In a virtual summit that brought together leaders from the world's largest economies, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude and outlined significant achievements during India's G20 presidency over the past year. The speech covered a range of topics, emphasizing inclusivity, cooperation, and addressing emerging challenges.

PM Modi highlighted the G20's commitment to inclusivity by welcoming the African Union with unanimous enthusiasm, showcasing a message of unity and cooperation. The summit, under India's presidency, aimed to amplify the voices of the Global South, with G20 being recognized as the People’s-20.

Addressing current global challenges, the Prime Minister expressed concern over the situation in the West Asia region, emphasizing the need for collective sensitivity and solutions. He condemned terrorism and underscored the importance of humanitarian aid and efforts for peace.

Furthermore, PM Modi stressed the imperative of prioritizing the concerns of Global South countries and urged support for the development agenda. He called for reforms in global economic and governance structures, emphasizing their need to be bigger, better, effective, representative, and future-ready.

The Prime Minister shared India's successful Aspirational District program, inviting G20 countries, especially those from the Global South, to study and replicate its local-level progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also announced the creation of a repository for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and proposed establishing a Social Impact Fund, with India pledging an initial contribution of $25 million.

In the context of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), PM Modi advocated for responsible technology use and proposed global regulation. He announced India's hosting of the Global A.I. Partnership Summit, calling for international support.

Environmental conservation took center stage with discussions on the Green Credit concept and initiatives like the Global Biofuels Alliance and Mission LiFE. The G20 recognized the importance of clean hydrogen and increasing climate finance, with concrete steps expected during COP-28 in the UAE.

A new working group on women empowerment was announced, with PM Modi celebrating India's historic decision to provide 33 percent reservation for women in parliament and state legislative assemblies.

Prachee Suman | 22-11-23 | New Delhi