By Manish Chand

Brasilia, April 16 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday made a strong pitch for urgent reform of the United Nations and pushed for an early conclusion of an international convention to combat terrorism at the IBSA summit that comprises India, Brazil and South Africa.

"The systems of global governance have not kept pace with the changing realities of the world," Manmohan Singh said at the fourth IBSA summit that was held at Itamaraty Palace in the Brazilian capital.

"There is an urgent need for reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, by making it more democratic and representative," Manmohan Singh told Brazilian President Lula da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma.

Alluding to the commencement of text-based negotiations in the UN this month as a positive development, the prime minister stressed that the movement in the UN reforms process was possible due to the efforts of the G-4 countries of India, Brazil, Japan and Germany and South Africa.

Calling for global fight against the scourge of terrorism, Manmohan Singh said: "We should make all efforts for the early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN."

Manmohan Singh also stressed on expanding greater collaborative effort among top emerging economies to tackle leading global issues like climate change, the international financial crisis and the Doha round of international trade negotiations.

"IBSA can contribute to the shaping of the global agenda and highlighting the issues of concern to developing countries," he said. "We are united in our objective to ensure a fair and equitable international order," he stressed.

Underlining an all-embracing developmental agenda that lies at the heart of IBSA, a forum that brings together the three major democracies and economies of Asia, Africa and Latin America, Manmohan Singh said they are united by the primacy they accord to such issues as food security, social inclusiveness and energy security.

He also called for strengthening people-to-people contacts and civil society among the three countries separated by continental distances, but are united by pursuit of their developmental aspirations.

Striking a cautionary note on the global financial crisis, the prime minister said that although the critical phase of the crisis was over, the process of recovery is "still fragile and uneven."

"We have to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Global economic recovery, to be sustainable, must be anchored in the real economy," he said.

"Our focus should be on greater investments in infrastructure, human capital, education and inclusive growth. We must create new sources of growth," Manmohan Singh said while warning against speculation and volatility in the international system.

Manmohan Singh will also participate in the BRIC summit of India, Brazil, South Africa and China Thursday night (local time) before returning to India after wrapping up a week-long visit to the US and Brazil.