Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed six new initiatives aimed at global development, including an Open Satellite Data Partnership and a Critical Minerals Circularity initiative.
Addressing a G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, Modi said these initiatives elaborated India’s approach to growth, development and well-being for all.
Setting up a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository, the Africa Skills Multiplier programme, the Global Healthcare Response Team, and Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus are the other four initiatives envisaged by the prime minister.
The Critical Minerals Circularity initiative is aimed at enhancing clean energy transitions by boosting recycling, easing supply chain pressures and advancing joint research on critical minerals.
"It is clear that to deal with natural disasters, we will have to strengthen global cooperation," Modi said while addressing a session titled, A Resilient World --- the G20's Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Just Energy Transitions, Food Systems.
Modi stressed that resilience cannot be built in silos and called for greater collaboration among the members of the influential grouping.
"India is fully committed to sustainability and clean energy, which is why we propose a G20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative to promote recycling, urban mining, second-life batteries and related innovations,” the prime minister said.
Noting that India had established a Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group during its G20 Presidency, Modi underlined that the approach to disaster resilience should be beyond "response-centric" and should be "development-centric". This was India's vision behind setting up of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), he added.
Calling for the formation of a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository, the prime minister said it will document traditional wisdom that demonstrates time-tested models of sustainable living and ensure that it is carried forward to future generations.
"India has a rich history in this regard. This will help us pass on our collective wisdom to further good health and well-being," Modi remarked in his address.
The G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership, proposed by the prime minister, suggests that satellite data from G20 space agencies would be made available to developing countries for activities such as agriculture, fisheries, and disaster management, among others.
The Africa Skills Multiplier programme aims to establish a pool of one million certified trainers for skilling the youth in Africa. "This will create local capacities and foster long-term development on the continent," Modi said.
The G20 Global Healthcare Response Team, proposed by the prime minister, will comprise healthcare experts from each of the G20 countries and could be deployed to deal with global health challenges in any part of the world.
Modi also proposed a Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus initiative to overcome the challenge of drug trafficking and break the drug-terror economy.