Using it's Role as G-20 Chair, How India Has Become Voice of 'Unheard Global South'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an all-party meeting called by the Centre on Monday as India assumed the G20 Presidency. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar among others were present in the meeting held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi to solicit suggestions, discuss and finalise strategies for the summit that India will host in September next year.

India officially assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1. New Delhi is expected to host over 200 preparatory meetings across the country, including at Hyderabad, beginning this month.

The next G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of heads of State or government is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10 next year in New Delhi.

Indonesia had earlier this month handed over the G20 presidency to India for the coming year at the Bali summit with Prime Minister Modi terming it a matter of pride for every Indian citizen.

4-day G20 Sherpa Meet Begins in Udaipur

The first G20 Sherpa meeting under India’s presidency is also underway in Rajasthan’s Udaipur. The four-day gathering from December 4-7 will set the stage for important conversations on some of the most pressing global issues. Amitabh Kant, the G20 Sherpa of India, welcomed G20 guests to Udaipur. He stressed that Rajasthan is known for warm hospitality and historical splendour and it is a “symbolic” beginning for G20 to demonstrate tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava.’

“We are passing through massive geopolitical crisis. We have seen the breakdown of global supply chains, countries suffering from rising debt and the huge crisis of climate action and climate finance,” Kant said addressing a side-event on Sustainable Development Goals at the first G20 Sherpa Meeting in Udaipur.

Giving out details on the meeting, Kant further said that the session focused on women’s leadership and climate finance. “We’ve circulated 14 issue notes along our working groups, these have been read by all countries and will be subject to debate and discussion. There is a lot of crisis in the world, and crisis is an opportunity and this (G20 presidency) is the greatest opportunity we have got,” he added.

“We had the first meeting of the G20 Sherpas today that went over the broad priorities of the Indian presidency. The delegates are enjoying the unique & traditional Indian flavour to the meeting,” said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, G20’s India Coordinator at Udaipur, Rajasthan.

G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).

(With inputs from PTI)

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