New Delhi: Varanasi is all set to host the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting under the G20 Indian Presidency slated to be held between 11-13 June. Union Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar will chair the meeting.
The Varanasi Development Ministers’ Meeting is taking place amidst mounting developmental challenges that have been further aggravated by the economic slowdown, debt distress, impacts of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, growing poverty and inequality, food and energy insecurity, cost-of-living crisis, global supply-chain disruptions, and geo-political conflicts and tensions.
The meeting will be an opportunity to collectively agree on actions for accelerating the achievement of the SDGs and fostering synergies between the development, environment, and climate agendas while avoiding costly trade-offs that hold back progress for the developing countries.
The German Development Minister Svenja Schulze who is in India to attend the meeting said, “Working together with India is the only way to solve the problems the world is facing.” “The focus will be on global food security, the energy transition, efforts to clean up rivers and oceans, providing a clean water supply, and waste management. This is not just a matter of sustainable development for India. It is above all a question of working with India to make progress at the global level”, the German minister said.
She noted that all the problems affecting the world also affect India. “Climate change, for example, is having an especially dramatic impact in India, where extreme heat waves, droughts, and flooding are being seen. At the same time, it can also be said that all the problems that can be resolved in India can very probably be resolved worldwide as well. That is why we are working with India not just on the country’s development but also in a joint effort to support sustainable development worldwide”, she said.
The G20 development ministers meeting follows the Voice of the Global South Summit that was hosted by India in January 2023, and the decisions taken at the Varanasi meeting will also contribute to the United Nations SDG Summit which will take place in September in New York. The meeting will consist of two main sessions, one on "Multilateralism: Collective Actions for Accelerating Progress towards SDGs” and another on "Green Development: A Life (Lifestyle for Environment) Approach”.
The Development Ministers’ Meeting was preceded by the fourth and final Development Working Group (DWG) Meeting, which was held in Delhi from June 6-9. The Development Working Group, while building on the crucial work done by previous G20 presidencies, has carried forward its mandate of enhancing G20's contribution to accelerating progress towards SDGs and strengthening G20 long-term vision in this regard including by strengthening G20 efforts towards fostering sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic growth. Cultural programs, exhibitions, and excursions have also been organized to provide the delegates with a glimpse into the rich culture and traditions of Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world. A total of 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting.
Also read: This is not Switzerland or Austria: Arab influencer on G20 Summit in Kashmir
