Year-ender 2023: India’s G20 Presidency characterised by spearheading solutions for global prosperity

From bringing aboard the African Union to showcasing the importance of digital economy to drawing all nations to a consensus for the New Delhi Declaration, India’s G20 Presidency this year has been a tale of success, writes ETV Bharat’s Aroonim Bhuyan.

New Delhi: In the dynamic landscape of international relations, the G20 has emerged as a pivotal forum for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges and fostering cooperation among the globe’s major economies. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties and economic complexities, India, while holding the G20 Presidency till last month, played a crucial role in fostering dialogue, cooperation, and collective action.

Achievements of G20 Presidency by India:

One of the biggest achievements for India during its G20 Presidency is bringing the Global South to the high table of the inter-governmental forum. From the very outset of its assuming the G20 presidency from Indonesia in December 2022, India had said that it would be the voice of the Global South.

At India’s initiative, the 55-nation African Union (AU) was made a part of the G20 during the intergovernmental forum’s annual summit in New Delhi on September 9-10. During India’s G20 Presidency this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised on integrating the priorities of the African nations, who form the majority of the Global South, in the Group’s agenda. The G20 comprises 19 countries and the European Union. Ahead of the G20 Summit, Modi had written to all the leaders of the member countries to make the AU a permanent member of the Group. This was accepted by all and the 55-nation bloc was included in the G20 on September 9.

After assuming the G20 presidency, India held a virtual summit of the Voice of the Global South (VoGS) in January this year. Around 120 countries attended the Summit that was held with the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’.

Addressing the summit, Modi had said that the Global South has the largest stakes in the future. “Three-fourths of humanity lives in our countries,” he had said. “We should also have an equivalent voice. Hence, as the eight-decade-old model of global governance slowly changes, we should try to shape the emerging order.” Then, in November, ahead of its conclusion of the G20 Presidency, India held the second VoGS, again in the virtual mode. The objectives of the second summit were to disseminate outcomes of the G20 summit hosted by India and ensure sustained momentum for effective implementation of G20 decisions, with a specific focus on the interests of developing countries.

Second VoGS:

During the second VoGS, Modi also inaugurated the Global South Centre of Excellence or DAKSHIN, an initiative aimed at fostering collaboration among developing nations by serving as a knowledge repository and think tank. India also called for the five Cs for the Global South: consultation, cooperation, communication, creativity and capacity building.

Another major achievement of India during its G20 Presidency was showcasing its potential to play a leadership role in helping the world in embracing the digital economy. While addressing the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meet in Bengaluru in August, Modi said that India’s digital public infrastructure offers scalable, secure and inclusive solutions for global challenges.

“India's digital transformation over the last nine years is unprecedented,” Modi said. “It all started with the launch of our Digital India initiative in 2015. It is powered by our unshakeable belief in innovation.” He said that India has over 850 million internet users, enjoying some of the cheapest data costs in the world.

“We have leveraged technology to transform governance, to make it more efficient, inclusive, faster and transparent,” the Prime Minister said. “Our unique digital identity platform, Aadhaar, covers more than 1.3 billion of our people. We have used the power of the JAM trinity – Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar, and Mobile - to revolutionise financial inclusion in India. Every month, nearly 10 billion transactions take place on UPI (Unified Payment Interface), our instant payment system.” An Outcome Document released following the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meet acknowledged that digital divides, including the gender digital divide, are a considerable challenge for all countries, especially in developing and least-developed countries.

“Noting our deliberations to bridge the digital divides undertaken during the previous G20 presidencies, we reaffirm the urgency to accelerate inclusive digital transformation for all, especially for underserved groups and people in vulnerable situations,” the Document stated.

India Pushes for One Future Alliance:

India pushed for a One Future Alliance (OFA), an initiative that aims to bring together all countries and stakeholders to synergise, shape, architect and design the future of digital public infrastructure (DPI) that can be used by all countries. The alliance was aimed at enabling countries, especially from low and middle-income brackets, to learn from their experiences in harnessing technology to improve governance, and for social, economic, digital and sustainable development.

Last month, ahead of India’s handing over the G20 Presidency to Brazil, Modi while addressing the Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit, said that the DPI of 16 countries has been incorporated in the Global DPI Repository (GDPIR).

“At the New Delhi Summit, a decision was made to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure Repository, and I am pleased to announce its completion,” the Prime Minister said. “Over 50 DPIs from 16 countries have been incorporated into this repository.”

