Ajit Karn
On Thursday, Kerala’s Kumarakom village will host India’s G20 Presidency’s second G20 Sherpa meeting. The meeting will end on April 2 under India’s Sherpa Amitabh Kant.
Media reported that over 120 delegates from 20 major economies, nine invitee countries, and foreign and regional organizations will attend this meeting.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the four-day meeting will debate G20 economic and development priorities, global challenges, and other topics.
This G20 Sherpa meeting will address global topics and the Sherpa track’s 13 Working Groups. Policy approaches and implementation will dominate the debate.
The release says the discussions will build on Sherpa Track and Finance Track talks. Media claimed that the Leaders declaration will be adopted at the September 2023 summit in New Delhi based on the discussions.
11 engagement groups and four initiatives—RIIG, Empower, SELM, and CSAR—make policy recommendations from civil society, private sector, academia, women, youth, scientific advancement, and research perspectives.
Two high-level DPI and green development side events will start the program. Media reported that the Digital Public Infrastructure side-event, organized by NASSCOM, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), will open with an immersive digital experience for G20 delegates.
Panel discussions on global challenges and opportunities to build a growth-oriented and inclusive DPI will follow.
At the DPI side event, Infosys Co-Founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani, EU Commissioner for International Market Thierry Breton, Digital Impact Alliance Managing Director and non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institute Priya Vora, and EkStep Foundation CTO and ex-Aadhaar Chief Architect Pramod Verma will speak.
The Observer Research Foundation and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in India will organize the Green Development side event. (UNRC). Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University; Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados on Investment and Financial Services and member, Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance; and others will speak. The event will explore global efforts to promote a new vision of green development that maximizes synergies in efforts to achieve developmental and environmental goals through a conducive and redesigned international environment and a policy framework that is adaptive, proactive, and responsive to developing countries’ needs and challenges.
Amitabh Kant will head G20 Troika discussions with India, Indonesia, and Brazil. He will meet with other G20 Sherpas, heads of delegations, invitees, and international organizations, including Emerging Market Economies (EMEs), to discuss Global South and Advanced Economy (AE) issues and mutually beneficial solutions.
The guests will also attend “Charchayum Aaharavum” (Conversations over Dinner) and cultural programs like a miniature Thrissur Pooram, an Onam Sadhya lunch, and Chaya Vallom. (Tea on Boat). These experiences will give G20 delegates the chance to sample Kerala’s rich culture and cuisine.
According to press release, India chose its G20 priorities after considering the diverse global challenges of the day, developing countries’ concerns, and the need for greater momentum to collectively advance the common international agenda, especially the development and environment agenda. India’s G20 theme, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” “One Earth. One Family. One Future,” sums up the G20’s shared goal of galvanizing wide support and achieving decisive, ambitious, inclusive, and action-oriented results.
India’s G20 Presidency is discussing Green Development, Climate Finance and Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), accelerated, inclusive, and resilient growth, SDG progress, technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, multilateral institutions for the 21st century, and women-led development.
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MEA says the goals reflect the Global South’s demands, which were voiced by 125 nations at the first Voice of Global South summit. Modi held the Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023. In December, Udaipur hosted the first G20 Sherpa summit.
