India during the G20 presidency will play a major role in the revival of the economies and to put on fast track the implementation of a slew of steps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, said the ministry of external affairs joint secretary Mr Nagaraj Naidu here on Thursday after the conclusion of the 1st G20 Development Working Group meeting held from December 13 to 15.
‘’India has put forward our priorities including high level principles of life (Life style for environment), development impact of current disruption in food, energy and financial markets, digital transformation, just and fair green transition, women led development, data for development and sustainable lifestyle for development. The countries will discuss internally and give their views on these proposals that will be later taken up at the ministerial level meeting,’’ he said.
‘’Development agenda is a broad agenda. Grouping is primarily an economic grouping so we discussed the development agenda, focusing on poverty, hunger, issues relating to the women development,’’ he said.
To a question on how India during its G20 Presidency can mobilise other countries on threat pose by China for India’s internal borders and also to the rule based international order, Mr Naidu said ‘’The question should be addressed to the ministry of external affairs as G20 is an economic group. I would ideally recommend to raise this question with the official spokesperson of the foreign ministry. This grouping does not actually look at some of the political issues. This is primarily the economic grouping.’’
He further added, ‘’Development agenda is a broad agenda. We discussed the development agenda, focusing on poverty, hunger, issues relating to the women development.’’
Mr Naidu said that ‘’We are speaking currently mid way in meeting the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the COVID crisis has hit globally. So what was supposed to be the decade of action 2021 to 2030 has suddenly become a decade of recovery so that during our presidency the issues of priorities that we have taken up has been the part of DWG agenda. It is reflective of how can India’s presidency can work with all G20 member countries to accelerate progress towards attainment of SDGs.’’
G20 joint secretary Ms Eelam Gambhir said that for the first time in the history G20 since 2008 there is a G20 troika of developing countries including the outgoing presidency that is Indonesia, income that is India and upcoming Brazil and South Africa. ‘’Four country continuum that also helps us as India’s credential as the most important country in the developing world to do some work that will be carried forward bringing the agenda of the global south,’’ she added.
Ms Gambhir said India will set up an agenda and the focus on core issues of developing countries is important as the only way to bring the divided together by addressing the needs of those who are most required. ‘’We will address the humanitarian concerns and depoliticise the development issues,’’she noted.