Key announcements at G20 Summit:

Another major takeaway from India’s G20 Presidency was the announcement of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has reshaped the global geopolitical and economic landscape.

Modi and US President Joe Biden co-chaired a special event on the PGII and IMEC on the sidelines of the Summit. The event aimed at unlocking greater investment for infrastructure development and strengthening connectivity in its various dimensions between India, the Middle East and Europe.

Leaders of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Mauritius, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, as well as the World Bank, participated in the event. The PGII is a developmental initiative aimed at narrowing the infrastructure gap in developing countries as well as help towards accelerate progress on SDGs globally. The IMEC comprises an Eastern Corridor connecting India to the Gulf region and a Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe. It will include a railway and ship-rail transit network and road transport routes.

When the new railway and shipping project proposed by the US becomes functional, it will further boost India’s connectivity needs as New Delhi is already investing in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-modal network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.

Launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance:

Also, at the G20 Summit, the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was launched at India’s initiative. “The Alliance intends to expedite the global uptake of biofuels through facilitating technology advancements, intensifying utilisation of sustainable biofuels, shaping robust standard setting and certification through the participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. “The alliance will also act as a central repository of knowledge and an expert hub. The GBA aims to serve as a catalytic platform, fostering global collaboration for the advancement and widespread adoption of biofuels.”

This is the second such initiative by India under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership to draw international cooperation for clean energy use. In 2015, following a proposal by Modi, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was formed with its headquarters at Gurugram in India.

The New Delhi Declaration:

Another major success for India was the New Delhi Declaration itself issued during the Summit. India managed to pull off a coup of sorts by drawing all participating nations to a consensus for the Declaration. Many said that it would not be possible given the Russia-Ukraine war. Though Putin did not attend the Summit personally, he deputed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to represent Russia. After weeks, days and hours of negotiations, New Delhi managed to pull it off. Without mentioning Russia, the Declaration stated that “all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety”.

“Reaffirming that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and recognising that while the G20 is not the platform to resolve geopolitical and security issues, we acknowledge that these issues can have significant consequences for the global economy,” the Declaration stated.

“We highlighted the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, supply chains, macro-financial stability, inflation and growth, which has complicated the policy environment for countries, especially developing and least developed countries which are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic disruption which has derailed progress towards the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals of the UN). There were different views and assessments of the situation.”

The Declaration further stated that the need for revitalised multilateralism to adequately address contemporary global challenges of the 21st Century, and to make global governance more representative, effective, transparent and accountable, has been voiced at multiple fora.

“In this context, a more inclusive and reinvigorated multilateralism and reform aimed at implementing the 2030 agenda is essential,” it stated. India is also among the foremost voices in the world calling for reforms in the UN Security Council (UNSC). India is part of the G4 which also includes Brazil, Germany and Japan, who are supporting each other’s bids for permanent membership of the UNSC.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the concluding session of the G20 Summit:

In his remarks at the third and concluding session of the G20 Summit themed ‘One Future’, Modi said that to take the world towards a better future, it is necessary that global systems are in accordance with the realities of the present. “Today, the UN Security Council is also an example of this,” Modi said.

“When the UN was established, the world at that time was completely different from what it is today. At that time, there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200.” He said that despite this, the number of permanent members in the UNSC is still the same.

“From then till today the world has changed a lot in every respect. Be it transport, communication, health, or education, every sector has been transformed. These new realities should be reflected in our new global structure,” Modi added.

India’s attempts to build a multipolar world also assume significance due to the security threats that the world faces today, particularly Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s hegemony in the Indo-Pacific, a region that stretches from the east coast of Japan to the east coast of Africa. India is part of a Quad that also includes the US, Japan and Australia, working for a free and open Indo-Pacific in view of Beijing’s belligerence in the region.

The Road Ahead:

As the curtain fell on India’s G20 Presidency, the accomplishments realised under its leadership reverberated globally, leaving an enduring impact on all nations. From introducing innovative solutions to addressing common challenges and advancing inclusive economic growth, India has demonstrated its prowess on the international platform. The lasting legacy of this G20 term is characterised by a spirit of collaboration, resilience, and a collective aspiration for a prosperous and interconnected future. As the gavel was handed over to Brazil, India’s indelible mark signified the strength that emerges when nations unite to tackle today’s intricate issues.

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