Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 COVER STORY September 15, 2023 “V asudhaiva Kutumbakam.” These two words capture a deep philosophy. They mean, “The world is one family.” It’s an all- embracing outlook that encourages us to progress as one universal family, transcend- ing borders, languages, and ideologies. During India’s G20 Presidency, this has translated into a call for human-centric progress. As One Earth, we are coming together to nurture our planet. As One Family, we support each other in the pursuit of growth. And we move together towards a shared future—One Future— which is an undeniable truth in these interconnected times. The post-pandemic world order is very different from the world that came before it. There have been three im- portant changes, among others. First, there is a growing realization that we need a shift away from a GDP-centric view of the world to a human-centric one. Second, the world is recognizing the importance of resilience and reliability in global supply chains. Third, there has been a collective call for boosting multilateralism through the reform of global institutions. Our G20 Presidency has played the role of catalyst in all three of these shifts. In December 2022, when we took over the Presidency from Indonesia, I had written that the G20 must catalyze a mindset shift. This was especially necessary in the context of mainstreaming the marginalized aspirations of developing countries, the Global South, and Africa. The Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our Presidency. It was an important exercize to gather input and ideas from the Global South. Furthermore, our Presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20. An interconnected world means our challenges across domains are interlinked. This is the midway year of the 2030 Agenda, and many are noting with great concern that the progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is off track. The G20 2023 Action Plan on Accelerating Progress on SDGs will spearhead the future direction of the G20 towards implementing SDGs. In India, living in harmony with nature has been a norm since ancient times, and we have been contribut- ing our share toward climate action even in modern times. Many countries of the Global South are at various stages of development, and climate action must be a complementary pursuit. Ambitions for climate action must be matched with actions on climate finance and transfer of technology. We believe there is a need to move away from a purely restrictive attitude of what should not be done to a more constructive attitude focusing on what can be done to fight climate change. The Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy focus on keeping our oceans healthy. A global ecosystem for clean and green hydrogen will emerge from our presi- dency, along with a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre. In 2015, we launched the International Solar Alliance. Now, through the Global Biofuels Alliance, we will sup- port the world to enable energy transitions in tune with the benefits of a circular economy. Democratizing climate action is the best way to impart momentum to the movement. Just as individuals make daily decisions based on their long-term health, they can make lifestyle decisions based on the impact on the planet’s long-term health. Just as Yoga became a global mass movement for wellness, we have also nudged the world with Lifestyles for Sustainable Envi- ronment (LiFE). Due to the impact of climate change, ensuring food and nutritional security will also be crucial. Millets, or Shree Anna, can help with this while also boosting climate-smart agriculture. In the International Year of Millets, we have taken millets to global palates. The Dec- can High Level Principles on Food Security and Nutri- tion is also helping in this direction. Technology is transformative, but it also needs to be made inclusive. In the past, the benefits of technologi- cal advancements have not benefited all sections of society equally. India over the last few years has shown how technology can be leveraged to narrow inequalities, rather than widen them. For example, the billions across the world who re- main unbanked or lack digital identities can be finan- cially included through digital public infrastructure (DPI). The solutions we have built using our DPI have now been recognized globally. Now, through the G20, we will help developing countries adapt, build, and scale DPI to unlock the power of inclusive growth. That India is the fastest-growing large economy is no accident. Our simple, scalable and sustainable solutions have empowered the vulnerable and the marginalized to lead our development story. From space to sports, economy to entrepreneurship, Indian women have taken the lead in various sectors. They have shifted the narrative from the development of women to women-led development. Our G20 Presi- dency is working on bridging the gender digital divide, reducing labour force participation gaps and enabling a larger role for women in leadership and decision- making. -(This Opinion first appeared in Newsweek Sept. 6, 2023. Reprinted herewith permission from Indian Consulate in NewYork) How India Led The Way Toward A Human-Centered Future By Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Photo:X@narendramodi Prime Minister Narendra Modi. G20 Adopts Leaders Declaration Under India’s Presidency -NEW DELHI I n a win-win situation for India’s G20 Presidency, the G20 Leaders’ Summit, convened in the nation’s capi- tal under the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is One Family,” unanimously adopted the New Delhi Leaders Declaration on September 9, 2023. The consensus reached on the Declaration surprised many, especially since Russia and China had previously strongly objected to the joint statement. This statement essentially reiterated two paragraphs from the G20 Bali declaration, which condemned Russia for its actions in the Ukraine conflict. Given the opposition, the G20 Fi- nance of Central Bank Governors Meeting held in Benga- luru in February, and the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting held in New Delhi in March of this year only managed to produce a summary by the Chair. Providing a background on reaching consensus on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, during a press briefing on September 9, noted, “India worked very closely with Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia. And I want to say that it was the emerging markets, which played a very key role [for reaching consensus]… very tough, very ruthless negotiations which went on for several days nonstop,” adding he strongly believes that ultimately the consensus was reached due to the Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, as the negotiators had to say that the Prime Minister wanted the task to be accom- plished. Kant was joined by India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Secretary of Department of Eco- nomic Affairs, Ajay Seth, G20 Chief Coordinator, Harsh Shringla, and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at the press briefing. But the new language in the adopted New Delhi Declaration totally removed Russia’s reference in the war against Ukraine. It just expressed profound concern regarding the extensive human suffering and the detri- mental consequences of wars and conflicts globally. The Declaration noted “We highlighted the human suf- fering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, supply chains, macro-financial stability, inflation and growth, which has complicated the policy environment for By T.Vishnudatta Jayaraman Photo: T.Vishnudatta Jayaraman,News IndiaTimes From left, Arindam Bagchi (standing), Vinay Kwatra, Amitabh Kant, S. Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ajay Seth, and Harsh Shringla during the press briefing on September 9, 2023, in New Delhi. - Continued On Page 5