Context:
The G20 summit commenced at the Modern Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The summit features participation from key global leaders, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, and China’s Xi Jinping, who are engaging in critical discussions on trade, climate change, and international security. Highlighting the summit’s broad agenda, Prime Minister Modi addressed the opening session on ‘Social Inclusion and the Fight against Hunger and Poverty,’ emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to tackle these global challenges.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
Dimensions of the Article:
- Key Highlights of PM Modi’s Speech at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
- About G20
Key Highlights of PM Modi’s Speech at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
Focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Global South Emphasis: PM Modi commended Brazil’s agenda for prioritizing SDGs and addressing concerns pertinent to the Global South.
- Continuity in Themes: He highlighted the alignment of Brazil’s focus with India’s previous G20 presidency theme, “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
Achievements in Poverty Alleviation and Food Security
- Poverty Reduction: Modi noted that India has successfully lifted 250 million people out of poverty over the past decade.
- Food Security Initiatives: He cited the distribution of free food grains to 800 million citizens and the benefits of the world’s largest health insurance scheme covering 550 million people.
- Innovative Approaches: The Prime Minister advocated for a ‘Back to Basics and March to Future’ approach to address and enhance food security measures.
Global Contributions and Collaborations
- Support to Africa: India’s contribution to strengthening food security in African nations such as Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe was highlighted.
- Global Alliance Proposal: Modi welcomed Brazil’s proposal for establishing a ‘Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty’, showcasing a commitment to collaborative efforts against global challenges.
Support for the Global South
- Priority Issues: The speech emphasized the importance of focusing on the critical issues affecting the Global South, especially the crises related to food, fuel, and fertilizer exacerbated by global conflicts.
Women-Led Development and Nutrition
- Empowering Women: Modi underscored India’s initiatives aimed at women-led development, aligning with broader goals of empowerment and equality.
- Nutrition Focus: He stressed the importance of integrating nutrition into food security efforts, reflecting a holistic approach to health and well-being.
Challenges at the Summit
- Contentious Discussions: The drafting of a joint statement at the summit faced difficulties, particularly concerning the language about the Ukraine conflict.
- International Relations and Policies: Various global leaders, including US President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, presented their agendas and initiatives, ranging from clean energy partnerships to the Belt & Road initiative, amidst complex geopolitical tensions and trade concerns.
About G20
- The G20 is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
- The G20 membership comprises a mix of the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global gross domestic product, 80% of global investment, over 75% of global trade and roughly half the world’s land area.
- The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
- Spain as a permanent, non-member invitee, also attends leader summits.
- India will hold the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023, culminating with the G20 Summit in India in 2023.
Structure and functioning of G20
- The G20 Presidency rotates annually according to a system that ensures a regional balance over time.
- For the selection of presidency, the 19 countries are divided into 5 groups, each having no more than 4 countries. The presidency rotates between each group.
- Every year the G20 selects a country from another group to be president.
- India is in Group 2 which also has Russia, South Africa and Turkey.
- The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters.
- The work of G20 is divided into two tracks:
- The Finance track comprises all meetings with G20 finance ministers and central bank governors and their deputies. Meeting several times throughout the year they focus on monetary and fiscal issues, financial regulations, etc.
- The Sherpa track focuses on broader issues such as political engagement, anti-corruption, development, energy, etc.
- Since 2008, the group convenes at least once a year, with the summits involving each member’s head of government.
-Source: The Hindu
