India's G20 Presidency 'most high-profile international endeavour ever' Amb Kamboj

By Yoshita Singh
    United Nations, Mar 16 (PTI) Describing India’s G20 Presidency as its “most high-profile international endeavour ever”, the country's envoy to the UN has said that the meetings of the influential grouping are happening at a time when the world faces multiple challenges ranging from climate change to the economic slowdown, food and energy insecurity and geopolitical conflicts.
     India assumed the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022, to 30 November 2023.
     The G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10 this year and will “have the largest ever participation”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said on Monday in her briefing to UN member states on India’s G-20 Presidency.
     “India’s G20 Presidency comes at a time when the world faces multiple challenges, ranging from climate change and lack of progress in SDGs to the economic slowdown, debt distress, uneven pandemic recovery, food and energy insecurity and geopolitical conflicts,” she said.
     “Yet in every challenge lies an opportunity. The world is looking at G20 as a ray of hope in providing fresh perspectives and durable solutions to global problems,” she said, according to a statement of her remarks posted on the website of the Permanent Mission of India to the UN.
     The briefing was done here at the request of the co-facilitators, who reached out to Kamboj for an informal briefing on what transpired at the recently held G-20 meetings, particularly the meeting of finance ministers and the central bank governors and the meeting of foreign ministers.
     Kamboj told the member states that the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings (FMCBG) held in Bengaluru last month and the Foreign Ministers Meeting in New Delhi earlier this month both concluded with “substantive outcomes on a highly diverse range of subjects” and agreed Outcome Documents were issued at both.
     She said that at the FMCBG, 15 of the 17 paragraphs of the Outcome Document were fully agreed and at the FMM, 22 of the 24 paragraphs of the Outcome Document were fully agreed.
     “Barring the complex geopolitical issue of Ukraine, the agreement was found on all of them,” she said.
     “The G20 Foreign Ministerial Outcome Document was the first ever in G20,” Kamboj said, adding that its key outcomes included an endorsement of a shared approach to development cooperation, wherein important principles of international development cooperation, such as host-country ownership, equal partnerships, tailoring such cooperation efforts with local needs, transparency and mutual accountability were emphasised.
     G20 countries also expressed the need to strengthen multilateralism in the context of the dramatic changes in the global order.
     Kamboj highlighted other areas and issues, including terrorism and the need for reliable food and fertiliser supply chains listed in the outcome document of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
     “All of the above has been achieved despite the challenge of the geopolitical situation – the conflict in Ukraine. The G20 Ministers have been able to come to a consensus on addressing the important challenges being faced by the global community,” she said.
     “The two Outcome Documents, therefore, are key milestones for our ongoing G20 Presidency. The US, EU, UK, Japan, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey have welcomed the outcome document, many of them in public. Russia and China also have also gone along with their adoption during the FMCBG and the FMM,” Kamboj said.
     “As regards the Ukraine conflict reference, we will continue to remain closely engaged with all G20 Members, who have already lent support to the above agreed outcomes, to find common ground on its language,” she said.
     Highlighting that India’s G20 Presidency is the country’s “most high-profile international endeavour ever”, Kamboj said the G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10 this year and will “have the largest ever participation”, including from Africa with 6 invitees (South Africa, AU Chair, NEPAD Chair, Egypt, Mauritius and Nigeria).
     In the run-up to this summit, India will host foreign delegates for around 200 meetings in over 50 cities across India.
     “Our theme Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth One Family One Future, reflects our intent to carry all countries with us, and leave no one behind,” she said.
     Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kamboj said that the chairing by India of the G-20 Presidency is a reflection of the strength of 130 crore Indians.
     “We are taking the G20 to the people. We are making it a ‘Jan-Bhagidari’ or a ‘Peoples’ G20’. We are involving the private sector, universities, civil societies and youth in practical activities and bringing out fresh perspectives on global issues,” she said.     During India’s G20 Presidency, it convened 13 Sherpa Track working groups, 8 Finance Track workstreams, 3 Initiatives (RIIG, Empower and SELM) and 11 Engagement Groups.
     Over 200 meetings during our Presidency will comprise four Sherpa meetings, more than 20 Ministerial meetings, four Finance Deputy meetings, a Parliament Speakers’ Summit, as well as a Sherpa track WGs/Fin Track workstream meetings chaired at the senior official level.
     The G20 meetings are being held across 56 cities, covering all 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India.
     “We are also working to provide visiting delegates with a unique Indian experience showcasing India’s diversity, inclusive traditions, cultural richness and strong democratic roots,” Kamboj added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)