Blog

   G20 Summit 2023
    GS2 - IR 

• For India, the G20 Presidency also heralds the start of "Amrit Kaal," the 25-year period starting from the 75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022 and ending with the centenary of its independence and aimed at creating a future-oriented, prosperous, inclusive, and developed society that is characterized by a human-centric approach at its core.
• The focus is on Healing, Harmony, and Hope for the world.
• The troika will consist of Indonesia, India, and Brazil during India's Presidency, accordingly.
• India's G20 priorities include things like women-led development, multilateral institutions for the twenty-first century, accelerated, resilient, and inclusive growth, as well as green development, climate finance, and LIFE.

• In order to bring development to the top of the global agenda, more than 200 sessions were convened in 60 different countries.
• Leaders and delegation heads from 20 member nations, 9 guest countries, and 14 international organizations have gathered for the G-20 Summit in New Delhi to work towards a better future for the globe by 

• Promoting green projects as One Earth.

• Promoting inclusive growth as One Family, 

• Combining technologies for One Future

About 18th G20 Summit

• The Summit took place in the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan on September 9 and 10, 2023.
• The 78th iteration of the G20
• For the period of December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, India is the G20's president.
• The culmination of all G20 processes and talks with ministers, senior officials, and civil society took place during the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi. 
• At the conclusion of the G20 Summit, a G20 Leaders' Declaration was adopted, outlining the commitment of the Leaders to the priorities discussed and chosen during the relevant ministerial and working group meetings. 

Logo

The brilliant hues of India's national flag—saffron, white, green, and blue—were used as inspiration for the G20 Logo. Planet Earth is compared to the lotus, the national flower of India, which symbolizes growth over adversity. India's pro-planet philosophy of living in complete harmony with nature is reflected on Earth. "Bharat" is inscribed in Devanagari script below the G20 logo.

Theme

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which translates to "One Earth, One Family, One Future," is the slogan of India's G20 presidency. It is taken from the Maha Upanishad, an old Sanskrit literature. The topic essentially emphasizes the importance of all life—human, animal, plant, and microorganism—as well as their interdependence on Earth and across the universe.

The theme also emphasizes LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which is associated with environmentally sound and responsible decisions made at the level of both individual lifestyles and national development, leading to globally transformative actions that produce a cleaner, greener, and bluer future.

The logo and the theme together deliver a potent message of India's G20 Presidency. It is a message of striving for just and equitable progress for all people in the globe. They exemplify an approach to our G20 Presidency that is distinctly Indian: living in tune with the local ecosystem.

India's G20 priorities

• It includes green development, climate finance, and LiFE, which focuses on accelerating, inclusive, and resilient growth. The country aims to integrate MSMEs in global trade, promote labor rights, address the skills gap, and build inclusive agricultural value chains. 
• The G20 presidency aligns with the 2030 Agenda, aiming to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
• India's focus will be on technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, promoting a human-centric approach to technology. 
• India's G20 priority will be to press for reformed multilateralism, creating a more accountable, inclusive, just, equitable, and representative international system. 
• Women-led development is also a priority, with a focus on bringing women to the fore and in leading positions to boost socio-economic development and SDG achievement. 
• India has launched its presidency term with cultural initiatives, youth activities, cultural performances, and site excursions to showcase the sights and traditions of respective city venues.

Key Takeaways of G20 Summit - 2023

        1. Russia-Ukraine War

• The G20 nations have agreed that governments cannot take territory by force and have emphasized the suffering of the Ukrainian people, but they have avoided directly criticizing Russia for the war. This softening of the G20's attitude last year, when it criticized Russia for the war and urged it to leave Ukraine, was interpreted as a victory. 
• The G20 condemned the use of force for territorial gain but avoided directly criticizing Russia. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead, displaced millions, and caused economic turmoil. 

        2. African Union, a Permanent member of the G20

• In order to make the G20 more representative, the 55-member African Union was formally declared a permanent member, on par with the European Union. Only South Africa has previously been a member of the G20. The AU's inclusion would give the Global South a stronger voice at the G20, where the G7 countries have traditionally held sway.
• The move also came after the BRICs, another organization headed by China and Russia, were enlarged to include Saudi Arabia and Iran, among other countries, in what was viewed as Beijing's attempt to make it a plausible alternative to the G20.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has framed this weekend as India's diplomatic coming of age, and his country's presidency as a time to speak up for the Global South's concerns.
• With the ceremonial boom of a gavel, Modi began the summit's formal procedures by calling AU President Azali Assoumani to take a seat among global leaders.
• The G20 consisted of 19 countries plus the European Union, with South Africa serving as the continent's sole member.
• The African Union (AU) is the newest member of a group that currently accounts for 85 percent of global GDP.
• The AU has 55 members at full membership, but six military-ruled states are now suspended. It has a combined GDP of $3 trillion and 1.4 billion people.
  
  3.'Spice Routes' and the Normalisation of Israel
  
  
• A broad alliance, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, announced grandiose plans to construct a modern-day Spice Route connecting Europe, the Middle East, and India.
• If the initiative is carried out, it would create railroads, ports, electricity and internet networks, and hydrogen pipelines across the Middle East to compensate for China's excessive infrastructure spending, potentially speeding up trade between India and Europe by up to 40%.
• The initiatives are also being presented as a means of aiding in the normalization of relations between Israel and the governments of the Gulf Arab states.
• During the G20 Summit, India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. According to Biden, it is a "game-changing" regional investment. 
• The economic corridor of rail and maritime lines aims to enhance trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe, acting as a modern-day Spice Route connecting countries and accounting for about one-third of the global economy.
  
  4. Progress on Climate Change 
  
  
• The G20 leaders have pledged to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and phase out coal power, but have not yet made significant climate commitments. 
• The panel did not propose any changes to existing policies or objectives to meet the renewable energy target. 
• It also stated that $4 trillion per year would be required to fund a green energy transition, but provided no details on how to get there. 
• The G20 countries account for over 80% of global emissions, and the inability to reach an agreement on a phase-out of fossil fuels casts a shadow over climate talks set to begin in November.
  
  5. Global Biofuel Alliance
  
  
• India, Brazil, and the US have joined the Global Biofuels Alliance, a group of 19 countries and 12 international organizations, including both G20 members and non-member countries. 
• The alliance aims to boost demand and technology transfer for biofuel production and enhance trade, with India aiming to increase its biofuel production through varied sources to cut its import dependence. The alliance is positioned as a global forum to help boost demand and technology transfer for biofuels and enhance trade.
• India has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2070 and has an ambitious biofuel roadmap, with the government aiming to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26. 
• The biofuel alliance focuses on accelerated adoption of biofuels, creating new biofuels, setting globally recognized standards, identifying global best practices, and ensuring industry participation. 
• The Indian-conceptualized alliance is being positioned as a global forum to help boost demand and technology transfer for the production of biofuels and enhance trade.

Importance of India’s Presidency in G20

• India's G20 Presidency presents an opportunity for the country to address global challenges, including climate change, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions. 
• India's priorities include financing tomorrow's cities, enabling an orderly transition from carbon-intensive energy to renewable energy, and promoting health care.
• India is the world's third-largest producer of renewable energy, with initiatives like the National Hydrogen Mission and Production-Linked Incentives for electric vehicles. The G20 platform can mobilize international support to bridge financing needs. India's experience in framing a successful national digital health architecture through regulatory environments, private-public partnerships, and digital health interventions is crucial.
• India has an important opportunity during its G20 Presidency to establish a legacy of success across these critical challenges and rely on its friends for support.