Bali: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India’s G-20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious and action-oriented, noting that it is taking the responsibility at a time the world is grappling with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown and rising food and energy prices.
India was handed over the presidency of the influential bloc at the end of the two-day G-20 summit that saw sharp differences over the Russian invasion of Ukraine including ways to handle its economic implications.
In his remarks at the closing ceremony of the summit where India was handed over the presidency, Modi said the country will strive to ensure that the G-20 acts as a global “prime mover” to envision new ideas and accelerate collective action over the next one year. “India is taking charge of the G-20 at a time when the world is simultaneously grappling with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising food and energy prices, and the long-term ill-effects of the pandemic,” Modi said. “At such a time, the world is looking at the G-20 with hope. Today, I want to assure that India’s G-20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented,” he said. India will officially assume the G20 Presidency from December 1.
In an address at an earlier session, Modi said digital transformation should not be confined to a small part of the “human race” and its greater benefits will be realised only when digital access becomes “truly inclusive”. “It is the responsibility of us G-20 leaders that the benefits of digital transformation should not be confined to a small part of the human race,” he said, pitching for work by the bloc to bring digital transformation into the lives of everyone in the next 10 years. In the session on digital transformation, the prime minister also said that the principle of “data for development” will be an integral part of the overall theme of India’s upcoming G-20 Presidency. In his remarks at the closing session, the prime minister said India’s presidency of the G-20 is a proud occasion for every Indian and that the country will organise G-20 meetings in different cities and states.
“Our guests will get full experience of India’s amazing diversity, inclusive traditions, and cultural richness. We wish that all of you will participate in this unique celebration in India, the ‘Mother of Democracy’. Together, we will make the G-20, a catalyst for global change,” he said. Modi also listed India’s priorities for the G-20. “Over the next one year, we will strive to ensure that the G-20 acts as a global prime mover to envision new ideas and accelerate collective action,” he said. “The sense of ownership over natural resources is giving rise to conflict today, and has become the main cause of the plight of the environment. For the safe future of the planet, the sense of trusteeship is the solution,” he added.
There were sharp differences at the G-20 over the Ukraine conflict which was reflected in the declaration issued at the end of the summit. “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy—constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks,” the declaration said. It noted that there were other views and different assessments of the “situation and sanctions”. “Recognising that the G20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy,” it said. Western nations imposed crippling sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
In his remarks, Modi noted that LiFE that is a ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ campaign, can make a big contribution to this. “Its purpose is to make sustainable lifestyles a mass movement.” The prime minister emphasised that the benefits of development are universal and all-inclusive. “We have to extend the benefits of development to all human beings with compassion and solidarity. Global development is not possible without women’s participation,” he said. Modi said the G-20 has to convey a strong message in favour of peace and harmony. “All these priorities are fully embodied in the theme of India’s G-20 Chairmanship—‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’,” he said. The 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). The next G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State/Government is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi. “We look forward to meeting again in India in 2023, in Brazil in 2024 and in South Africa in 2025,” the declaration said.
