With Brazil prepared to take over the presidency from December 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that India achieved the extraordinary during its G20 presidency as it revitalised multilateralism, amplified the voice of the Global South, championed development, and fought for the empowerment of women everywhere.
The Prime Minister underlined that the elite group’s journey under India and expressed confidence that his country hands over the charge with the conviction that our collective steps for people, planet, peace, and prosperity, will resonate for years to come.
In his opinion piece that appeared in multiple newspapers, PM Modi said that India’s approach was defined by being inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive and the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD), unanimously adopted by all G20 members, is testimony to India’s commitment to deliver on these principles.
PM Modi stated that assuming the G20 chair, India sought to offer the world an alternative to the status quo, a shift from a GDP-centric to human-centric progress. He added that India aimed to remind the world of what unites them, rather than what divides them. He also noted that the global conversation had to evolve and the interests of the few had to give way to the aspirations of the many. This required a fundamental reform of multilateralism, he remarked.
He underscored that the first-of-its-kind Voice of the Global South Summit, convened by India in two editions, heralded a new dawn for multilateralism, asserting that India mainstreamed the Global South’s concerns in the international discourse and has ushered in an era where developing countries take their rightful place in shaping the global narrative.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi added that at the critical midpoint of the 2030 agenda, India delivered the G20 2023 Action Plan to Accelerate Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taking a cross-cutting, action-oriented approach to interconnected issues, including health, education, gender equality and environmental sustainability. He continued that a key area driving this progress is the robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
He said that the leaders’ declaration underscores India’s commitment to climate justice and equity, urging substantial financial and technological support from the Global North. Narendra Modi noted that for the first time there was a recognition of the quantum jump needed in the magnitude of development financing, moving from billions to trillions of dollars. Furthermore, he mentioned that the G20 acknowledged that developing countries required USD 5.9 trillion to fulfil their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2030.
He also underlined that the G20 stressed on the importance of better, larger, and more effective Multilateral Development Banks. The Prime Minister said that concurrently, India is taking a leading role in UN reforms, particularly in the restructuring of principal organs like the UN Security Council, that will ensure a more equitable global order.
He noted that gender equality took centre stage, culminating in the formation of a dedicated Working Group on the Empowerment of Women next year. He continued that during its G20 presidency, India led deliberations on geopolitical issues and their impact on economic growth and development.
In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asserted that terrorism and the senseless killing of civilians are unacceptable, and they must address it with a policy of zero tolerance, embody humanitarianism over hostility and reiterate that this is not an era of war.