New Delhi, Sep 9: The two-day G20 Leaders’ Summit under India’s Presidency kicked off with a bang on Saturday with the host country forging consensus over joint declaration despite discord over Russia-Ukraine conflict among some of the members.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the major announcement saying that the world leaders had agreed on the content of the New Delhi Declaration. This triggered celebratory mood among top negotiators and government functionaries involved in clinching the deal.
“History has been created with the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. United in consensus and spirit, we pledge to work collaboratively for a better, more prosperous, and harmonious future. My gratitude to all fellow G20 members for their support and cooperation,” PM Modi wrote on ‘X’.
It was crucial for India to bring all the members of the G20 on the same page to make the Presidency a grand success.
The joint declaration focuses on accelerating progress on sustainable development goals (SDGs), green development pact for a sustainable future, strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, and more effective multilateral institutions for the 21st century among other key issues.
On the contentious issue of Russia-Ukraine conflict, the declaration said, “Concerning the war in Ukraine, while recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety.”
“In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible,” it further said.
Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa to G20 said that G20 under India’s presidency has been the most ambitious in the history of G20 presidencies.
“With 112 outcomes and presidency documents, we have more than tripled the substantive work from previous presidencies,” he said.
Taking to ‘X’, he noted that India’s G20 Presidency stands as a landmark occasion, symbolizing a concerted effort to address global challenges with unity and purpose.
Apart from consensus on the New Delhi Declaration, the G20 members included the 55-member states African Union into the bloc. The other key takeaway during the summit included the launch of Global Biofuel Alliance seeking to take ethanol blending in petrol upto 20%.
“The launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance marks a watershed moment in our quest towards sustainability and clean energy,” PM Modi said.
Committing to a clean and inclusive energy transition, the G20 New Delhi Declaration recognised the importance of sustainable biofuels in zero and low-emission development strategies.
