentary delegation in New Delhi on 11 August , reaffirming Global South partnership.
The delegation includes members of the Liberian Senate , House of Representatives , and the Women's Legislative Caucus , led by Ellen-Attoh Wreh .
The visit runs from 10–15 August as a South-South Peer Learning Mission, funded by the IBSA Fund and co-organised by UN Women .
India shared experiences of schemes including Jan-Dhan Yojana , Jal Jeevan Mission , Beti Bachao Beti Padhao , and Mission Amrit Sarovar .
Minister Annapurna Devi also met the delegation, highlighting India's legislative and institutional commitments to women's empowerment.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, 11 August met a Parliamentary delegation from Liberia in New Delhi, reaffirming India's commitment to a deeper Global South partnership. The delegation is visiting India from 10–15 August on a South-South Peer Learning Mission, organised with the support of UN Women and funded through the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Fund.
What Was Discussed
Jaishankar shared India's experience with flagship welfare and development programmes, including Jan-Dhan Yojana, MUDRA Yojana, SVAnidhi, Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, and Mission Amrit Sarovar. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he "appreciated their interest and reaffirmed our commitment towards deeper Global South partnership."
Who Is in the Delegation
The delegation comprises members of the Liberian Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Women's Legislative Caucus of Liberia, led by Ellen-Attoh Wreh, along with representatives of UN Women. The mission is administered by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and co-funded by the governments of India, Brazil, and South Africa.
Women's Empowerment at the Centre
Earlier on the same day, Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi also met the delegation in New Delhi. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the minister "underlined India's approach of viewing women as active agents of national development" and highlighted India's legislative, programmatic, and institutional commitments to women's empowerment — spanning political representation, gender-responsive governance and budgeting, institutional responses to violence against women, the care economy, and women's leadership in local governance.
Broader Significance
The visit is part of a growing pattern of India leveraging its domestic welfare architecture as a soft-power tool under the South-South cooperation framework. This is the IBSA Fund's structured peer-learning format in action — allowing developing nations to study India's policy models directly. Both sides expressed commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation within this framework. The delegation's engagement with two senior ministers in a single day signals the diplomatic weight New Delhi is attaching to the visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did EAM Jaishankar meet the Liberian Parliamentary delegation?
Jaishankar met the delegation as part of a South-South Peer Learning Mission, during which India shared its experience with major welfare programmes. The meeting was aimed at reaffirming India's commitment to a deeper Global South partnership under the IBSA framework.
What is the IBSA Fund and who funds it?
The IBSA Fund is a trilateral development initiative administered by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and funded by the governments of India, Brazil, and South Africa. It supports peer-learning and development cooperation programmes among developing nations.
Which Indian welfare programmes were shared with the Liberian delegation?
India shared the experiences of Jan-Dhan Yojana, MUDRA Yojana, SVAnidhi, Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, and Mission Amrit Sarovar with the visiting Liberian delegation.
Who leads the Liberian delegation visiting India?
The delegation is led by Ellen-Attoh Wreh and comprises members of the Liberian Senate, the House of Representatives, the Women's Legislative Caucus of Liberia, and representatives of UN Women.
What role did Minister Annapurna Devi play in the visit?
Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi met the Liberian delegation separately on 11 August, briefing them on India's approach to women-led development, including political representation, gender-responsive governance, and women's leadership in local governance.
